Sodium Linked To Obesity

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Sodium is a natural element that the body needs to function. It’ s important for water balance, nerve function, and countless other physiological functions. However you really only need a small amount per day. About 500 mg is plenty. That’s the amount you’d get just snacking on chips, crackers, various cheeses, salted nuts or eating canned food items like soups and canned veggies. The total daily recommended limit of sodium consumption is around 2,300 milligrams.

However, most Americans are eating too much sodium. WAY too much sodium. On average, 4,000 to 6,500 mg a day. It’s not only hurting their health, it’s expanding their waistlines. In fact, the American Medical Association is campaigning for the FDA to withdraw salts designation as a “safe” food additive. They’re pushing for Americans to cut their intake in half.

This isn’t too surprising. Food manufacturers have known for a long time that salt is an addictive substance. That’s why they pack it into more and more processed foods. People will eat more, and then food companies will make more money. A clinical research has shown that salt shares characteristics with addictive substances (like morphine, cocaine, and heroin) which release dopamine (feel-good brain chemicals) when we eat it. That’s why salt addictions are so common and why people have such a hard time cutting down. Often people who don’t even know they’re addicted to salt will experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut back.

A 2006 Finnish study published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases found a link between increased salt intake and obesity. From the 1980s to the mid 1990s, the salt intake in the United States increased by more than 50% as Americans started eating more and more processed foods. In the same time frame, obesity has gone up steadily. Also keep in mind that when people eat more salt, they will naturally have the desire to drink more fluids to maintain water balance in their bodies.

Unsurprisingly, between 1977 and 2001 the U.S. caloric intake from sweetened beverages like fruit juice, soft drinks and energy drinks increased by 135%. It’s pretty easy to see that as food companies make foods more salty, people will drink more and more super-sized sugary drinks to wash it down.

High sodium diets also are the leading cause of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. These diseases also go hand in hand with obesity. To alleviate the high blood pressure caused by salt intake, your body will dump extra water into your blood vessels which causes the overall pressure to increase as blood vessels expand. African Americans, Hispanics, and obese men and women have a higher sensitivity to sodium and are more prone to high blood pressure as a result. If you fall into one of these at-risk categories, you should try to limit your salt intake to less than 1,500 mg a day.

For regular salt use, I recommend using Celtic Sea Salt or pure Himalayan Pink Salt, because these have 84 minerals whereas regular table salt has only 2. They also don’t go through an unhealthy refining process like regular table salt does.

Also try to stay away from fast food, as many items at these restaurants will put you over your daily allowance really quickly. A McDonald’s double cheeseburger with small fries, for example, contains 1,310 mg of sodium. If you’re trying to be healthy at a fast food restaurant, good luck. The mesquite chicken salad at Chili’s has 2,710 mg of sodium. That’s more than most adults should eat in an entire day.

You can limit your salt intake by eating less processed food, getting frozen or fresh veggies instead of canned, buying fresh meats, choosing low-sodium options of canned soups and snacks, and asking for unsalted entrees at restaurants.

Snack Away Stress

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One of the most common culprits that cost us our waistline is stress eating. Whether cramming doughnuts and coffee to get through the workday or easing into a large pizza and tall beer after the day is over, food is our best friend and worst enemy when it comes to stress eating. However, there are alternatives that help us snack away the stress without stacking extra pounds. These guilt-free snacks are perfect for anyone looking to sneak a little flavor into their diet, and still enjoy the sweeter things in life Here are some of the best snaJosh Bezonicks you can use to battle stress.

Oranges: It’s a little-known fact that Vitamin C helps to reduce the levels of Cortisol, the hormone responsible for fat retention. Sweet and full of juice, an orange makes an excellent substitute for candy or other sweet treats.

Blueberries: Being low on the glycemic index and chock-full of Vitamin C isn’t the only benefit to these little snacks. Each berry is teeming with antioxidants, perfect for relieving stress and calming down with a little something sweet.

Turkey: High in protein and packed with natural flavor, turkey makes a great snack, especially around midnight. When reaching for something to slake your late-night hunger, the L-tryptophan in each bite of turkey will surely help you get a restful sleep.

Salmon: Rich in nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids, fish is an excellent dish to fight stress. A study conducted at the Ohio State University showed that omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to reduce stress by 20%.

Almonds: Nothing says, “stress relief,” better than a good crunch. Almonds are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, including but not limited to magnesium, zing, and Vitamins B and E. Almonds can also help you sleep according to a recent study. Zinc and magnesium were shown to shorten the time it took subject to fall asleep, leading to fuller, longer rests.

Snack Better

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It’s amazing what eating the right foods will allow you to do on a diet. After organizing a healthy diet and workout routine, you absolutely can enjoy the sweeter things in life without fear of recourse or rebounding. The world won’t come crashing down because of one candy bar or cookie, but it takes determination to keep that one snack from becoming a binge. Below are some tips to keep you snacking better.

Moderation: As with most things in life, too much of something can turn and bite you. That goes double for allowing yourself to snack during a diet. The temptation to reach for one more chip or cookie when you’ve passed your allowance is easy, and products are designed to keep you reaching for just one more. A creative way to combat this trend is to reach for a single, larger snack. Instead of a sleeve of Oreos, try a gourmet cookie. Usually larger than a softball and in a variety of flavors, you can enjoy an oatmeal raisin cookie that fills you up without sending you into a sugar spiral.

Understanding: A reason that some people diet incorrectly is that they don’t uJosh Bezoninderstand the foods they are putting into their body. Though small and oftentimes difficult to read, food labels will become a big part of your life when embarking on a diet. Read each label, and put down the foods with overly complicated chemicals and corn syrups. Those products are designed to keep you hungry, and make for particularly hard snacks to set aside mid-diet.

Meal Maintenance: Though snacking is great, what allows these little trysts away from your diet is having a well planned and healthy meal schedule. Three square meals a day, each packed with the necessary vitamins and nutrients are a must when dieting, and to forgo such a necessary step will only spell trouble on your road to progress.

The Best Snack for Satisfying Cravings

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AlmondsWe have all been there. It’s 3:30 in the afternoon, and you’ve long since forgotten about what you ate for lunch. You’re feeling a little lethargic, your stomach is starting to grumble, and you want to reach for something quick to satisfy your craving and get you through to the end of the work day.

Everyone gets cravings, and every now and then, we all give into them. You’re human! I’m not here to guilt trip you. But one of the best defenses again succumbing to your daydreams of chocolate chip cookies and oily potato chips is to have a few smarter (i.e. healthier) snacks at your disposal.

One of my favorite, guilt-free snack foods is inexpensive, requires no prep, and is easy to take on the go. So what’s this amazing mystery food?

Almonds!

Whether it’s the slight grumble of your tummy or just because you’re in need of something salty, almonds are a great go-to snack. Unfortunately, our cravings often leave us reaching for the closest bag of potato chips or pretzels, which aren’t exactly helping you achieve your weight loss goals. They’re also not going to fill you up for very long, and you’ll likely end up snacking on something else before the day is through.

Almonds are loaded with healthy fats and protein that will satisfy your hunger pangs, keep you feeling full for hours, and help you scratch that salty craving itch, without undoing all the hard work you’ve been putting into your diet and exercise routine lately.

Pro tip: separate out your servings ahead of time, so you have a pre-portioned snacks ready to go. While almonds are great, it’s easy to overeat any food you’re grabbing straight out of the container. Research has shown that people will eat two to three times more of a food when eating out of the container compared to eating pre-portioned food out of a bowl or ziplock bag.

At the beginning of the week, separate out 5 bags of almonds for yourself and bring one with you each day. You’ll feel better knowing you have a snack at your disposal that you don’t need to feel guilty about digging into.

One ounce is the perfect amount to set aside for a great fat-burning snack that will satisfy your cravings while holding you over until your next real meal.

Fighting Belly Fat: How To Avoid Belly-Bulging Snacks

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Fat Belly
Choosing healthier alternatives to fattening snacks can help fight fat.

This article is based off of Josh Bezoni’s 37 Foods that Fight Belly Fat.  Check out the full piece for more detailed information.  Today, we’ll summarize some of Josh’s most important points on how to avoid belly-bulging snacks that might be hampering your weight loss goals.

The first thing to look out for is snack foods that appear to be, or are marketed as, healthy choices.  Keep in mind that not every “light” or “diet” food is actually better for you.  Here are a few red flags that should help you make better choices in the grocery store.

Be wary of “weight loss” drinks that contain loads of sugar or artificial sweeteners.  These can be a false panacea that may actually move the scales in the wrong direction.  You should also be careful when presented with “sugar-free” anything.  Sometimes this means that the product is unsweetened, but in other cases the snack item may contain added artificial sweeteners that you’ll want to think twice about before putting into your body.  Another trap that can be easy to fall into is reaching for glorified candy bars masquerading as “energy bars.”

Chips and crackers are amongst the most common foods at parties and gatherings, but they might be getting in the way of your weight loss goals.  Look out for hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and enriched flour as ways to disqualify these types of foods from making an appearance at your next shindig.

At the very least, being aware of some of these red flags will go a long way to helping you choose healthy alternatives to some of the most pervasive and unhealthy snack foods.

Don’t forget there are plenty of delicious and healthy alternatives to chips, cookies, and fattening crackers.  Next time you’re shopping, try picking up unsalted almonds, pecans, or walnuts as a healthier alternative.  If you have a sweet tooth, try some dark chocolate.  While you always want to eat chocolate in moderation, choosing chocolate that is in the 70-80% cocoa range should be a good balance of great taste without loading up on extra sugar.

For more tips on avoiding belly-bulging foods, check out Josh Bezoni’s full 37 Foods that Fight Belly Fat.  

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician.