Hey McKinley!!

For this next Healthy Habits Challenge we are going to focus on our SODIUM intake!  First I think it’s important for everyone to understand what sodium is, why and when we need it and in what quantity.

Sodium is an electrolyte that your body needs to help maintain the right balance of fluids in your body, transmit nerve impulses and influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles.  Depending on your age and activity level you only NEED between 1500 – 2300mg of sodium daily.  According to the American Heart Association the average American consumes 3400mg of sodium daily.  Unfortunately our busy lifestyles tend to be the culprit…unless you have a personal chef at home who is preparing all of your meals from scratch :).   Otherwise, we usually choose convenience over quality and reach for processed/packaged meals or fast food which in most cases are loaded with sodium.

When we think of the problems that can come from eating a high sodium diet the most common things that come to mind are high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.  Some other risks are cirrhosis (chronic liver disease), kidney disease, osteoporosis and edema.  The best way to understand how a diet high in sodium contributes to these diseases, is to understand the process our bodies go through to balance out our sodium levels.

According to www.mayoclinic.com, ” Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your body sodium is low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When body sodium is high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.  But if for some reason your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to build up in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases, which makes your heart work harder and increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.  Some people’s bodies are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. If you’re sodium sensitive, you retain sodium more easily, leading to fluid retention and increased blood pressure. If this becomes chronic, it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and congestive heart failure”.

How you determine what your daily sodium intake should be will depend on:
1. What your Doctor suggests.  If you already have high blood pressure, your daily dose may be less than 1500mg so be sure to ask your Doc!
2. What your activity level is and how much you sweat.  According to Kris Osterberg, R.D., of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Illinois, one of the few places in the world that measures salt loss, “The answer depends on a variety of factors, including the weather and your physiology. A heavy sweater who has a high salt concentration could lose 1,300 mg of sodium during a 5-K, whereas a light sweater might only lose 155 mg. Elite athletes take a salt test to know how much sodium to replace. All the rest of us need to do is look at our skin. If you can play tic-tac-toe in the white residue, consume a salty snack or a sports drink with about 200 mg of sodium per serving after a workout”.
3. Your age.  The prevalence of high blood pressure increases with age.  According to the Mayo Clinic and several other sources 51 seems to be the magic number so for those of you who are 51 or older it is recommended that you keep your sodium intake below 1500mg daily.

Now for the challenge.  You will earn 1 point for every day your sodium intake is below 2500mg and 2 points for every day your sodium intake in below 2000mg.  The challenge will start on Monday July, 22 2013, so you will have plenty of time to get your team together and prepare.  Choose one person on your team to keep track of your points and the team with the most points per person will win a gift card to their favorite lunch spot!!  Next week I will send emails out with:
~ foods that naturally contain 0 sodium
~ foods that naturally contain sodium
~ processed/packaged and fast foods to AVOID
~ simple low sodium recipes to cook at home

Email me with any questions.  Have a wonderful day!!!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Meredith