Nutrition Tips
You’re hitting your Heart Smart Minute fitness routine daily, and feeling stronger and stronger yet you still can’t get rid of the bloated feeling. Regardless of how great you think your nutrition plan is, chances are you’re eating too much salt and don’t even know it. Just because you aren’t picking up the salt shaker, doesn’t mean your food isn’t loaded with extra sodium. The most difficult part of the salt trap, is that salt is everywhere, in foods you’d never expect it.
High sodium intake contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. The average American’s nutrition intake is loaded with high sodium foods, from processed food, deli meats, breads, condiments, baby food and restaurant eating. According to the Institute of Medicine, our bodies, regardless of fitness level, need only 500mg of salt to run properly, with an Adequate Intake level of 1500mg a day. The average daily sodium intake in 2011 for American’s age 2 and up was 3500mg and unfortunately that number is only expected to increase.
When you consume excessive amounts of salt, your sodium levels rise and you begin to retain water, which can lead to visible swelling and that dreaded bloated feeling. The quickest way to eliminate the bloat is to read the nutrition labels very carefully. Common foods you’re eating such as cereal can contain over 300mg of salt and that’s just for a single serving. Ketchup for example has 190mg of sodium in just one tablespoon, and you know you’re putting more than a tablespoon on those fries. Nutrition labels are very tricky and it’s easy to get confused with the sodium intake. Remember, you are usually eating more than one serving size especially when it comes to “free pour” items such as cereal, crackers, soy sauce and chips. Keep doing your Heart Smart Minute fitness routine and watch the sodium intake to beat the bloat and avoid the salt trap.
Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tips–Hidden Salt Trap Foods
Recommended Daily Sodium intake: 1500mg daily
Average American Intake: 3500mg daily
How Quickly is the Sodium adding up in your diet?
Italian Salad dressing: 430mg in 2 tablespoons
Sun Dried Tomatoes: 1,050mg per cup
Gorgonzola Cheese: 500mg per serving
Canned Soup: 700-1300mg per serving (1 can is usually 2 servings)
Cereal: 250-500mg per cup (average bowl is 4 cups)
Large Bagel: 700-900mg
Deli Meat: 900mg
Pickles: 560mg
Soy Sauce: 920mg per tablespoon
Lite Soy Sauce: 575mg per tablespoon
Ketchup: 190mg per tablespoon
