Eating Healthy

[chicken10der]

I've always been under the impression that a moderately high sodium intake would affect blood pressure only if the kidneys aren't functioning well. Since eating a lot of salty foods and being in overall poor/below average health are often correlated, the cause-effect fallacy tends to surface.

Sodium gets kind of a bad rap from fad/speed diets because it makes you retain some water weight (which isn't unhealthy at all).

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest watching out for the sodium content of your food choices. Processed foods tend to have obscene amounts of sodium (sodium chloride and other sodium compounds like MSG). This is not good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Somebody please explain to me why a high sodium diet is "bad". Links to studies where high sodium intake correlates to bad health would be much appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try this for one:

sodium and high blood pressure study

I would like to see the studies (in reputable peer-reviewed journals) that recommend a high salt diet or even that say consumption of high levels of sodium is not a negative factor in maintaining good cardiovascular health.

Sodium is an absolute necessity to maintain life, but the excessive consumption of anything, sodium included, is likely to be deleterious.

Excess sodium causes water retention which raises the blood pressure and puts strain on the heart. I grew up on a salt-sparing diet, as did my (ex-)husband--we both had fathers with cardiovascular disesase. Whether as a result of that or for some other genetic reason, I am very sensitive to salt. If I have to eat in restaurants for several days (for example, while traveling), I can see the retention of water. My feet and ankles swell. This condition is immediately alleviated when I return to normal eating habits with a lower sodium intake. Other people may well have more tolerance for sodium than I do, but too much salt will cause problems for everyone eventually.

[billyjex]

this is an excellent thread. i am in much the same situation as you metetron (regarding caffience intake, the shape we're in, and what I want to do with my diet.) thanks for posting this.

[BartHanson]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest watching out for the sodium content of your food choices. Processed foods tend to have obscene amounts of sodium (sodium chloride and other sodium compounds like MSG). This is not good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Somebody please explain to me why a high sodium diet is "bad". Links to studies where high sodium intake correlates to bad health would be much appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try this for one:

sodium and high blood pressure study

I would like to see the studies (in reputable peer-reviewed journals) that recommend a high salt diet or even that say consumption of high levels of sodium is not a negative factor in maintaining good cardiovascular health.

Sodium is an absolute necessity to maintain life, but the excessive consumption of anything, sodium included, is likely to be deleterious.

Excess sodium causes water retention which raises the blood pressure and puts strain on the heart. I grew up on a salt-sparing diet, as did my (ex-)husband--we both had fathers with cardiovascular disesase. Whether as a result of that or for some other genetic reason, I am very sensitive to salt. If I have to eat in restaurants for several days (for example, while traveling), I can see the retention of water. My feet and ankles swell. This condition is immediately alleviated when I return to normal eating habits with a lower sodium intake. Other people may well have more tolerance for sodium than I do, but too much salt will cause problems for everyone eventually.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didnt know that microsoft was in the salt business.

http://www.saltinstitute.org/pubstat/stossel.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111285,00.html

[chicken10der]

[ QUOTE ]

I didnt know that microsoft was in the salt business.

[/ QUOTE ]

Internet Explorer and Media Player can give me some [censored] high blood pressure, but that's probably unrelated to salt.

Really, though, scientific studies on health haven't even covered the broad strokes yet, so I don't rely on them too heavily either way. I mean, come on, how many times has milk supposedly been bad for you, then good for you, and back and forth because of 'new studies'?

I go by "If you're damaging your body, it will tell you."

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest watching out for the sodium content of your food choices. Processed foods tend to have obscene amounts of sodium (sodium chloride and other sodium compounds like MSG). This is not good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Somebody please explain to me why a high sodium diet is "bad". Links to studies where high sodium intake correlates to bad health would be much appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try this for one:

sodium and high blood pressure study

I would like to see the studies (in reputable peer-reviewed journals) that recommend a high salt diet or even that say consumption of high levels of sodium is not a negative factor in maintaining good cardiovascular health.

Sodium is an absolute necessity to maintain life, but the excessive consumption of anything, sodium included, is likely to be deleterious.

Excess sodium causes water retention which raises the blood pressure and puts strain on the heart. I grew up on a salt-sparing diet, as did my (ex-)husband--we both had fathers with cardiovascular disesase. Whether as a result of that or for some other genetic reason, I am very sensitive to salt. If I have to eat in restaurants for several days (for example, while traveling), I can see the retention of water. My feet and ankles swell. This condition is immediately alleviated when I return to normal eating habits with a lower sodium intake. Other people may well have more tolerance for sodium than I do, but too much salt will cause problems for everyone eventually.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didnt know that microsoft was in the salt business.

http://www.saltinstitute.org/pubstat/stossel.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111285,00.html

[/ QUOTE ]

The SALT Institute is your source for refuting the connection between sodium intake and high blood pressure!!

As far as I can tell, a low sodium diet (1000-1500 mgs or thereabouts) is only recommended for people with blood pressure and related problems. The amount recommended for healthy people is 2400 mgs, more or less. A high sodium diet is about 4000-6000 mgs, and that does not appear to be a good idea for most people--people who do manual labor in the heat might well need high sodium intake. People who multi-table in an air-conditioned room do not. Sodium tolerance does vary genetically--some people will have less ill effect from high sodium intake than others. But just as it is not a good idea to have a diet high in fat (and therefore calories), it is not a good idea to have a diet which provides more salt than one's body needs. An American junk food diet is going to have too much fat and salt and caffeine and sugar and too little fiber and vitamins. It may take several decades for the ill effects of a lousy diet to catch up with an individual, but eventually problems will occur.

[illusionS]

Kinda off topic but is it even possible to be healthy when your drinking (10+ drinks) 2-3 times (and sometimes more) a week?

I gotta wonder if I even have a chance at actually being healthy while I am in college.

[LittleOldLady]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I didnt know that microsoft was in the salt business.

[/ QUOTE ]

Internet Explorer and Media Player can give me some [censored] high blood pressure, but that's probably unrelated to salt.

Really, though, scientific studies on health haven't even covered the broad strokes yet, so I don't rely on them too heavily either way. I mean, come on, how many times has milk supposedly been bad for you, then good for you, and back and forth because of 'new studies'?

I go by "If you're damaging your body, it will tell you."

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, it will tell you, twenty-thirty years down the road, and then it will be too late. I was under that impression too when I was in my teens and twenties, and, boy, was I wrong. I now know that it is possible to be very very seriously ill without the slightest indication until, wham, it's over or damned near to it. The very sad and painful thing is that your body often won't tell you until the day it completely betrays you.

[MicroBob]

Nice thread.

Giving me some good ideas.

I haven't weighed myself, but I know I have lost some of my belly and am a bit leaner now than I was even 6-12 months. Clothes are much looser. It's a nice feeling and I don't want to fall back to old, bad habits.


Not sure about the efforts to get off caffeine though.
This is something that I played around with several years ago. But now I just drink my coffee and/or diet-soda and mostly don't worry about it too much.

There have been some studies out there that say that caffeine in 'normal' does (not 25 cups of coffee a day) is not bad for you. And can actually be GOOD for you.

Possibly making one less likely to get Alzheimer's was one I remember.

Perhaps the topic of caffeine is worth another thread (or maybe it's been done before) but I would be interested to hear Metetron's reasoning about wanting to get off caffeine.

I would also like people on here yo tell me all about the evils of diet-pepsi type sodas if you have some info about it.


Finally - somebody may want to dig up some old posts by goodguy_1.
Not sure that he posts in OOT very much but he's a real fitness/health nut and I've seen quite a few posts by him in other forums where he gets a bit more detailed about his diet.
It's interesting stuff.

[Tupacia]

Hey MicroBob -
As with most things in life, caffeine is fine in moderation. However, as a stimulant, it is quite possible to become addicted to caffeine and experience withdrawal symptoms. However, it is also true that a little caffeine during the day makes one burn more calories (due to the energy it provides) which can lead to weight loss. A caffeinated soda before a workout can keep you focused and give you more endurance.