High Blood Pressure & Salt - Nutrition News
February 23, 2008 by Liz Harper
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Blood Pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as the heart pumps it around the body.
If your blood pressure stays high it can cause serious problems like heart attack, stroke, heart failure or kidney disease.
Although many people with high blood pressure require ongoing medication it can also help to make changes to your lifestyle. Enjoying a healthy eating pattern that is low in salt is one way to help control your blood pressure, or help to avoid high blood pressure altogether.
How can I eat less salt?
Avoid processed foods such as processed meats, commercial sauces, soups, packet seasoning, gravy powder, stock cubes and stock powder.
Choose packaged foods with a sodium content of no more than 120milligrams per 100 grams. (Note: some “reduced salt” foods don’t meet these recommendations)
- Avoid potato chips/crisps, high salt take-away foods and salted nuts.
- Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit.
- Choose low salt or reduced salt breads and cereals.
- Choose foods normally processed without salt and foods labeled “no added salt, low salt or reduced salt”
- Avoid vegetable salt, cooking salt, onion salt, celery salt, garlic salt, rock salt, sea salt and MSG.
- Potassium chloride is another product often used instead of salt.
Try the following to flavour food:
- Curry spices (cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, chilli, clove, coriander, pepper and mustard.)
- Fresh herbs, garlic, onion, chives, spring onion, horseradish, wine, sherry
- Vinegars, Fruit juices or no added salt varieties of stock powders
L.
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