20 BENEFITS OF EATING LESS (BUT NOT COMPLETELY ELIMINATING) SODIUM FROM YOUR DIET

Before I introduce you to them, see in fact exactly how much salt to consume with food during the day . And get to know the power and charm of salt . She is not our enemy. It's all about doses! If you consume lower levels of salt during the day and get closer to the norm, you will absorb the following benefits:

1. Lowering of blood pressure: the amount of fluid in your blood decreases, causing your blood pressure to drop.
2. Reduce the risk of heart attack: by managing high blood pressure, you relieve the pressure and potential damage to the heart. This reduces your chance of a heart attack.
3. Reduction of LDL cholesterol : high blood pressure is one of the factors in metabolic syndrome. This includes holding a high cholesterol level. Packaged foods high in sodium are also high in cholesterol.
4. Prevent congestive heart failure: When your heart has to pump harder to push blood through your blood vessels, it can lead to heart failure.
5. Reduce the risk of kidney damage: your blood vessels in the kidneys can weaken and narrow. This can cause kidney failure.
6. Prevent your chance of stroke: reduced blood flow to your brain can put you at increased risk of stroke (stroke) .
7. Reducing the chance of a brain aneurysm: When your blood pressure stays high, it can cause the blood vessels in your brain to weaken. You can experience a brain bleed with life-threatening consequences.
8. Protect your eyesight: Who knew you could actually protect your eyesight with carrots? High blood pressure in the vessels in your eyes can lead to ruptured blood vessels and vision loss, so include more natural, low-salt foods such as carrots .
9. Reducing the risk of diabetes: a diet that is high in packaged or junk foods will increase your chance of having diabetes .
10. Improving memory: your ability to think and form memories is related to the health of your brain. High blood pressure can affect blood flow to your brain.
11. Reducing the risk of dementia: vascular dementia is a type of dementia associated with slowed blood flow to the brain.
12. Reduce hardening and thickening of the arteries: continuous high blood pressure will cause the walls of your arteries to become thicker and harder. It is more difficult for blood to move through rigid vessels.
13. Reduce bloating: A high- sodium diet causes your body to retain fluids. You will notice reduced bloating and bloating when you reduce your sodium intake.
14. Reduce the amount of fluids you drink: salty foods will make you thirsty and dehydrated. We'll often reach for high-calorie drinks like soda or soft drinks to quench our thirst. By cutting back on sodium, you'll have less cravings for these unhealthy drinks.
15. Reducing salt consumption: your taste buds adapt to the increased level of salinity. When you reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, you can reduce your salt cravings.
16. Reduce the risk of headaches: a meal high in salt can cause the blood vessels in your brain to dilate. These impinging blood vessels may be the culprits behind your latest painful headache .
17. Building stronger bones: Salt controls how much calcium is pulled from your bones. Calcium is important for strong bones and to prevent osteoporosis. A high sodium diet can lead to weak bones with calcium loss.
18. Reduce the chance of kidney stones: When calcium is leached from your body in the urine, you are at a higher risk of kidney stones. A high-salt diet increases the amount of calcium your kidneys have to process.
19. Allowing the heart to pump efficiently: When your heart works too hard to pump blood, the heart muscle can become thick. High blood pressure caused by high sodium puts stress on the heart walls. It can be like squeezing a full water balloon. More force is required the fuller the balloon. The heart can pump more easily when your blood pressure is at an ideal level.
20. Reduce the risk of stomach cancer: there is a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. This bacteria can live in your stomach. The bacterium H. pylori thrives in high salt conditions. The bacterium is a major risk factor for stomach cancer.

6 WAYS TO REDUCE THE SALT IN WHAT YOU EAT

A diet high in sodium is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. But still, sodium consumption through salt in food and the food itself is important to many processes in the body.

The fastest way to lower your sodium is to eat more food in its natural state. That doesn't mean you have to give up all flavors, sauces, dressings, or eating. These ideas can help you cut back on salt:

1. boost flavor: enhance the flavor profile of naturally healthy food by adding herbs and spices. You can add spices such as: flavored vinegars, use flavored types of olive oil , etc.

2. keep a well-stocked spice cabinet: spices are the cook's secret ingredients. Salt is a common food added to increase flavor, but spices offer more pizzazz. For example, when making eggs for breakfast, don't finish with a sprinkle of salt. Spices and herbs can add a satisfying flavor that makes you forget about salt. Achieve a new flavor by adding:

• smoked red pepper
• fresh or dried fennel
• chopped basil 3

3. don't guess about added salt: The recommended amount of salt per day is less than one teaspoon. You might be surprised how much that is. When cooking, reach for the measuring spoon instead of the eyeball. Try to use half or less of the salt the recipe calls for. When adding salt at the table, do not sprinkle from the shaker. You can try these methods:

• place ¼ teaspoon of salt in your hand. Observe how much space this amount of salt takes up. Take a pinch of salt and add it to your food.
• use a container and a very small spoon for your salt or sprinkle the salt on your spoon first. Seeing the amount of salt can help you be aware of how much you're using.

4. Ask for less salt: When eating out, you can ask for your meal to be prepared without extra salt. Another option is to ask for the sauce or dressing to be served on the side. You may find that you don't eat as much of the dressing when you dress your own salad. Sauces and dressings are usually where salt is added.

5. o get hydrated: also remember to keep your body well hydrated. You may crave salt after exercise, illness, or surgery. Try a glass of cold water with lime or lemon and a natural electrolyte replacement. You may find that when you quench your thirst, you no longer want the extra salt.

6. Plan your meals in advance: Processed and convenience foods tend to be high in salt. Meal planning is an ideal way to add low-sodium foods to your diet.

DESPITE THE DIRECTIONS, USE SALT (SODIUM)

Sodium plays an essential role in several vital body functions. As a partner of potassium , it is also of great importance for the regulation of blood volume and blood pressure. Maintaining the required level of sodium not only works in sync with potassium, but also performs certain independent functions and is particularly important in meeting certain specific physiological requirements.

SODIUM AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE (RESULTS) AND ATHLETE'S HEALTH

During training for high and professional (correct) sports achievements, the demands on the blood reserve increase. With reduced blood volume, the body can experience serious physiological stress. A larger blood volume delivers more blood to the working muscles. It also implies the transfer of more oxygen in the form of hemoglobin and myoglobin to the cells of the working muscles. In addition, there is an increased transport of nutrients to them. Greater blood flow corresponds to optimal sodium levels .

A drop in blood volume is a serious risk even for sedentary people. Its negative effect on the athlete is drastically greater. With the increased need for greater blood volume during high-intensity exercise, if the requirements to deliver the necessary amounts of oxygen and nutrients are not met, the athlete is at great risk of a number of negative deviations caused by a drop in blood volume. Nutrients do not nourish the working muscle, brain and other working organs. During high-intensity aerobic exercise, sodium depletion occurs, and as blood lactate volume increases, toxic levels increase. In addition, waste products cannot be easily eliminated from the body, causing the athlete to become debilitated. During high-intensity anaerobic exercise, lactic acid accumulation also rises sharply. This leads to weight loss and increasingly poor performance.

Inadequate intake of sodium (for example, through salt in the diet) leads to an electrolyte imbalance : another important deviation associated with a low level of sodium is the chemical imbalance it causes in the body, i.e. disturbance of the balance between potassium and sodium. As we have already mentioned in relation to the functioning of nerves and muscles, its negative effect is multifaceted. In addition, it also causes problems by disrupting the functions of the heart, brain and liver.

Remember that the electrolyte balance in the cell can only be achieved by providing precisely defined levels of potassium and sodium, which is the only condition for creating the so important cellular gradient. With a decrease in potassium or sodium, the delicate balance between them is disturbed and the body begins to suffer from a number of physiological functions being disrupted. These include dizziness, nausea and disorientation. As a result of a drop in sodium level, it can be expected that a collapse in kidney function will also occur. It is becoming clear that sodium deficiency can lead to serious consequences not only in athletes but also in people leading a sedentary life.

Therefore, to avoid all the negatives, mainly due to the lack of enough sodium in our body, regularly consume salt - table salt (NaCl) . The presence of cooking salt for an 80 kilogram individual for the day is between a minimum of 1 to 3 sodium grams per day. With a daily intake of 5-15 grams of table salt, 2-6 g of sodium are taken into the system. I.e. take about 5 grams of table salt daily. This salt is also contained in ready-made dishes, marinades, sauces, as well as directly, after flavoring dishes - voluntary determination of the amount, depending on ourselves. The non-consumption of salt leads precisely to retention of water and fluids in the body. See more about aldosterone here.