(PCM) Did you know that sodium holds 50 times its weight in water?! Jillian Michaels puts it into perspective, warning: “If you were to eat a pickle, the next day you could be holding one additional pound of water weight.” Of course, that’s the extreme, and would probably only occur if you weren’t drinking enough water accompanied by a high sodium diet. But it certainly does put things into perspective!
If you feel like your body is retaining more water than it should be, it’s time to take a closer look at your diet. About 90% of Americans eat more than the recommended amount of sodium, eating on average about 3,300 mg of sodium a day, according to the CDC. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day, and about 6 out of 10 adults should limit sodium to 1,500 mg a day. In other words: We are way over the limit!
Too much sodium in the diet increases a person’s risk for high blood pressure, which often leads to heart disease, stroke, and other vascular diseases.
So, where is all the sodium hiding? Turns out, pretty much everywhere! It’s in the obvious salty food and snacks, such as cold cuts and cured meats, soup, condiments, chips, and popcorn, but it’s also found in less obvious foods, like breads and rolls, and even in otherwise healthy food choices, like cottage cheese and hummus. And let’s not forget about the salt shaker; in an average American diet, about 25% of sodium intake comes from the salt shaker.
Sodium in itself won’t make you fat; too much of it doesn’t get stored as fat like excess sugar does, but it does cause water retention which can hurt your weight-loss efforts. It’s a lot easier to give up if you feel like your hard work isn’t paying off, i.e., a bloated belly.
Start reading labels and paying attention to how much sodium you’re consuming each day. Once you start cutting back, you’ll not only lower your risk for high blood pressure, but you could also lose a pound or two of excess water. Ditch the salt shaker and start feeling lighter today!
Related:
High Blood Pressure? Eat More Bananas
Beat The Bloat: What’s Causing Your Belly Bloat, and How to Get Rid of it
The New Saltiest Dishes in America
