Clean eating

I think fitness is about 20% of getting healthy and 80% eating. I never use the diet word because I am not on a diet. This is the way I eat. Diet is something that is short term and never works. Instead go for something long lasting. Eat clean, whole, fresh foods everyday and drink lots of water. This is the only thing that has worked for me. It was hard in the beginning and I felt very lost, but now it is like second nature to he. As I said this is just the way we eat. So I made a calendar for anyone that is interested in eating clean. This is helpful in getting you started. Let me know any questions you gave about clean eating. I would love to help.

Workout Wednesday

Today's workout is what I did a lot of while on vacation SWIMMING!! I think it is one of the best exercises because besides all the benefits it has it is a lot of fun. I mean don't you have more fun swimming than doing say 200 burpees? So onto the good stuff why is swimming so great other than being so fun?

Swimming offers something no other aerobic exercise does: the ability to work your body without harsh impact to your skeletal system. When the human body is submerged in water, it automatically becomes lighter. When immersed to the waist, your body bears just 50 percent of its weight; dunk yourself to the chest and that number reduces to around 25 to 35 percent; with water all the way to the neck, you only have to bear 10 percent of your own weight. The other 90 percent is handled by the pool.
This means that the pool provides an ideal place to work stiff muscles and sore joints, especially if you're overweight or suffer from arthritis.
In its recommendation for the right types of exercise for people with arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation suggests those that stretch muscles, those that strengthen muscles, and those that provide an aerobic workout. A few laps in the pool combine all three!
If the pool is heated, so much the better for arthritis sufferers, as the warm water can help loosen stiff joints. In fact, people with rheumatoid arthritis receive greater benefits to their health after participating in hydrotherapy than with other activities. It's also been proven that water-based exercise improves the use of affected joints and decreases pain from osteoarthritis [source: CDC].


Swimming is also a great way to increase muscle strength and tone. Have you ever seen a flabby competitive swimmer? Yea I didn't think so. For example when you are running you are only moving your body through air, but when swimming you are propelling yourself through water, which is about 12 times as dense as air. So every kick and arm stroke become a resistance exercise. Resistance exercises are the best way to build muscle strength and tone. Swimming has also been proven to help increase bone strength.

Unlike doing a machine exercise in a gym where you are only working one body part at a time, swimming is working your whole body at once. You are increasing your flexibility while swimming through water as you are stretching your whole body all at the same time.

In addition to helping tone the visible muscles you are also building up your cardiovascular health. Because swimming is an aerobic exercise you are increasing the strength of your heart. You are making it more efficient in pumping which leads to better blood flow throughout your body. The American Heart Association reports that just 30 minutes of exercising a day, such as swimming, can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent.

Swimming is one of the biggest calorie burners out there. So it is great in helping keep your weight under control. The exact number of calories you burn is based on your own physiology and the intensity in which you are swimming. A general rule is, however, for every 10 minutes a breast stroke burns 60 calories, backstroke 80 calories, freestyle 100 calories, and the butterfly 150 calories. That sounds fantastic right? To boost those calories try intervals. Work hard for short bursts then recover. Go all out for 50 yards then rest for 10-15 seconds, then repeat. You will be tired at the end, but will have burned a lot of calories. Make sure you refuel with healthy snacks and plenty of water afterwards.

There is also research that shows you can help lower your cholesterol, help control asthma symptoms, lower your risk of diabetes, and help lower stress. So it sounds like one of the perfect exercises right? So get out and swim swim swim!! Your body will thank you.

 

 

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

                       

                                

                                        

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

 

Another shout out!

Margaret and I are in a mommy group together. Her daughter and my daughter are the same age. She has been one of my inspirations to my healthier lifestyle. We have a fitness group on facebook and she is always so inspiring. She started her weight loss journey in October of last year. She has lost 56 lbs during her journey. She loves Jillian Michaels and has done a lot of her different workouts. She also enjoys running, hooping, and kickboxing. She and I do some monthly challenges in our group. She also eats a very healthy diet. She has been a big inspiration to a lot of the ladies in our fitness group. She is at her goal and is now just trying to maintain where she is at, but I can say she has not really stopped working hard. She knows this is a lifestyle and not just a temporary change.

Shout out

My SIL had two children within her first 3 years of marriage, and like life happens she gained weight. She was focused on her family, like most of us moms are, and not herself. At her heaviest she was about 225 lbs. She finally decided she was done so she started walking and trying to watch what she ate. She lost about 30lbs in about 4 months. The she hit a plateau and did not lose anymore. So in February of 2012 she started doing Sensa. She would walk about 2-3 miles about 4-5 days a week, and did the walk away the pounds videos. She lost another 30 lbs in about 6 months. She is now at 162. She no longer does Sensa, but still walks and watches what she eats to maintain where she is at.

 

She said she feels better than she has in a long time. Hasn't she done a great job!

 

 

 

If you would like a shout out for your fabulous work please feel free to email me @sadie822@hotmail.com

Whatever works...

I am an advocate for strength training and clean eating. In all my years of trying to get healthy this is the only thing that has ever worked for me, and actually stuck. I think it is important for me to continue this lifestyle for the rest of my life. I look forward to helping my children live healthy lives, and anyone that I may inspire in the process....but...the same thing may not work for you. I am a firm believer that part of living a healthy life is also living a happy life. Yes you can eat clean and strength train, but if you are not happy while doing it then this is not the program for you. I think what is important is that you get yourself happy and healthy. Whichever route you take is completely up to you. I read things all the time knocking this and that, but if someone is trying why would you knock them. I do not like cardio, but I am not going to knock it. It works for a lot of people. I do not count calories, I wrote a post about that the other day, because eating clean wholesome foods I really do not need to, but if that is what works for you then by all means do it. We should all be supporting each other in our efforts to get healthy, and not knock someone down because they are not doing the same way we are (off topic, but that is how I view everything in life by the way). Everyone is different, our circumstances are different, budget is different, values are different, goals are different, availability to foods equipment is different, knowledge is different, health is different, and motivation is different. So if you come across someone trying to get healthy, even if it is not how you "think" they should do it, applaud them for their efforts and offer support and encouragement. If they ask for your advice then by all means give it to them, but never say this is what you need to do because that is not your place to decide that for them. I have been telling about my journey on this blog through what has worked for me. I hope I will inspire some people, that is my whole point in creating this blog. If you follow the plan I am doing, which I am by no means a personal trainer or nutritionist, I am more than happy to encourage you and offer support and motivation for whenever you need it. Also if you decide to follow your own path to getting healthy I am more than happy to encourage you and offer support and motivation for whenever you need it. I think that is one thing that has made me successful is by surrounding myself with people that love, encourage and support me through everything. So if you do not have a person in your life doing that for you you need one. If you cannot find one then message me and I am always here to lend a hand. The point is find something that works for you and makes you happy and make that a success in your life.

Stop Counting!!

Everyone knows if you want to lose weight you should count calories right. WRONG!!!! Stop counting those calories. They really do not matter. Obviously yes we have all heard you should burn 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat. So we all focus so much on the calories we are taken in. Well stop doing that. Do not worry so much about the amount of calories you are taking in.

Healthy eating is complicated, no doubt about it. First you hear butter is bad, then it prevents cancer. First carbs kill you, then they make you lose weight. Even spinach is confusing… should one eat it raw or is that dangerous?  Nutrition labels, however, deceptively simplify healthy eating. Few calories = good, high calories = bad. Simple. Yet dangerous. This mindset just leads us to eating processed foods that are within our calorie range. I look at the nutrition label when I buy things, although I try to buy a lot of foods that do not have labels, but honestly a lot of times I do not even notice the calories or it is the last thing I look at. I pay attention to the ingredients list, serving size, and all the other nutrition facts available.

If you are nourishing your body with fresh, whole foods you do not need to worry so much. You are just stressing yourself out with counting calories. You do not love your food it is a chore. You should enjoy fueling your body. You should eat foods you love and enjoy, not just the ones that are "low-calorie" and are supposed to help you lose weight. Trust me if you put down the low-calorie processed foods and pick up fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates you will get healthy and lose weight. So stop counting your calories!! Go enjoy your food.

Throwback Thursday

I find that I am torn with looking at my old photos. I like looking at them for two reasons. One to see the memories I have made with my amazing family. I am so happy that so much has been captured in my children's lives for me to cherish forever. Two to see where I was and how far I have come. I do not like looking at them because it is hard for me to see where I was. I cannot believe I ever let myself get like that. I do know looking back on these though that I will never be there ever again so they do help keep me motivated.

These two pictures were taken on a trip my hubby and I took with my brother and his wife. We had a fantastic time. I honestly can tell you that I did not feel as big as I look. I knew I was big, but not that big. These are hard to look at for that reason. These were actually taken just a few weeks before I started my journey. I said the whole trip when we go next year I am going to be healthy and fit. Well I can happily say that I am well on my way there. I am excited to see our pictures next year from our trip.

Workout Wednesday

I think it is important to have a variety in what you eat. That will help keep you interested in the healthy foods you are eating, and you will want to keep eating them. I think it is just important to have a variety in your workout routine for the same reasons. If you are doing the same exercises all the time you will get bored with them, and want to stop doing them. Now we all know that I prefer strength training. That is what has gotten me to my goals, but the other evil (for me it is evil :) ) end of the spectrum is cardio. One great and fairly simply form of cardio is running. You do not have to have a lot of money to do it, belong to a gym, have equipment, or a training partner. You just grab some shoes and go outside and run.

Even though I do not like cardio I will never deny there are benefits from it. That is why I do incorporate it into my routine as well. I try to run when I can even if it is just for 15-20 minutes at least I got some in. I know a lot of people say that running is a great stress reliever for them. You can just get out there by yourself, and be alone with your thoughts. It is great for your cardiovascular health as well.

We cannot deny those are all great benefits. The best thing to do in running is try to incorporate interval training in. Run sprints you will definitely get that heart rate going. You will improve your mood, burn calories, and increase your cardiovascular health.

 

 

 

I try to do 45-60s of running then 75-90s walking. Repeat this for at least 15-20 minutes. You will get in a great workout for sure. If you can breathe at the end of it go for more :) Obviously you are not going to get off the couch today and run a 5k for your first time running. So just like with everything else take your time and do it at your pace. Start with a program like couch to 5k or something similar. Here is an easy routine to follow to get you started as a runner.

 

 

 



So go grab your shoes and raise that heart rate!!

Treat yo self!

I decided to treat myself yesterday because I felt very happy about myself, which I haven't in a long time. Looking at my progress I realized how far I've come. I still have a long way that I want to go, but I can see some progress and it made me feel good.

I know I shared both of these pictures here, but looking at them side by side made me feel good about my journey so far :) So with that good feeling we have to treat ourselves right. Well instead of going and celebrating in an unhealthy way I decided to do so in a healthy way. Last time I got some new running shorts, this time I went for something fun too. New shoes, a girls favorite thing right :)

I'm excited to wear my new treat to myself!!

So make sure you treat yo self too!

The most important meal

I know we have all heard it, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Well it is true. I never used to eat breakfast. I would go until almost 1 or 2 in the afternoon most days without eating or drinking anything. Then I would binge on everything around me, and eat and drink crappy, unhealthy foods until bedtime. Then I did not have any energy, and not want to do anything the rest of the day. That is probably why I got up to almost 270 pounds.

I have never, ever been a breakfast eater. My mom said even as I child I did not really like breakfast. I just could not eat when I first woke up. I never really correlated it to my weight gain and unhealthy lifestyle. I never really though it was that important. I had always heard I should eat it, but just ignored it. Until I sat down with Torey, my trainer, he asked me if I ate breakfast I said no never. He explained it to me like this. He asked would you drive your car for 3 hours with your kids in it with your gas light on? Obviously I said no of course not. He said well that is what you are doing to your body everyday. You are "driving" it with no gas in it, and expecting it to work. I had never really had it explained to me like that before. Something clicked after that, and I have not missed a breakfast since that talk in March. I have felt so much better, and had more success ever since I have started eating breakfast. Now I know that all the things combined are what has led to my success, but each day I am able to do what I need to because I eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast.

You should eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up. Breakfast is exactly what it sounds like you are breaking your fast. You have slept all night, and now you need to refuel your body. So start it off the right way early. You will feel better the rest of the day if you do.

Breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that lead to increased concentration.

Studies show that breakfast can be important in maintaining a healthy body weight.

Hunger sets in long before it's time for lunch, but because it's not convenient to eat properly, many people who have not eaten breakfast snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar.

People who skip breakfast are unlikely to make up their daily requirement for some vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast would have provided.

Breakfast provides energy for the activities during the morning and helps to prevent that mid-morning slump.

I always try to get a protein and a complex carb in with my breakfast. I with either get a vegetable or fruit in with breakfast, sometimes both. Then I typically try to eat about 3-3 1/2 hours after that again. Also drink at least 1 glass of water before consuming your breakfast, and at least 1 glass of water afterwards. I find that actually helps me feel full longer.

 

 

I know in the mornings when I first wake up most of the time the last thing I want to do is cook a big breakfast. So I try to go for things that are easy to make most mornings. Some of my favorites are kashi cereals, they have protein and carbs in them and are a good clean eating cereal, with either coconut or almond milk and some fruit, egg whites with veggies, and avocado on a whole grain tortilla or toast, oatmeal with fruits and greek yogurt (a good source of protein), quinoa (a good source of protein and complex carb) with fruits. I eat other things for breakfasts as well, but these are my four easy go to breakfasts. Protein pancakes, protein smoothies, oatmeal smoothies, and protein muffins are also good easy breakfasts. Comment with some of your favorite healthy breakfasts.

 

 

 

 

 

Some good places for recipes are:

 

http://housewife2hostess.blogspot.com/

 



http://savegreenbeinggreen.blogspot.com/2012/09/7-ideas-for-clean-eating-breakfast.html?m=1

Shout out!!

My SIL and best friend, Megan has been working very hard on her fitness. She has found her love of running. She has done several 5k's and is going to sign up for some more in the next few months. She typically tries to run 6-8 miles a week. She also does water aerobics twice a week, and a strength training circuit 2-3 times a week. She has lost 20lbs and 2 pants sizes so far. She is looking forward to reaching so many more goals. She uses myfitnesspal to log all of her meals so she knows she is meeting the right requirements for her eating. She is also trying to get more water in each day. She has gained a lot more confidence from this. She started out a few months ago doing a health challenge at work, and has continued on her own journey. Her co-workers have been very supportive to her through her whole journey. She also has a great group of family and friends that surround her to help support her. She is a great inspiration to everyone that knows her.

 

Doesn't she look wonderful!!

 

 

 

 

If you would like a shout out for your fitness journey please e-mail me @sadie822@hotmail.com. I would love to give everyone a shout out for all their hard work.

Fabulous Friday

We went to my sons orientation for school today. I felt much better about myself this year than I did last year. I still have a lot of goals for myself that I want to achieve, but I have come a long way.

Seeing our picture from last year to this year has definitely helped my confidence and motivation.

Fabulous Friday (Even though it is Saturday :) )

I was sick yesterday, and did not get to post my Fabulous Friday post. Today we went to a welcome home party for my cousin returning from Afghanistan. It was a great party. We got to thank my cousin for his duty, and welcome him home. We also got to see family members that we do not see all the time. I felt so much better there today than I did the last time I saw some of them.

Both of these pictures were taken today at the party with two of my beautiful babies.

Workout Wednesday

We should all strive to get at least 30 minutes of activity in everyday. I know some days are harder than others. There are some days when I get up that I do not want to do anything at all. I have found that the best thing for me is to do my workouts first thing in the morning. This way I get it done, and I am not worrying all day about getting something done. My husband and I go to the gym in the evenings 3 days a week. I try to get something done in the morning at home so that way I always have some sort of activity in. I like to do a lot of different exercises. Also what makes it fun is that my children will try to do the workouts with me. One of my favorites and theirs as well are wall sits.

Wall sits are exactly what they sound like. You are sitting against the wall. Sounds easy right? Well go do some I bet you will think differently. Make sure your legs are at a 90-degree angle, press your back against the wall, and hold it until you absolutely can't hold it any longer.Tip: Place your hands on top of your head or hold them out in front to add a little work for your shoulders. But whatever you do, don't cheat and rest them on your thighs! In a wall sit you are working the entire muscular system in your lower body.

The quadriceps and buttocks work to hold the body in place. Since this is an isometric exercise, the endurance in the lower body muscles improves the longer you hold the position. The wall sit-down exercise improves performance in running, skiing and any sport involving jumping. Practicing this exercise makes it easier to get up and down off the floor and to use the leg muscles to lift heavy objects.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/437325-proper-wall-sit-down-exercise/#ixzz2bLMUpIeq

 

 

 

You can vary this exercise by using a stability ball behind you, between your knees or adding weights. So go do some wall sits now. You quadriceps will thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch your Na intake...

 

 

 

 

Na = Sodium

 

 

 

Sodium helps your body function properly by assisting the muscles and nerves, and regulating blood pressure, among other functions. We need a certain amount of sodium in our everyday diets, but as Americans we way overdo it on the sodium. Have you been trying to eat healthy and exercise and wonder why you feel bloated? I bet you probably need to check your daily sodium intake. Sodium can make you retain water. A lot of foods naturally have sodium in them, and we add extra salt to it to "make it taste good". Not only can a lower sodium diet help you lose weight, but it also can help with high blood pressure and help to prevent heart disease and stroke. Now I know we all want to avoid those things. “Americans of all ages, regardless of individual risk factors, can improve their heart health and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by restricting their daily consumption of sodium to less than 1,500 mg,” American Heart Association chief executive officer Nancy Brown said in a statement.

Ok so we know that we should reduce our sodium intake, but it is much harder than you would think. The best way to eat is to eat foods that do not have nutrition labels, fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats that are not packaged. This is not always possible for everyone so the best thing to do is to read your nutrition labels. Make sure you pay attention to the serving size. It may say only 250mg of sodium, but for what serving size. This is very important. I was very surprised when I started looking at the sodium content in my foods.

Sodium chloride or table salt is approximately 40% sodium. Understand just how much sodium is in salt so you can take measures to control your intake.

Americans’ sodium intake breaks down like this:

77% from packaged and restaurant food

12% is naturally occurring in foods

11% from adding salt to food while cooking or at the table

1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,400 mg sodium

 

 

 canned soup as much as 950 milligrams per serving

a frozen pizza as much as 2,500 milligrams

canned peas as much as 800 milligrams per serving
pre-made spaghetti sauces have over 1,000 milligrams per cup

one cup of macaroni and cheese has almost 1,000 milligrams of sodium

 



 

Food (100g)	Salt (mg)	Food (100g)	Salt (mg)	Food (100g)	Salt (mg)
Apple juice, bottled	1	Cocoa, dry	6	Peanut butter	607
Apple, raw unpeeled	1	Cocoa, processed	717	Peanuts, roasted	5
Applesauce, sweetened	2	Coconut, fresh	23	Peanuts, salted	418
Asparagus, canned	236	Coffee, beverage,	1	Pears	2
Asparagus, fresh	1	Coffee, instant, dry	72	Peas, cooked	2
Avocado	4	Collards, cooked	25	Peas, dried	40
Bacon, Canadian	2,500	Cookies , plain	365	Peas, green, canned	236
Bacon, cooked	1,021	Cookies, Fig bars	252	Pecans, shelled	0
Baking powder	11,000	Cookies, oatmeal	170	Peppers, green	13
Banana	1	Corn, sweet canned	236	Perch	79
Barly, pearled	3	Corn, sweet, cooked	8	Pickles, dill	1,428
Bean sprouts, cooked	4	Cowpeas, dry, cooked	8	Pickles, relish, sweet	712
Bean, canned	236	Crabmeat, canned	1,000	Pie	350
Beans, canned with pork and tomato sauce	463	Crackers, Graham	670	Pie crust, baked	617
Beans, Lima	1	Crackers, saltines	1,100	Pike, walleye	51
Beans, Lima canned	236	Cranberry juice or sauce	1	Pineapple, raw or canned	1
Beans, snap green, cooked	4	Cream	40	Pizza, cheese	702
Beans, white common, cooked	7	Cucumber	6	Plums	2
Beef hamburger	47	Dates	1	Popcorn, salted with oil	1,940
Beef hash, canned	540	Doughnuts	500	Pork	65
Beef pie or stew, commercial	400	Duck	74	Pork canned ham	1,100
Beef, corned	1,740	Egg, whole, raw	74	Pork, cured ham	930
Beef, dried	4,300	Eggplant, cooked	1	Potato chips	1,000
Beef, roasted broiled or stewed	60	Endive, curly	14	Potatoes, baked, boiled or french fried	5
Beets canned	236	Figs	2	Potatoes, mashed salted	331
Beets, cooked	43	Flounder	78	Pretzels	1,680
Beverage, fruit drink	0	Flour	2	Prunes	4
Beverages, beer	7	Fruit cocktail	5	Pumpkin, canned	2
Beverages, wine	5	Gelatin, dry	0	Radishes	18
Biscuits	630	Grapefruit, fresh, canned or juice	1	Raisins, dried	27
Blackberries	1	Grapes	3	Raspberries	1
Bluefish, cooked	104	Haddock, battered	177	Rhubarb	2
Bouillon cubes	24,000	Haddock, raw	61	Rice, cooked and salted	374
Bread	500	Heart, beef	86	Rice, dry	5
Broccoli, cooked	10	Herring	74	Rolls, bread or sweet	500
Brussel sprouts, cooked	10	Honey	5	Rutabagas	4
Butter, salted	826	Honeydew melon	12	Rye wafers	882
Butter, unsalted	10	Ice cream, vanilla	87	Salad dressing	1,000
Cabbage	20	Jams and preserves	12	Salmon, canned	387
Cakes	300	Jellies	17	Salmon, fresh	64
Candy, caramels, fudge	200	Kale, cooked	43	Sardines, canned	400
Candy, hard	30	Lamb, lean	70	Sauerkraut	747
Cantaloupe	12	Lard	0	Sausage, Bologna	1,300
Carrots	40	Lasagna	490	Sausage, Frankfurter	1,100
Carrots canned	236	Lemon, juice or fresh	1	Sausage, pork	958
Cashews, unsalted	15	Lettuce	9	Scallops,	265
Cauliflower	10	Lime, fresh or juice	1	Shrimp	150
Celery, raw	126	Liver, beef	184	Soup, canned	400
Cereal, Corn grits	1	Liver, pork	111	Spaghetti with meatballs, canned	488
Cereal, Cornmeal	1	Lobster	210	Spaghetti, dry	2
Cereal, Farina, dry	2	Macar0ni,cheese	543	Spinach, raw	71
Cereal, Oatmeal, cooked and salted	218	Macaroni, dry	2	Squash	1
Cereal, Oatmeal, dry	2	Margarine	987	Strawberries	1
Cereal, Rice flakes	987	Milk	50	Sugar, brown	300
Cereal, wheat flakes	1,000	Milk, buttermilk	130	Sugar, white	1
Cereal, wheat, puffed	4	Milk, dried	549	Sunflower seeds	30
Cereal, wheat, shredded	3	Milk, evaporated	106	Sweet potatoes	12
Cereals bran, wheat, crude	9	Molasses, dark	96	Syrup	68
Cereals, commercial	1,100	Molasses, light	15	Tapioca, dry	3
Cheese, cheddar	620	Muffins, plain	441	Tomato juice, canned	200
Cheese, cottage	406	Mushrooms	14	Tomato ketchup	1,042
Cheese, cream	296	Mushrooms, canned	400	Tomato, canned	130
Cheese, Mozzarella	373	Mustard greens	18	Tomato, fresh	3
Cheese, Parmesan	1,862	Mustard, prepared yellow	1,252	Tongue, beef	61
Cheese, processed	1,189	Nectarine	6	Tuna in oil	800
Cheese, Swiss	260	Noodles, dry	5	Turkey,	82
Cherries, Raw	2	Oil, corn	0	Turnips	34
Chicken pot pie, commercial	411	Okra,	2	Veal	80
Chicken, cooked, without skin	80	Olives, green	2,400	Vinegar	1
Chickpeas, dry	8	Onions, green	7	Waffles	475
Chicory	7	Orange , fresh	1	Walnuts	3
Chili con carne, canned with beans	531	Oysters, raw	73	Watermelon	1
Chili powder with seasonings	1,574	Pancakes	425	Wheat germ	827
Chocolate syrup	52	Papayas, raw	3	Yeast active	52
Chocolate, plain	4	Parsley	45	Yeast, compressed	16
Clams, hard, round	205	Parsnips, cooked	8	Yogurt	46
Clams, raw soft	36	Peaches	2

 

 Pay attention to the labels on the front of the packages. Just because it says no salt does not mean there is no sodium.

Salt/Sodium-Free → Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving

Very Low Sodium → 35 mg of sodium or less per serving

Low Sodium → 140 mg of sodium or less per serving

Reduced Sodium → At least 25% less sodium than in the original product

Light in Sodium or Lightly Salted → At least 50% less sodium than the regular product

No-Salt-Added or Unsalted → No salt is added during processing, but not necessarily sodium-free. Check the Nutrition Facts Label to be sure!

The best ways to cut your sodium are:

1. Read the Nutrition Facts Label to see how much sodium is in the foods you are considering. All Americans should consume less than 100% of the Daily Value or less than 2400 mg of sodium each day. Check the label for lower sodium choices and compare sodium in different brands of foods — like frozen meals, packaged soups, breads, dressings/sauces, and snack foods — and choose those with lower sodium.
   
2. Prepare your own food when you can.  Don’t salt foods before or during cooking, and limit salt shaker use at the table. We use no-salt instead of salt in our food.
   
3. Add Flavor Without Adding Sodium. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your foods. Try rosemary, oregano, basil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, fresh garlic or garlic powder (not garlic salt), black or red pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, and no-salt seasoning blends.
   
4. Get fresh when you can. Buy fresh or frozen (not processed) poultry, pork and lean meat rather than canned, smoked or processed meats like luncheon meats, sausages and corned beef. Fresh foods are generally lower in sodium.  Also, check the package on fresh meat and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added.
   
5. Watch your veggies. Buy fresh, frozen (without sauce), or low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables.
   
6. Give sodium the “rinse.” Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as tuna, vegetables, and beans before using. This removes some of the sodium.
   
7. Examine your dairy products. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese and fortified soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk in place of processed cheese products and spreads, which are higher in sodium.
   
8. “Unsalt” your snacks. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds, and snack products such as chips and pretzels, that are marked “low sodium” or “no-salt-added” – or have a carrot or celery stick instead.
   
9. Consider your condiments. Sodium in soy sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, and seasoning packets can add up. Choose liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and no-salt-added ketchup, add oil and vinegar to a salad rather than bottled salad dressings, and choose spices that do not contain sodium, mrs. dash has a wide variety of seasonings and they are all salt free.
   
10. Speak up at restaurants. Ask to see the nutrition information in restaurants and choose a lower-sodium option. Ask for your meal to be prepared without salt and request that sauces and salad dressings be served “on the side,” then use less of them. You can also reduce your portion size – less food means less sodium! For example, ask the server to put half of your meal in a take out container before it comes to your table or split an entrée with a dinner companion.

Do not cut sodium completely out of your diet. You do need some daily in your life, but just be conscientious of your daily intake, and try to limit it.



Research shows that eating foods high in potassium can lower blood pressure by reducing the adverse effects of sodium on blood pressure. Examples of foods rich in potassium include potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, apricots, bananas, beans, low-fat or non-fat milk and yogurt, and juices (prune, carrot, tomato and orange).



Here is a sodium tracker to help you keep track of your daily intake. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_448279.pdf



Some yummy low sodium recipes are listed in these websites
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20515311,00.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_low_sodium_recipes
http://www.sodiumgirl.com/
http://thedailydish.us/thanksgiving/60-low-sodium-recipes-for-thanksgiving/