Salt Restrictions On The Zone Diet

Created by Dr. Barry Spears, the Zone Diet is described as lifestyle change, rather than just a diet. In fact, the Zone Diet website explains the program as "a way of life to help control gene expression to give you the longer and better life we all aspire to." Through a careful and consistent method of eating, the diet aims to keep the body's insulin levels steady. Along with high-fat foods and unhealthy carbohydrates, the Zone Diet also restricts salt.

Zone Diet

Although the Zone Diet does not always involve reducing daily calorie intake, it does dictate the types of food that should be eaten every day. A typical meal plan on the Zone Diet should be roughly 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat and 30 percent protein. For each meal and snack, the Zone Diet recommends choosing one of the official ZoneFast meals, which contain the proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats. The official Zone Diet meals will be supplemented with fresh grocery items, such as non-starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes and low-fat dairy products. Salt is not included on the acceptable list of condiments. However, dieters are allowed to use mustard, olives, olive oil and salsa to flavor foods.

Salt Benefits

Although salt typically receives a bad reputation, it actually is needed in small amounts. In fact, the Mayo Clinic explains that salt has a variety of beneficial effects inside the body. According to the website, sodium helps maintain fluid balances within the body, helps transmit nerve impulses efficiently and assists with muscle contraction and relaxation.

Salt Recommendations

To ensure proper body functioning, the American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Since 1 tsp. of salt contains approximately 2,300 mg of sodium, the recommended salt allowance falls between one-half and three-quarters of a tsp.. However, people with diabetes, high blood pressure and/or kidney disease should limit their salt intake even further to avoid health complications.

Health Risks

Although the kidneys are effective at controlling sodium levels inside the body, a high-salt diet may actually overwhelm the kidneys. When the kidneys become unable to eliminate enough sodium, the substance accumulates inside the body. As sodium accumulates, water also accumulates, resulting in an increased blood volume. As a result, the heart begins to pump harder to move this increased blood volume through the body. As the heart pumps harder, the pressure inside the arteries also increases. This cycle of side effects can lead to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

Tips To Reduce Salt

Salt is often hidden in processed and packaged foods, since it is commonly used to preserve the foods and enhance their flavors. On the Zone Diet, you should not be eating many processed and/or packaged foods. However, make it a habit to review your food's nutritional information before you consume it. When preparing foods, such as vegetables, meat or rice, limit or eliminate your use of salt. In some dishes, such as casseroles and stews, salt can be completely eliminated with essentially no effect on flavor. A wide variety of condiments also contain high amounts of salt. High-sodium condiments include soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, relish, salad dressings and most sauces. Instead of using these salt-laden substances, use herbs, spices and fruit juice to flavor and enhance food.