Low-Salt Diets to Fight Hypertension
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure has a systolic of less than 120 and a diastolic less than 80. It is usually expressed as 120/80. High blood pressure, on the other hand has a systolic of 140 or higher and a diastolic of 90 or higher.
High blood pressure or hypertension is linked to overweight or obesity conditions. That is, being fat means that LDL or low density lipoproteins have deposited too much in cholesterol in the blood vessels, constricting the space where blood is supposed to flow. To make up for the reduced space, the heart pumps harder, increasing the frequency of its contraction, the systole.
Since majority of the population are considered overweight, hypertension becomes a common health problem. It leads to strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. In some cases, a stroke due to blood pressure building up and rupturing a vital blood vessel leads to coma or death.
Fortunately, there is one effective way to reduce blood pressure. And this is to reduce the body’s intake of sodium. Sodium is usually in the form of table salt (sodium chloride) in the food. But even if you do not consciously add salt to the food you are eating, you may still be consuming too much salt. This is because packaged food and restaurant food are already loaded with salt and that popular taste enhancer, MSG (monosodium glutamate).
Ideally, a person must take only about one teaspoon of salt per day. Eating at a fast food make you consume twice this amount. But there are ways to make sure that you reduce your sodium intake. The first among them is to try to steer clear of eating at fast food outlets and restaurants, especially Chinese restaurants.
Another tip is to always read the labels of packaged meals and determine the salt content. Choose meals that have 600 mg or less salt. A hamburger contains about 800 mg of sodium.
Instead of buying prepared food, try your hand at cooking them yourself. You may not make something similar to what a cordon bleu can whip up, but, sooner or later you’ll get the hang of it and gain an important skill on the side.
When cooking meals and you need to use seasoning packets to add flavor, avoid using the entire packet. Use half of it to reduce the amount of salt you put into the food. When the recipe tells you to add salt, ignore that part first. Add salt only when you really need to.
Along with reducing your salt intake, eat foods that have high concentrations
of potassium, magnesium, and calcium, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
They keep you healthy as you lower your blood pressure.