Reducing Sodium in a Salty World

There’s been a lot of talk lately about limiting salt intake to improve your health, but the conversation is not new

Photo Credit: American Heart Association

Experts have known since the first studies were published in the 1940s that significantly reducing sodium in the diet could lower blood pressure. The dangers of excessive salt have been known for so long that thousands of years ago Chinese noblemen would use large amounts to commit suicide.

Today, sodium excess remains a deadly threat. The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, more than double the 1,500 milligrams recommended by the American Heart Association.

Too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure and other major health problems. More than 76.4 million people in the U.S. have high blood pressure — one-third of the population. High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” because its symptoms are not always obvious.


Continue Reading at American Heart Association site

Top 7 Tips for Managing Diabetes

1. Healthy Diet: overall balance of all nutrients. Space meals evenly in order to not consume too much food at one time nor go for long periods without food.

2. Being Active: inactivity leads to insulin resistance. But, being physically active helps utilize food. Do aerobic exercises to help burn calories and anaerobic exercises to build muscle helps skeletal strength, more flexibility and use calories.

3. Monitoring: diabetes is a 24-7 disease. Patients need to make adjustments in what they do during the day depending of their level of blood glucose. If they are not monitoring their blood glucose they have no idea what the effect the meal they just ate may have on their blood glucose or how their medication is working to control blood glucose.

4. Medications: take medications as needed and properly, on time, consistently to keep blood glucose at a proper level.

5. Problem Solving: how to deal with hypoglycemia and ability to recognize signs and symptoms of low blood sugar. To properly treat low blood sugar take 15 grams of a carbohydrate source and check blood sugar before and after.

6. Reducing Risks: greatest risk for people with diabetes is smoking. Stop or reduce smoking as much as possible. Also, having constant and scheduled contact with health care provider: health with appropriate labs and feet checked, vision, and dental.

7. Healthy Coping: greater incidence of depression. Unclear whether precedes or occurs after diabetes diagnosis. Important to recognize that this is normal. Often occurs because of the daily regimen and wears on people. 

The American Association of Diabetes Educators caution that people with diabetes shouldn't feel that they need to do all 7 steps right away or perfectly. Instead choose those steps that you know you can be successful at and build from there.

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