Wednesday, June 4, 2008

To salt or not to salt

Salt is well known as a flavor enhancer, yet it can also enhance your blood pressure... in a bad way. Many people exceed the recommended daily dose, sometimes without knowing by combining processed foods. I've even seen a single serving of prepared meals that exceed the recommended daily allowance!

So if you are exceeding your recommended amount, what do you do? There are some alternatives... 'Lite salt' uses a mix of potassium chloride as well as sodium chloride. Another is a good quality sea salt that has other minerals providing flavor, meaning you need less.

If you use Soy Sauce or Stock, again look at the salt content - they tend to be pretty high, of course they go a long way so may be spread across several servings. Again, there are reduced sodium Soy Sauces.

Everyone is different though - athletes can suffer from electrolyte deficiency due to excessive perspiration, so as always, consider your individual circumstances before making dietary decisions.

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