Why sodium is bad for weight loss

Processed foods are always full of sodium. After all, how else could they stay fresh without artificial ingredients, and salt? Eliminate salted nuts, for raw nuts. Salted nuts that are prepackaged are not good for you — at all. Instead, keep raw almonds or unsalted peanuts at home to snack on. Excessive salt can be addictive.

Free Guest Pass. Free Guest Pass If you are human, leave this field blank. Become a Member. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the amount of salt you consume every day. Many restaurant foods have high levels of sodium, so cooking at home can help you reduce your sodium intake.

Choose whole foods from the produce section, as canned and processed foods usually contain more sodium. Many condiments, such as ketchup, salad dressing, and soy sauce are normally loaded with sodium. Reduce the use of these items as much as possible to lower your intake of salt. Try using a salt substitute, or flavor your food with herbs and spices. Try your food first before automatically reaching for the salt shaker.

It may not actually need extra salt to taste good. Furthermore, gradually reduce the amount of salt you use and your tastebuds will adjust to the new levels. The liquid that surrounds canned beans, vegetables, and tuna is usually loaded with sodium. When you open a can, rinse away the liquid, and this should significantly reduce the salt content of these items.

Avoiding large quantities of sodium is a good idea for health, even if it's not critical to your weight loss diet. Try to limit your intake to 1, milligrams daily to support good health. Kirstin Hendrickson is a writer, teacher, coach, athlete and author of the textbook "Chemistry In The World. She has a Bachelor of Science in zoology, a Bachelor of Science in psychology, a Master of Science in chemistry and a doctoral degree in bioorganic chemistry. Monitor the health of your community here.

More Articles. Miller, Alexander R. Chang, Cheryl A. Anderson, John E. Hall, Lawrence J. Hypertension , ; DOI: ScienceDaily, 22 January Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. New study debunks notion that salt consumption contributes to weight loss.