Low Sodium Diet- High Blood Pressure

I just wanted to suggest they sell salt substitutes that taste pretty similar to salt...especially when it's already mixed into the recipe. If you put it onto popcorn or something you can kind of taste a difference, but not in normal cooking. I use No-Salt but there are others, look in the salt section. Also, Mrs. Dash sells seasoning blends that you can use to season meat before putting it on the grill and that brand never has salt in it!

Read all labels-even your staple products! I recently went on a special diet that is to help scare cancer away before a surgery i had. I started out at the library and told them what I was looking for and they found me so many books with not only plans, menus, ideas to help cope, but exactly what I should and should not eat. Then I went to the market-that was the biggest surprise as even the so-called sugar free items all had sugar in them--how does thqt "grab ya"? It was learning a whole new language!!!! and yes I found many great products without sugars and low-sodium. Check out the library and then hit the market! Read Read Read-everything has a label with the info on it. Also look into the packaged products marked organic-they help lots but read those labels some of them are decieving too. Try the local Farmers Market-and eat more fresh foos with nothing on them but the sun and your wash of water-they take getting used to after we are so accustomed to many flavors from our spices. By the way my surgery was all good and I lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks before and more after. Keep up the good work and stay healthy!

Do some research on the DASH Diet - it isn't a gimmicky crash diet but rather a healthy nutrition plan that anyone can follow.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new...

The easiest tip to follow is to try to eat food that is as close as possible to it's natural form: think fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, and lean cuts of meat. Seasoning can still taste great and not include salt - try herbs, citrus, etc. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and try to avoid the aisles that are full of processed and nutritionally-void foods.

Exercise can also have a profound effect on high blood pressure. This doesn't have to have to be marathon training; it can be as simple as a daily 30 minute walk.

Good luck - through nutrition and exercise I have managed to drop my blood pressure from 140s/110s to 120s/70s. I did not do any chiropractic stuff, drugs, funky diets, supplements - just good old fashioned proper nutrition and exercise which is what everyone should be doing anyway!

Yes, magnesium deficiency will create high and low blood pressure.

Thyroid or adrenal malfunction will create it also.

Toxic burden that affects the central nervous system can affect it.

I think doctors advise salt reduction because it interferes with the prescription drugs that they put the person on. But if the person is not on a blood pressure precription, I think drastically limiting salt is a mistake. Your body NEEDS salt. Not processed garbage salt, but naturally occuring sea salt. A pinch in a glass of water does wonders for health. SALT IS A NECESSITY OF LIFE. People on my iodine group do salt loading to help detox metals.

Blood pressure issues are an indicator that something is wrong in the body-the body is trying to send you a message. blood pressure medicine is a forced squelching of that signal. It makes people think the body is now running normally, but the underlying disease process is still there, it has just been silenced.

I have given my medical files to a freind for review, or I could give you more info.
Go on wrongdiagnosis.com and type in the symptoms, it will give you a list of all (usually all) the possible causes.

I do not buy many pre-packaged foods, as I also watch my sodium intake, but I have found that there are ways to modify the prep on some things to lessen the sodium per serving.

For instance--my absolute favorite go-to for when I'm in a hurry but need a satisfying meal is Zatarain's Reduced Sodium Dirty Rice or Jambalaya mix. I prepare them as instructed, but in a separate pot I prepare 1 cup of white or brown rice (adding no salt at all.) I mix the rice into the Zatarain's and it has the effect of diluting it. You get more servings and the salt is spread out.

There are a lot of things that could cause it. My husband has high blood pressure for the last few years. We recently found out he has sleep apnea. In doing research on sleep apnea we found that leaving it untreated for too long can cause high blood pressure. I'm hoping his BP goes down once he starts getting better sleep.

One thing I do is season with Mrs. Dash. It provides great flavor without the salt. If you want a good steak seasoning there is Pappys Seasoning that tastes great and they have one w/1/2 the sodium. I can't taste a difference. Try to stay away from too much caffiene and soda too. That will elevate it as well.

Good luck.

I did some research on this when I was pregnant because we couldn't control my bp. (I have high bp anyway.) High bp can be caused by genetics, activity level, diet, stress. As far as foods go - most of your seasonings - including worchestershire sauce - have alot of salt in them. Alot of prepackaged foods are high in sodium. You can get no salt added vegetables and of course your frozen veggies and fresh stuff doesn't have any added sodium. Just read your labels. Watch the seasonings.

I just wanted to agree with Sara M. When I had gestational diabetes (not quite the same, I know) I had to learn to really read labels. I started at the "organic" section in the grocery store thinking surely those products must be healthier. I was wrong.

Things that said low sugar or gluten free or organic did not necessarily equal healthier options for me.

The library is a good place to start, but I would also have your hubby go back to the doctor and ask for some more advice. In my situation, the hospital gave classes to advise how to read labels, what to eat, and how much to eat with gestational diabetes. I learned some very valuable information that now influences the food I buy for our whole family.

Hello J.,

I'll keep it short and sweet and hope it helps: chiropractic adjustments, omega 3 oils, coQ10, evening primrose oil also helps with blood pressure. also watch your sugar intake. and also get the book: magnesium miracle. caffeine and some teas will affect your bp too. eat more fiber. avoid constipation ... because your bp will go up too. is your husband in pain? that will affect your bp too. stress will also affect bp.

Good luck and keep looking for complementary help. ~C.~

I have very high blood pressure... i have an autoimmune kidney disease that drs say cause it.

The top two things that my dr said to stay away from is lunchmeat and fast food. I make homemade meals just about everynight so i know how much salt is being added. You are right though... the pre-packaged food is horrible for high blood pressure. I am on a few medicines including a diuretic. I am pretty sure having your husband drink a lot of water will help flush out the salt. (i am a different story with the kidneys)

Maybe on the weekends you can cook a little extra to freeze during the week? Or have a mom, sister or friend come help you cook in bulk?

It is so hard to stick to a low soduim diet.... i hate it :( I wish you both luck.