Is Your Food Worth It's Salt?

There is a story that goes:


Before Henry Ford would hire an executive, he would ask the potential candidate to join him for a meal. A perfectly cooked steak and other food would arrive and be set before the job seeker. If the candidate picked up the salt shaker and added salt before tasting the food, Ford rejected the candidate on the theory that he (alas, there were no lady executives at Ford Motor Company in those days) didn't have the requisite open mind to investigate what exactly a situation was before acting.


Whether this story is true (it's also been attributed to Thomas Edison, IBM founder Thomas Watson, J.C. Penny, and others), it is a cautionary tale about mindful eating (how's that for sneaking in a great suggestion) and the folly of assumptions, habits, and jumping to conclusions before investigation.


This story is also an indication that even a hundred years ago Americans ate too much sodium. Apparently, we haven't learned much about the health consequences of consuming high levels of sodium over the past century.


CDC Study Findings


The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a study reporting that about 90 percent of people over age 2 take in too much sodium. Perhaps you're thinking the main culprits are french fries, chips, or the salt shakers on our tables. While they do play a role, one of the biggest sources of sodium is bread, with a whopping 200 milligrams per slice. 


While some sodium is needed for good health, too much of a good thing can be dangerous. According to the CDC report, the recommended adult intake for sodium is less than 2,300 milligrams a day. The average American consumes 3,300 milligrams daily. Elevated sodium can cause increases in blood pressure. That can of course lead to heart and other health problems. 


Key findings from the CDC study include:

• "Types of foods matter—More than 40% of sodium comes from the following 10 types of foods: breads and rolls, cold cuts and cured meats such as deli or packaged ham or turkey, pizza, fresh and processed poultry, soups, sandwiches such as cheeseburgers, cheese, pasta dishes*, meat mixed dishes such as meat loaf with tomato sauce, and snacks such as chips, pretzels, and popcorn."
• "Brands of foods matter too. Different brands of the same foods may have different sodium levels.For example, sodium in chicken noodle soup can vary by as much as 840 milligrams (mg) per serving."

What Can You Do?

What can you do to help reduce sodium intake? Some suggestions include:

• Eat mindfully. Taste your food before adding salt.
• Remove salt from the table. Out of sight, out of mind.
• Whenever possible, buy fresh vegetables and fruits, preferably organic or locally grown.
• Reduce consumption of breads, rolls, cured and processed meats.
• Read labels. If you must buy a processed food item, choose brands with the lowest sodium levels.
• When eating at restaurants, look for low-sodium choices on the menu.

A little mindful awareness goes a long way towards better health.

To read the CDC findings, click Here.

Steve Carter

Stress Solutions, LLC

Home of the Weight for Wellness(TM) Program

http://www.EFT-MD.com | http://EasyStressCures.com

Ph: 1-804-677-6772