If losing weight and eating less sodium is what your doctor recommends, reducing your calories and following a low-sodium diet may help. With the abundance of processed foods and high-sodium restaurant meals, it can be challenging to maintain a healthy weight and avoid taking in too much sodium. The National Institutes of Health indicates only women should drop their calorie intake to 1,200 --- men should eat at least 1,500, unless being monitored by a physician.
Health Considerations
Obesity and consuming too much sodium carry serious health risks. University of Maryland expert Dr. Stephen Havas authored a resolution recommending a 50 percent reduction in salt in restaurant and processed foods. Dr. Havas indicates that eating a high sodium diet is a "major cause" of increased blood pressure and pre-hypertension. Both conditions increase your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Obesity carries not only an increased risk of hypertension, but of joint problems, liver and gallbladder diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and complications during pregnancy, according to the Weight-Control Information Network.
Diet Benefits
The American Heart Association states that the average American consumes over 3,400 mg of sodium per day, significantly higher than the AHA's recommendation of consuming a maximum of 1,500 mg a day to help lower or even prevent hypertension. When you lose weight, your blood pressure often goes down. Additionally, carrying less weight on your frame places less stress on your joints, gives you more energy and can help lower your risk of other diseases.
Sample Diet
Following a low-sodium diet limited to 1,200 calories may be challenging. Eat about 200 calories for breakfast. Regular or quick-cooking oatmeal for breakfast, with fruit as a topping meets your caloric requirements and has no added sodium. Keep your lunch calories under 400. Prepare sodium-free soups at home and eat a bowl for lunch. Add four whole-grain crackers and .5 oz.of reduced fat cheddar cheese. Your 500 calorie dinner may consist of 1 cup of home-cooked beans to avoid sodium in canned beans, 1/2 cup of brown rice, a large side salad and a piece of whole fruit for dessert. Other good choices for proteins include, mackerel, salmon, chicken and closely trimmed beef on occasion. You can eat one snack under 100 calories or two 50-calorie snacks.
Strategies
Read the nutrition label to determine the sodium content and calories in foods. Keep a running sodium and calorie tally with a smartphone application or on your computer. Research the sodium/calorie level of your favorite restaurant meals. According to the City of New York, one plain restaurant hamburger has about 400 mg of sodium, while a breaded fried chicken piece has over 700 mg. When you prepare much of your food from scratch, you can control the ingredients, which may help you stay within your doctor recommended dietary guidelines. Pay close attention to canned, boxed and other processed foods, as food manufacturers often add salt.
Considerations
Eat a well-balanced diet while reducing your calories. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Limit your fat intake to 17 g per day, while eating 4 oz. of whole-grains, 2 cups of milk, 3 oz. of lean protein and about 170 extra calories. You may be able to increase your rate of weight loss by exercising at least three times a week.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Tips for Losing Weight
- Weight-Control Information Network: Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight?
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Salt: The Forgotten Killer
- American Heart Association: Sodium: Salt or Sodium Chloride
- The City of New York: National Salt Reduction Initiative Restaurant Categories and Proposed Targets
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
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