STELLAR HEALTH
  • Home
  • About Mary
  • Work With Mary
    • Ease your gut, beat the bloat
    • 90-Day Gut Health Plan
    • Corporate Wellbeing
    • Cooking Classes
    • Testimonials
  • Clinical testing
  • ONLINE EVENTS
  • Blog
    • Recipes
  • Get in Touch

Mary's Stellar Nutrition Blog

Why is too much salt bad for health?

27/3/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Last week I joined Kaye Adams on The Kaye Adams Programme on BBC Radio Scotland to discuss the issue of salt. You can listen back to the recording here (fast forward to 2:53:13)

​We were responding to this article on salt in popular foods and it was a drinking chocolate in particular that hit the news headlines https://goo.gl/f7UbIc

The hot chocolate was found to be as salty as seawater with 16 times more salt than the optimum amount, a study by the campaign group Consensus Action On Salt and Health found.

​Now that news headlines revolve around the negative impact of sugar so often, have we taken our eye off the ball when it comes to salt?

What is the problem with salt and why are we told to avoid it?
​Salt contains sodium which causes more water to be retained by the kidneys, and more water means more blood volume and therefore higher blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase risk of heart disease, kidney disease, dementia and stroke. 

If you are looking to reduce blood pressure check out my top tips: What to eat if you have high blood pressure as well as these meal plans for high blood pressure.

Is there a healthier alternative to table salt?
Table salt is almost 100% sodium chloride. Sea salt on the other hand contains sodium with potassium and other minerals. Sodium and potassium exist in a partnership. Potassium can help lower blood pressure because it balances sodium. Switching a mineral based salt would be a good first step in reducing risk of ill health. 

There are plenty of magnesium and potassium based salts available in health food stores. While these are better choices, it’s still important to avoid excessive salt intake. Keep salt low and keep your vegetable intake higher.

Here are a few ways you can start to reduce your salt intake:
  • Eat vegetables daily at most meals
  • Drink a minimum of 1 litre of plain water per day
  • Compare sodium in foods like breakfast cereals, bread, cheese, tinned soup and stock cubes and choose the foods with lower numbers 
  • Use nori or kelp seaweed flakes, which are rich in minerals as a salt substitute; they are great over fish, pasta and stir fries. 
  • Cooking at home is a perfect opportunity to control your salt intake. Avoid adding salt at the table and if cooking with salt choose a sea or seaweed salt and gradually reduce your intake
  • If you can see it avoid it – salty snacks, pretzels, crisps, chips, rice cakes 
  • A natural diet rich in vegetables and some fruit can produce optimal potassium to sodium ratios
  • Little kids = little kidneys. Salt guidelines for children are 4g per day. Always check the labels on children's meals and snacks. Ham and smoked salmon is high in salt in order to cure the meat. Where possible prefer unsmoked fish and lean fresh chicken or turkey instead of ham and luncheon meat slices.  
 ​
As dietary habits in the UK have become more and more depleted in potassium (due to low vegetable intake), they have become much more concentrated in sodium (packaged foods). Salt intake for adults should not be more than 6g per day and most of us already eat too much without even trying. Planning ahead and carrying a packed lunch and healthy snacks on the go will help you reduce your salt intake and take back control of what you are putting inside your body. 

Seaweed salt pictured below.

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories
    Recipes
    Latest News

    All
    Cancer Prevention
    Digestion
    Digestive Health
    Grow It Yourself (GIY)
    Gut Bacteria
    Gut Health
    IBS
    IBS Help
    Irritable Bowel
    Meal Planning
    Seasonal Health
    SIBO
    Stellar Beauty
    Stellar Health Kitchen
    Stellar Health Kitchen Garden
    Stellar Recipes
    Stellar Snacks
    Travel
    Travel And Lifestyle
    TV And Radio

    Photo of me

    Hello! Welcome to Stellar Health.

    Here you can follow my thoughts, opinions and ideas on all aspects of nutrition. If you have any questions please get in touch.  You'll also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

    Privacy policy here
    Cookie policy here

Want to know what foods best support the immune system? Get my top 5 tips here.

Signup here

Thank you!

Please check your email inbox for my Top 5 Foods for Immune Support now. I hope you find it useful. Mary x

.

Think you’re too busy to eat well? Grab my FREE Store Cupboard Essentials guide and find out how!​

Send me the store cupboard guide

Follow me on Instagram @stellar_health_mary


Mary Cotter, Registered Nutritional Therapist, mBANT, CNHC
Clinic appointments are online by Zoom video.
​Limited face-to-face appointments at EH1 Therapies, 28 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LH.  
Email: marycotter@stellarhealth.co.uk Telephone: 07756118639


Terms & Conditions
Copyright @2020 Stellar Health
  • Home
  • About Mary
  • Work With Mary
    • Ease your gut, beat the bloat
    • 90-Day Gut Health Plan
    • Corporate Wellbeing
    • Cooking Classes
    • Testimonials
  • Clinical testing
  • ONLINE EVENTS
  • Blog
    • Recipes
  • Get in Touch