Beat Diabetes with Better Nutrition

How Many High Sodium Foods are You Eating?

Recommendations for sodium range from 1500 to 2400 mg daily. So if we limit our meals to 600-700 mg sodium we should be doing well. How hard can that be?

Well, if we eat a lot of packaged and processed foods it will be very difficult. 75% of our sodium intake is from packaged or processed foods. Take a look at these examples.

1 cup of most canned soups has 900 mg sodium

1 dill pickle has 900 mg sodium

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 900 mg

3oz ham has 1100 mg

3oz smoked fish 650mg

6oz V8  or tomato juice 600 mg

1/2 cup tomato or pizza sauce averages 600mg

All of these contain 500mg sodium or more

1 Alka-Seltzer tablet

Some waffles, bagels,

Most frozen dinners

Most restaurant meals

Stuffing mixes

Salami, pepperoni, hot dogs

You have a couple choices to lower sodium intake. All of the processed foods will have a nutrition label. Check the sodium content and look for lower sodium versions, especially in soups, frozen dinner, juice and sauces. Better yet - skip the processed and make your own soups and dinners with minimal added salt.

7 Reasons to Have Your Blood Pressure Checked and Keep it Down

 90% of Americans are expected to have high blood pressure during their lifetime.

Why?

We know high blood pressure is largely related to our diet, specifically our high sodium diet. Studies show that populations that have little or no added salt in their diet do not have high blood pressure.

Why should you try to keep your blood pressure at an optimal level of less than 120/80?

1. Like blood sugar, you often can't feel when your blood pressure is elevated. 
2. Your risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney failure or going blind increases significantly with high blood pressure. 
3. You will save money in the long run.  High blood pressure often requires 2 or 3 different medications to treat.  
4. High Blood Pressure puts you at higher risk of developing diabetes.
5. The opposite is also true. Having diabetes puts you at higher risk for having blood pressure problems. High blood sugar and blood pressure levels are both hard on your kidneys and blood vessels.
6. Some blood pressure medications can raise blood sugar.
7. Most importantly, if you catch it early high blood pressure can be reversed with diet.

Stay tuned this week for more tips on HOW to lower your blood pressure with diet.