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Sodium and losing weight
Many people believe any excess weight gained will be composed of fat. In fact all weight gains comprise of 3 components, fat, water and lean weight. As weight is gained all 3 components vary according to several factors, the most common include diet, activity level, genetics and the time taken to gain the extra weight. In an extreme case, a greater percentage of fat will be gained if energy intake is too much, activity is low and the time taken to gain weight is short.
In this case, maybe as much as 90% of the excess weight will be made up of mostly extra fat stores. However, a small percentage of any gain will comprise lean weight and water. The water gain is often due to an increased daily sodium intake.
Sodium in the body is mainly found in the fluids that surround the body's cells, such as the blood and lymph fluid. When sodium intake exceeds the amount the body can handle it builds up within the interstitial areas and the kidneys have to work extra hard to excrete a constant rise in daily sodium intake. A build up may cause the body to hold extra fluids in the blood and around the cells which contributes to increased blood pressure and also excess weight gain from water.
Daily sodium intake will always be high in the western diet
The average diet in the western world is commonly made up of fast, packaged or convenient foods. These always consist of high levels of salt and salt contains sodium. If a diet is mainly composed of high sodium foods then naturally the sodium intake also rises thus extra weight is gained quickly as the body holds onto water. It has been estimated that many people in the UK and USA may be carrying up to 5 pounds of extra weight due to the effects of a high sodium intake.
The opposite effect also happens when an individual reduces food intake in order to lose weight quickly. A percentage of the loss will be water because a reduction in high sodium foods means a reduction in daily sodium intake which results in water loss as the kidneys have a chance to finally rid the excess sodium from the body. This also helps partly explain why a dieter may experience the yo-yo effect when dieting, water weight is lost with food reduction but quickly regained when old eating habits are back to normal and daily sodium intake rises once more.
Cutting Down on Salt
Limiting sodium — which we get through salt, baking powder, baking soda and other substances in foods we eat — is one of the most important things that people with heart failure can do. Sodium makes the body hold on to fluid. To pump the added fluid, the heart has to work harder. People with heart failure shouldn't put this extra strain on their hearts.
Also, too much salt can worsen symptoms like swelling and shortness of breath and cause weight gain. If those symptoms become severe, the person may need to be admitted to the hospital.
Physicians often recommend keeping salt intake below 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day for most people. However, for people with heart failure, recommended sodium intake is no more than 2,000 mg per day. Most people eat considerably more than this, so it's likely that a person with congestive heart failure will need to find ways to cut down on salt. Since most salt intake comes from eating and drink prepared and packaged foods, reading food labels to determine how much sodium is in a food or beverage is a great start to lowering sodium intake.
Here are some other tried-and-true strategies for reducing sodium intake. Start small and gradually work up to bigger changes. (We've tried to arrange the strategies that way.)
Tips on table salt
Take the salt shaker off the table.
Cook without salt.
Discuss using salt substitutes with your doctor.
Limiting salt when you cook
Avoid any seasonings that taste salty, including:
bouillon cubes
cooking sherry or cooking wine
chili sauce
meat tenderizer
seasoned salts
soy sauce
steak sauce
tamari
Worcestershire sauce
Instead, try cooking with low-salt seasonings, such as lemon juice, vinegar and herbs.
Drain and rinse canned foods before preparing them to remove some of the salt.
Substitute fresh fruits and vegetables and other low-sodium foods for canned and processed foods. Use canned vegetables with no salt added. Select brown rice or plain white instead of flavored rice (such as chicken- or beef-flavored, or any rice that comes with a packet of powdered seasoning).
Avoiding high-sodium foods
This recommendation is probably the hardest to follow, because so many convenience foods (like packaged meals and soups) and snacks (potato chips and popcorn) are high in sodium. But most of us take in more sodium through these foods than by using table salt. That's why it's essential to cut back and eventually eliminate them. The foods below are usually high in sodium (but read the labels, because some may be available in a low-salt or unsalted form):
Canned soups and dry soup mixes
Canned meats and fish (buy water-packed tuna or salmon instead)
Ham, bacon and sausage
Salted nuts and peanut butter
Instant cooked cereals
Salted butter and margarine
Processed meats, such as deli items and hot dogs
Prepared mixes (pancake, muffin, cornbread, etc.)
Prepackaged frozen dinners (unless one serving has less than 400 mg of sodium)
Preseasoned mixes (tacos, chili, rices, sauces, gravies, etc.)
Snack foods (pretzels, potato chips, olives, cheeses, pickles)
Salad dressings
Fast food
Choosing low-sodium alternatives
Read food labels to check salt content (listed as "sodium"). Start with what's in the cabinet right now, so you can stop buying any high-sodium foods.
People with heart failure should watch out for the various forms of sodium (for example, sodium alginate, sodium sulfite, sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, monosodium glutamate or MSG, sodium citrate).
Check your medicine cabinet. People with heart failure should avoid headache or heartburn medicines that contain sodium carbonate or bicarbonate.
Look for canned vegetables labeled with “no salt added.” Look for "low-salt" or "low-sodium" labels on cans and packages. This label isn't allowed on the can or package unless the food has 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving. However, it's still important to read the label to see exactly how much it does contain. The less salt, the better!
[gffi-fitness.org]
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