|
Too much salt isn’t good for anyone. But, when you have heart failure, you really need to watch your salt. That’s because salt has sodium, a mineral that the body needs only in small amounts.
If there’s too much sodium in the food you eat, then your body holds too much water. This makes your heart work harder. With less sodium, your heart has less work to do.
Use the Sodium Tracker (PDF Format) to see how much sodium you have each day.
Most of us get more sodium than we need. Many Americans take in nearly 6,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day. That’s about three teaspoons of salt—more than double what the American Heart Association recommends for people with healthy hearts (2,300 mg).
For people with heart failure, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 2,000 mg of sodium or less per day. That’s about one teaspoon of salt. Your doctor may want you to have less.
Tips for cutting down on salt
- Throw out your salt shaker. Stop using salt when cooking, baking, or eating.
- Use pepper and salt-free spice blends to give food flavor. Watch out for packaged spice blends. Many have a lot of salt or MSG (monosodium glutamate), which has sodium. Try adding flavored vinegars, lemon or lime juice, garlic, and fresh or dried herbs. Also, try jam or jelly, honey, or homemade (NOT store-bought) salsa made with fresh tomatoes.
- Avoid processed foods. Many of the foods you buy are loaded with sodium. You may expect foods like potato chips, pretzels, and corn chips to have lots of sodium. But some canned soups have almost one half of your daily sodium limit in just one serving!
- Read food labels to see how much sodium is in each serving. Ask your doctor what your daily sodium limit should be. Don’t go by the daily amount listed on the labels. This is the amount for an average, healthy adult’s diet.
- Keep track of your sodium (PDF Format). Add up how much sodium is in each item you eat (if known). You may be stunned to see how quickly it can add up!
Also of Interest
|
