Watch those silent killers
Sugar has been given a bad rap over the years and rightfully so since it’s literally a silent killer. Villains unfortunately don’t work alone and even though there is now a tax on sugar, you don’t need to look too far to see which super villain comes close second. May I introduce you to Mr Overindulgent Sodium who has been a good friend of yours and a best friend to others.
What is the deal with sodium, or salt? Food companies know how addictive sugar is and the more sugar you add to something, the more you are going to love their product and the more you will buy. The problem is, when you add that much sugar and nothing else it becomes unpalatable, so food companies add huge amounts of sodium to sugary drinks, for example, which makes it less sweet. Twice the addiction at half the perceived sweetness.
It is important to understand how much you are allowed of something a day and then be vigilant as to how much food you consume per day and then track the amount of sodium in each of your meals. Educating yourself on the recommended daily allowance and what you eat will most likely save your life down the line.
As an adult you are allowed 2 300mg per day, or 2.3grams. This is only about a three-quarter teaspoon of salt per day. It is critically important to have sodium in your diet but not over-do it by making silly choices like consuming food abnormally high in sodium such as processed foods, bread, sodas, and pizza to name a few.
Too much sodium can cause havoc in your body and lead to illnesses such as hypertension (high blood pressure), bone loss, kidney disease and stomach cancer. Having said that, there are also dangers associated with too little sodium intake which increases the chances of heart disease, increases symptoms of depression and raises insulin resistance.
It is important to note that you need sodium daily for healthy bodily functioning but the point I want to get across is that you don’t need to overdo it with the sodium. According to the Centre for Controlled Disease, Americans have, on average, 5 000 milligrams of sodium per day which is double the recommended daily allowance.
With the right amounts of sodium intake daily, this will allow your body to function at peak performance by balancing fluids in the body, helping with sending nerve impulses, muscle contraction, promote sunstroke and improving brain function and maintaining the right acid base balance in your body.