{"id":58,"date":"2023-05-03T15:49:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T15:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/love-and-care-for-your-heart-and-kidneys-tips-to-cut-the-sodium-in-your-diet\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T23:23:30","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T23:23:30","slug":"love-and-care-for-your-heart-and-kidneys-tips-to-cut-the-sodium-in-your-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kidneychef.com\/love-and-care-for-your-heart-and-kidneys-tips-to-cut-the-sodium-in-your-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Love and Care for your Heart and Kidneys:\u00a0 Tips to Cut the Sodium in your Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Stephanie Legin, RD, LDN
\nRenal Dietitian |<\/span><\/p>\n

\\\"nationalFebruary is National Heart Month<\/span><\/h3>\n

Love and Care for your Heart and Kidneys:\u00a0 Tips to Cut the Sodium in your Diet<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sodium Consumption<\/span><\/h3>\n

Did you know that our taste for salt is acquired? \u00a0 We are not born with an affinity for salt. As infants grow and are fed foods that contain salt, their taste for salt develops. \u00a0 As children continue to mature and consume more and more foods high in sodium (sodium is found in salt), their preference for these foods increases.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By adulthood, the average American consumes ~3400mg sodium per day.\u00a0 This is well above the American Heart Association\u2019s recommendation to limit sodium to 1500mg per day.\u00a0 The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more that 2300mg (which is the equivalent of ONE teaspoon of salt) of sodium per day.\u00a0 The average Canadian consumes ~2760mg sodium per day. Health Canada recommends aiming for sodium consumption to be 1500mg per day with a maximum of 2300mg per day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\\\"teaspoon\u00a0 <\/span>=\u00a0 \u00a0 2300mg Sodiu<\/span>m<\/p>\n

Over the last several decades, the evolution of food development and manufacturing has led to the over-consumption of sodium in the diet.\u00a0 Prevalence, ease of accessibility, and affordability to prepackaged, canned, and highly processed convenience foods has contributed to our increased consumption of sodium.\u00a0 Consuming too much sodium in the diet increases your risk for developing high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major contributor to the development of heart disease and kidney disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to 2019 statistics, heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and the number two killer of Canadians.\u00a0 Dietary choices play a huge role in disease prevention and management.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You can make wiser food choices that can help control blood pressure and reduce your risk for developing heart and kidney disease or help manage existing disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\\\"Tips<\/p>\n

Tips to Cut the Sodium in your Diet<\/span><\/h2>\n

The following tips can help lower the salt in your diet and reduce your risk for or manage existing high blood pressure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shop the Perimeter of your Grocery Store.\u00a0 <\/span><\/h3>\n