Diet Digest.net

Almost all processed foods contains a lot of salt. The addition of salt in processed food is more for use as a preservative and less for taste. So if you are eating a lot of processed food, you are probably getting much more salt than you need. Researchers have pinpointed a higher intake of salt as one of the main causes of obesity, which has spread nowadays to epidemic proportions.

Extending the shelf life of processed and packaged food by the addition of salt has brought about many critics. If science and research are to be believed the answer to better health and diets resides in finding a substitute or alternative to sodium. All recipe books have a common phrase, 'Salt to taste'. Ideally this is how it should be.

There have been a lot of campaigns by statutory bodies, social organizations and their ilk to convince food processors that excess salt is harmful to the individual. These have not had the desired effect and therefore food processors can share at least some blame for the obesity epidemic.

Avoiding packaged foods and their high sodium content

With this knowledge known, maybe we are really responsible for the obesity of our family members. We are literate enough to read labels on processed food packaging, identify the ones that contain high salt content and stop buying these products. When food company sales get affected, they will be forced to find shelf-life extending solutions at lower sodium levels. So use this sales resistance method to impress on the food processors your reluctance to let them play with the health of your family.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of salt is 4 to 6 grams per day. As a rule, because of the processed foods, we are more likely to consume 12 grams of salt per day. When shopping and buying boxed, canned or bagged food, be sure and check the labels. Manufacturers are less than candid about the salt used. They will fool you into believing that they use less salt and mention the salt content as sodium. Actually 1 gram of sodium is equivalent to 2.5 grams of salt and you could easily get taken for a ride.

Ready meals and fast foods top the list of items with high salt content. But unknowingly you may be also getting your salt from other less expected sources. Candy, cereals, baked beans, burger buns, bread and bread rolls are very much a part of our daily diet. They all contain some salt and you are probably getting more than 25% of our daily salt intake from these common food items. Bread contains salt as an essential ingredient, and some bakers tend to be rather liberal in their use of salt.

The health risks of high salt levels in our diets

Salt is a very necessary part of a healthy diet. But the quantities must be moderate and not in excess. Sodium or NaCl retains fluid and too much fluid caused by excessive salt will lead to high blood pressure. The natural corollary of this is the heightened risk of a heart attack and stroke. More than likely, you will feel more thirsty after eating processed food. This is caused by the high salt content. Some people confuse these signals of thirst with hunger and are more likely to ask for the additional burger. This results in weight gain, when you eat more food than you actually need.

Trying to discipline food manufacturers is the hard way out for reducing your salt consumption. If we are really serious about slimming we need to get into the habit of consuming less sodium. Getting into the healthy habit of consciously reducing your salt intake can start simply as reading food packaging labels . You will be surprised how easily you lose weight as you improve your diet. It may be much better than getting into any of the fad diet plans . Reducing your salt intake and exercising regularly will help you reach your ideal weight level in a healthy way.