How much salt did you consume yesterday? Have you any idea? Do you think it's important? Actually, it's very important indeed, and for the sake of your health you should always be aware of the amount of salt you consume.
Do you know what the daily recommended allowance (RDA) for salt is? It's 4g per day - with a maximum of 6g. The alarming fact is that most of us consume in excess of our RDA. The figure is a staggering 12g. Where does all this salt come from? Fast foods and ready meals are the worst culprits.
The reason manufacturers put add so much salt is to increase the shelf life and to make their products taste better. They put salt in baked beans, in Corn Flakes, candy bars and lots and lots of salt in white bread. We get over 25% of our salt intake from white bread, buns, bagels and burger buns.
How well did you breakfast today? If you had a full cooked breakfast with eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage etc., it's very likely that you have already consumed more than half your daily salt intake. Even if you started the day with a cup of coffee and a muffin you could have consumed over 25% of your RDA.
So what's all the fuss? Is salt bad for us? In the right amounts it is fine, in fact it's essential that we eat a certain amount of salt. The right amount of salt helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at the right levels and in the transmission of electrical impulses in the body as well as helping our cells to take up nutrients.
Where salt becomes our enemy is when we consume too much of it. It causes our body to retain too much water. Our bodily fluid increases and we become bloated. We also feel thirsty. This makes us drink more - which just adds to the problem. Too much fluid and we run the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Salt also makes you thirsty. When you're thirsty, you drink more water. This has the effect of exacerbating your water retention problem. However, the signal that our body sends to our brain to flag up that it's thirsty is very similar to the hunger signal. Most of us answer the thirst signal with food and the result is weight gain.
We all need to become much more aware of how much salt we consume. It's important for our health and for our weight. We need to develop the habit - the slim habit - of eating less salt.
Do you know what the daily recommended allowance (RDA) for salt is? It's 4g per day - with a maximum of 6g. The alarming fact is that most of us consume in excess of our RDA. The figure is a staggering 12g. Where does all this salt come from? Fast foods and ready meals are the worst culprits.
The reason manufacturers put add so much salt is to increase the shelf life and to make their products taste better. They put salt in baked beans, in Corn Flakes, candy bars and lots and lots of salt in white bread. We get over 25% of our salt intake from white bread, buns, bagels and burger buns.
How well did you breakfast today? If you had a full cooked breakfast with eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage etc., it's very likely that you have already consumed more than half your daily salt intake. Even if you started the day with a cup of coffee and a muffin you could have consumed over 25% of your RDA.
So what's all the fuss? Is salt bad for us? In the right amounts it is fine, in fact it's essential that we eat a certain amount of salt. The right amount of salt helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at the right levels and in the transmission of electrical impulses in the body as well as helping our cells to take up nutrients.
Where salt becomes our enemy is when we consume too much of it. It causes our body to retain too much water. Our bodily fluid increases and we become bloated. We also feel thirsty. This makes us drink more - which just adds to the problem. Too much fluid and we run the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Salt also makes you thirsty. When you're thirsty, you drink more water. This has the effect of exacerbating your water retention problem. However, the signal that our body sends to our brain to flag up that it's thirsty is very similar to the hunger signal. Most of us answer the thirst signal with food and the result is weight gain.
We all need to become much more aware of how much salt we consume. It's important for our health and for our weight. We need to develop the habit - the slim habit - of eating less salt.
About the Author:
A Well known speaker, writer and commentator on dieting and health, Henry John's special interest is permanent weight loss and behavior change. He is committed to helping people who have weight problems achieve permanent weight loss. If you would like know more about how to lose weight permanently visit www.slimhabit.com
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