Another very bad addiction that is bad..very bad: "salt" (salt also kills!)

[Stuart G]

Today I went to the Emergency Room because of chest pains. My blood pressure was high. 160/79.
Why? night before I had a lot of salt. On pretzels and on peanut butter. I love salt and its taste.

Not new, lots of people like salt. Yes, I have some heart problems, bult I didn't think that my pressure
would be that high. I was totally wrong. I had some chest pains before I went to the Emergency Room.
So, other addictions (other than booze can kill too).

Salt is very cheap, and on or in a whole lot of items..(pizza, bread, ice cream, etc..etc.. etc..
..Yes, very very cheap. one of the cheapest and most common commodities put on food)

Yes, it is time to get rid of salt too. That one will be very hard, but if I want to live more and healthy,
salt has got to go for me. (me, I am not talking about you) I have had all kinds of surgery, salt may
have caused one or two) Look at your favorite foods. For me, SALT MUST GO!

.... I AM NOT TALKING FOR YOU!!! only for me:

[bahboo]

1. good luck to you....

I'm lucky in that I don't really like salt. I can tell the effect if I'm on the road and eating out a lot. A ton of hidden salt in that food. Also prepared foods...

[Stuart G]

2. Thank You, I will try to remember just those words: A ton of hidden salt in that food. Also......

prepared foods

I have had high blood pressure before, and have it again. I am at a very low weight for me.
................So that is NOT the problem..............

2 words...SALT KILLS, SALT KILLS, SALT KILLS, SALT KILLS!!!

If you don't think that high blood pressure kills, look up the facts.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

3. I might mention caffeine also. I had problems with that working midnights.

[KarenS]

4. Husband & I do very little salt & sugar,,,

after awhile you alter your taste buds. Food tastes different without but you crave the new flavor and will turn away from foods with too much.

I am a label reader and we usually eat fresh or frozen produce. Today I can also look for 'no salt added' as a notation on the label.

Good luck! It truly is doable.

[Qutzupalotl]

5. There are not many low-sodium options in prepared frozen foods.

There needs to be! a lot of people need to cut down on sodium, including my wife. An enterprising person could make a lot of money this way. Amy's used to have low-sodium vegetarian frozen meals, but I haven't seen them in a few years.

If you're willing to cook your own food, there are things like canned beans with no salt. So you'll spend some time in the kitchen, but it can be done. Good luck.

[MyMission]

6. Most fast foods and frozen foods are loaded with salt

Years ago a friend was told to watch his sodium intake, which he did but he continued to have issues. They figured out it was the fast and frozen food he ate, even though he didn't use or add salt when he cooked or ate. Reading labels is very important.

Just wanted to share that with you and wish you luck. You can still enjoy some salty things, but make sure the rest of your diet is reduced sodium.

I'm not one who's ever used much salt, prefer sweet butter, but if I do have something with a high sodium content it gives me a headache in addition to making me very thirsty.

[Phoenix61]

7. I rarely eat salt. The only bad part about that is restaurant

food is incredibly salty so eating out isn’t much fun.

[Croney]

8. Yes! There is hidden salt in things like baking soda and baking powder,

and that sodium is not included on food labels. We are a low-sodium household, thanks to my husband's BP. I order no-salt-added ketchup, mustard, tuna, canned goods, etc. We do own some "salt substitute" but he says it has a kind of sodium in it.

It's amazing what Penzey's spices can do for food. I use a wide variety of spice and herb blends, for the taste and to support Bill Penzey's politics.

[Stuart G]

9. Here is one that combats salt "potassium"...It lowers & controls "blood pressure

But if potassium is found in most fruits and vegetables, is there anything special about bananas? The truth is, not really. Tomatoes, potatoes, and beets also have potassium and often more potassium than your average banana

This... GREAT LINK... is about the benefits of potassium and other foods it is in:

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/nutrition/bananas-potassium-superfood#:~:text=Bananas%2C%20like%20most%20fruits%20and,chloride%2C%20otherwise%20known%20as%20salt.

[Tetrachloride]

10. Watermelon and Asparagus

and most other fruits

[Stuart G]

11. Repeat for all to see: "Watermelon and Asparagus and most other fruits" (contain potassium)

[forgotmylogin]

19. There is a product called "No-Salt" that is potassium chloride.

As opposed to sodium chloride in normal salt. It doesn't taste *quite* the same but is intended as a no-sodium substitute.

[Delmette2.0]

28. Amazing, I started taking potassium for muscle cramps.

I started taking it about the same time my doc put me on medication for high blood pressure. I can't wait for my next appointment to see if my BP has come down.

[cbabe]

12. Salt can also be good. Doctor had me increase salt to control vertigo.

[Farmer-Rick]

14. When I drink a cup of salty bone broth a day my blood pressure drops

I've actually tested it.

But I eat low carb.

Just be careful about lowering salt and potassium intake in this heat without a doctor's recommendation.

[cbabe]

15. Also doctor had me increase water drinking. Very helpful especially during these hot days.

[Farmer-Rick]

26. Oh yes, the water is really key

Glad you're looking out for your health.

[BOSSHOG]

13. Hey Stuart G

Good Luck to you. I have tried to cut down on salt and have incorporated Mrs Dash into my diet. Not pushing a product but you may want to check it out. All the best to you My Friend.

[SouthernDem4ever]

16. Too much salt and sugar in our diets

cause many problems long term. It's best to limit them.

[Warpy]

17. What did you expect from something made out of a flammable metal and poison gas?

And don't get me started on hydrogen hydroxide!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Salt is actually necessary. It helps red blood cell production,

among other things.

It is not helpful to totally demonize any one nutrient.

Avoiding processed and extremely processed foods, is a good idea.

Here's a suggestion: cook your food from scratch. Don't buy frozen or prepared foods, Just buy the raw ingredients and go to town.

[JoeOtterbein]

21. +1 nt

[Laura PourMeADrink]

20. YIKES... Are you sure??? Craving salt all the time is bad??

My mom said when I was a little kid I would pour a handful of salt in my palm and would be happy!

Jeez I always go back to if something is natural, and occurs in nature it's ok...? Not true, huh, SG????

[SCantiGOP]

24. Arsenic is natural

and is not recommended.

[YoshidaYui]

22. knew that, Asian food has a lot of salt and sodium in its food

SOY SAUSE which is so good with sushi or sashimi, is chock full of sodium. Yet, I often wonder how some people in Japan live up to their hundreds. They eat white rice, they use soy sauce.. maybe its good genes in a healthy envirorment

[KS Toronado]

23. My mom last year at 92 who's addicted to salt

Started having a lot of medical problems and her doctor told her she was way to salty, gave her meds to
get rid of excess salt plus some others. Real challenge was taking her to the grocery store and change her
buying habits, if a label said to much salt I made sure it came out of the shopping cart. Took about 9
months to get her back to normal levels and off all the extra meds. Plus her high blood pressure medicine
which she'd been on 10 years is also at a lower dosage now.

I know exactly what you're talking about Stuart, you can beat this.

[fierywoman]

25. What kind of salt are you eating? THe s**t in the blue canister with

the girl with the umbrella, or pink Redmond/Himalayan salt? The latter is good for you, the former not so much.

[cbabe]

29. Red salt with minerals from Utah. Much less likely to be contaminated with micro plastics like sea

salt.

[lark]

27. I started on a salt reduction after dad had cancer and we studied up on nutrition.

We both cut all added salt from our diet and started looking at the salt content on packaged/canned foods and getting the less salty versions of things. Just about all regular canned food has tons of salt - especially the soups. If you are serious about aggressively ending salt usage, you will have to use fresh food and make your own or do a lot of looking to find products with far less/no sodium. You will probably also find that a lot of restaurant food is way too salty.

Good luck on this journey,

[Stuart G]

30. I reduced my salt intake today, but tomorrow at about noon I have a doctors appointment.

Last edited Sat Sep 24, 2022, 09:23 AM - Edit history (1)

Well, I will find out my blood pressure tomorrow and I will report back. It was high on last Saturday, but I have cut back from
then. I don't know how fast it leaves the system, but I will keep it up and try to eliminate as much as I can. It won't be easy,
but it is necessary for me.
I will report back tomorrow. We will see...

Blood Pressure was ok.. Doctor didn't say anything..

[Stuart G]

31. Well...........??? Got back to my ...."SALT ADDICTION" AGAIN..

Yesterday I bought something called , "CHEEZ IT"....................

On the box it says ...100% real cheese...........but it doesn't say .....real salt

I bought 2 boxes of these snacks.... So, on the first box, I ate about half..& then threw the rest of it away.......

So, I saved the 2nd box for later...I started this morning on the second box...I noted that again I couldn't stop eating this
snack..............? Why?........It contained 230 mg of salt per 20 crackers..( they are very small..on purpose)

So, a person doesn't think these small treats can hurt them. So, I ate some of the 2nd box of crackers, and threw the
rest of it out....Kellogg Snack company....(yes the cereal company from Battle Creek Michigan) knows exactly how
addictive these things are, and puts in exactly the amount of salt that pleases the taste, and gets you to eat some more.

And eventually buy some more, because it tastes so good

So, if you don't think the above sentence is true, look at the salt contents on the treat and you will see the amount...
Yes, it is required by law to but that on the box. And you will find a whole lot of salt in many products.

Why?........The makers of the food products know these products are......ADDICTIVE...AND WANT MORE SALES
OF THE PRODUCTS, AND IT IS ALL ABOUT SELLING MORE PRODUCTS ....do the makers of the products care if you die from eating them?.

..I don't think so, I think the executives of the companies that make these products want
more sales so they can make more .......MONEY!!!!!!

.......................hOW COULD THAT BE???? oh no .........Time to Hide again...

and....I will never buy CHEEZ IT...AGAIN....NEVER!!.....................signed, Stuart the addict...

Salt causes increased blood pressure, and increased blood pressure causes heart disease & heart attacks..
and ...............HEART DISEASE AND HEART ATTACKS KILL!! IS THAT RIGHT? ....

[Stuart G]

32. 11/1/22-11pm, Salt addiction again.Very bad for me.I can't stop eating food with high levels of salt

Last edited Wed Nov 2, 2022, 12:35 AM - Edit history (2)

Very dangerous for me. As bad as booze us for others.. Very hard to stop. I have to stop.
It is most dangerous to me.....Yes, it is that bad..I've read a lot about salt. It kills.

And guess what?....Salt is NOT labeled as...Addictive..
.....Yes, I have had major medical problems.

.... I have to change, & it won't be easy.
.....I will report back in a couple of days. I had a bag of pretzels today.
.....I bought it a couple of days ago...425 mg of salt per oz. It is the total truth. (whole bag 16 ounces)
.....In 2 days, I ate all of them.
(every ounce is 15 small pretzels, not large, but small ones.) I eat a lot of food with salt. Very hard to stop. Most difficult. .... At least I talked about it. And I didn't want to... ...............got to add something positive.

....Weight is normal, & blood pressure normal. I am at a very low weight for me. Lowest in 40 years
....Blood Pressure very close to normal.

.....I've dealt with other addictions. That is why I am here.