Salt is a common ingredient that humans have been adding to food for ages for a tinge of extra taste as well as for its preservative properties. However, did you know that excessive sodium intake can actually be detrimental to both you and your loved one? Though a moderate amount of sodium can aid the body in keeping the necessary chemistry working which is needed for survival, our current modern diet often has too much sodium and can be constituted as harmful to our overall well-being.
Harmful Effects of Sodium
A moderate amount of sodium intake can aid in regulating blood pressure and volume and help to maintain the motor function of muscles and nerves. However, an excessive amount of salt can cause a variety of health issues ranging from water retention to impaired cognitive abilities as well as problems with the heart, bones and kidneys. Other consequences would be high blood pressure, which can cause irreversible damage to your cardiovascular system and result in serious issues like stroke and heart failure. However, given how prevalent sodium is in the common food that we eat, it can be a daunting task to commit to reducing your salt intake. However, there are convenient and painless ways to reap the benefits of a reduced-sodium diet.
Ways to Reduce Sodium Intake
A convenient method to both keep track and reduce sodium intake would be to cook more meals from scratch so that you are able to keep track of your personal sodium intake. Processed and prepackaged foods from the grocery store or the convenience mart are often high in sodium which might be detrimental to your health. By making your own food, you will be able to have agency over the amount of salt that goes into your meals and can therefore make a conscious decision to reduce your overall sodium intake. Cooking your own meals can also have other benefits like cost savings as well as being much healthier in general than heading out to eat.
Other ways to lower your sodium intake would be to rinse off your canned vegetables before cooking, as manufacturers might add salt to their canned vegetables to improve their taste. Rinsing your vegetables would help to get rid of the excess sodium and result in an overall healthier meal.
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