A low sodium diet is a diet that involves the reduction and/or total absence of salt from the foods you ingest. But it’s not just a matter of seasoning. Many foods naturally contain an amount of salt that makes them inimical to your health. Therefore, it is useful to be careful when choosing what to bring to the table.
In general, the human body only needs 0.06 grams of sodium. However, this indication is easily disregarded. Particular attention must be paid seniorswho must significantly reduce the amount of salt, e the newbornsto whom it is absolutely forbidden to introduce salt in the first baby food after weaning.
Why salt is bad
An excessive amount of salt in the dishes we choose to bring to the table can lead to a series of more or less serious consequences for our organism depending on the initial clinical picture.
One of the best-known consequences is certainly the development ofhypertension. In addition, it favors the onset of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Cases of correlation between urine calcium losses and salt abuse have also been found.
What to include in your diet and what to avoid
Salt is present in many foods that are consumed daily, sometimes even in seemingly harmless foods. The first step to improving your health is to pay attention to these foods. Among the foods that cannot be missing on the table of a person who follows a low-salt diet there are: legumes, fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, fish, milk and fresh derivatives and eggs. It should be noted that fresh foods, which have not undergone a conservation process, have a reduced salt content and are preferable in a healthy and balanced diet.
A useful tip that should not be underestimated is to cook the pasta in boiling water without adding salt. Furthermore, it is advisable to flavor the dishes with the use of aromatic herbs, such as parsley, rosemary, oregano, mint, sage, but also with the use of garlic, onion, lemon juice and vinegar.
On the contrary, the foods that must be abolished from the hyposodic diet are: cured and smoked products, such as cured meats, salmon, anchovies, tuna, etc. In principle, canned foods contain a higher quantity of salt than the average, so it is recommended to reduce their consumption. Even salted dried fruit should be banned from the tables of those who follow this type of diet.
It is advisable to reduce the use of stock cubes and various sauces, as well as salty baked goods. Finally, it is recommended to limit the use of salt for seasoningsespecially for dishes where it is not necessary because they are already naturally tasty.
