Sodium

[PicBuddy]

Just curious, but who looks carefully at sodium intake in American foods?

The reason I ask, is that, as I have mentioned in the "welcome" thread, my wife is Japanese. Her family currently lives in the Akita Prefecture of Japan and her father is a pulmonary Doctor. During a recent visit we discussed the fact that for many years, more people have died in that prefecture due to brain aneurysms due to an above average intake of salt. The region tends to be very cold during certain months of the year and historically, they have been using a lot more salt to preserve foods. And the result, above and beyond the remarkably higher percentage of aneurysms, also includes high blood pressure, and stomach and colon cancers. In fact the Japanese government has been issuing warnings to the prefecture that their salt intake is too high, and it must be lowered.

Now keep in mind, we are talking about a country here where women live to the oldest ages of any country in the world. Japan has affordable health care that covers everyone. Here, a CAT scan is a few thousand dollars. In Japan it's about $30, no appointment needed. They know how to take care of their own. And I believe their warnings should be listened to, even if they are only warning their own.

And then we have the US. One single frozen pizza can contain over 400% of the US RDA of sodium. Ever wake up extremely thirsty and blame it on the beer or wine from the night before? It's not all that. Americans are consuming an extremely high level of sodium and by Japanese standards, our frozen foods are actually considered lethal poison.

I must admit, that some of the time at 2am, it's real tempting to toss a frozen burrito in the nuker when I am too lazy to make something to eat and have been web surfing all day. But what are these repeated massive influxes of sodium really doing to us as people and as a society?

I guess that's enough questions for now. Will look forward to hearing how others feel, what they know, and what they do to watch their sodium levels. And please no -intelligent- one liners like "we don't eat frozen processed foods" because that's BS. We all eat frozen processed foods, as grand of the chefs that we dream to be, there's still real reality.

And did ya know? Spinach now contains salt. Ever since the spinach outbreak (related to Mexico irrigating crops in human sewage, you know, just like the tomatoes, green onions, jalapenos and the next coming outbreak), pre-packed spinach now contains salt. It's to protect the growers from getting sued out of existence. Seriously, look at the labels on pre-packed spinach now, as an average serving now has so much sodium it's listed, where it never was before because. And you can taste it, and it's pretty horrible. We quit buying it.


-close rant-

[BerryBaby]

I'm very aware of the sodium content of pre-packaged foods. That is the very first thing I look at before the calorie count. Most restaurants use WAY TOO much salt for my liking. In fact, we have stopped going to a few of them because of it. Expressed this to the owner and they said that is how they cook, so in other words, take your business elsewhere!

We just had a question posted with our local Business Journal regarding fast food restaurants having the calorie count posted for all their food. I said, they should not only post the calories, but what else in their product, especially the sodium.

You will never see me using a salt shaker!

[PicBuddy]

Well, I only thought I was done with that rant, yet after reading my post to my wife, she brought up another very interesting point, and that is the sodium levels when eating out.

Ya know, Bennigans was the model company that started all of these look-alike chains that we see today. Chiles, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, and the list just goes on and on. Basically clones of the family bar-grill where Dad can drink beer without feeling guilty while the kids are filled, and there's always a good game on the widescreen. (side note, the founders of all these spin offs really DID work for Bennigans to begin with, google that)...

And all of these foods are delivered by Sysco. Seen a Sysco truck recently? Bet you have, even if you didn't notice.


How much sodium is in those foods? Last time we ate some ribs at TGI Fridays, I asked for a nutritional sheet showing how much sodium was in it, and I was told that they were not required to provide that information. In fact their website states the same.

So I will call that the "Mystery Sodium" intake.

Any and all comments welcomed.

[PicBuddy]

And even more. While discussing this with my Japanese wife (I guess I should just show her the link to this place so she will post as well) she has told me that in Japan, when kids are in about junior high school, as a part of their education they are given taste tests of water that includes no salt, the right amount, and too much. And you can most certainly taste the difference.

When school children are exposed to too much salt they are told that if the food their parents are making, tastes like that, to go home and tell their parents not to use so much salt in their food.

Isn't that amazing? We could learn so much from the Asians, if we just payed more attention...

(and we are both laughing about that stereotype) Hehehe

[ibcheft]

Well, last time I went to my doctor, he told me you know your going to think I am crazy, but you need to increase our salt intake, seems I do not have enough, that I dehydrate to much. So as it goes what is good for one is not always good for all. I do not eat a lot of processed food, and I do add when cooking, but been told it is never enough. I think it is good to watch your salt intake but also follow up with your doctor as to the right amount.

[bakerman]

I probably get way too much sodium when I eat out, but what can you do?

I don't buy many processed foods, yes a few but nothing like frozen dinners, frozen pizza, etc... The only things that I buy canned are tomatoes and garbanzo beans. I try to buy lower sodium products if available, but I do add salt to my taste. I do look at sodium content on labels and will avoid something if it is crazy high, but I would not consider myself a low sodium cook. We are both a bit chunky but have perfect blood pressure levels.

Don't get me started on partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup!

MAC

[Pluff Mudder]

I use very little pre-package and processed foods and usually get the low-salt or no-salt when I do. Since I have plenty of them available to me, I use mostly fresh veggies, but if it's something I've got to have and it's out of season I go with the frozen... canned beginning the last resort.

I'm light with the salt when seasoning during cooking and that will be either Kosher or sea salt. Don't even own a salt shaker.

The only thing that we use around here that has a high sodium level is Gatorade. Riding your bike 30 to 40 miles per day in this heat, yard-work, etc. (even in the early morning) can dehydrate you severely.

[BerryBaby]

Pluff Mudder, we do quite a few things the same, except we dropped the Gatorade. Way too much sugar for us so it's just plain old filtered water. Yes, Kosher and sea salt are what I use when I cook and never put in the total amount of what a recipe calls for, if I'm using a recipe.

[Pluff Mudder]

Use to drink just water when doing extreme actives, but it just wasn't doing the job. I think it's the high humidity here along with the heat that will leave you feeling like a wrung out dishrag. Heat index here for the past few weeks has been 113 to 117.

[Chefnot]

When school children are exposed to too much salt they are told that if the food their parents are making, tastes like that, to go home and tell their parents not to use so much salt in their food.

If that is what you want fine. Leave me out. You are going far past what I think this forum is about. Just my 2 cents.