JOIN USWith lives so busy and routine so hectic, most of us seem to be paying little attention to what we eat on a daily basis. It seems almost impossible to cook healthy food after a long day at work. And even though vegetable markets are a stone’s throw away, few make use of this facility.
But you have to know that most ready-to-eat foods or semi-cooked foods available (even those claiming to be ‘healthy’ have loads of salt and fat in them, in order to make their product attractive and desirable). Many people starve through the day to keep a check on their weight and binge eat in the evening with whatever they can lay their hands on. It’s time to realise that it doesn’t work — neither for weight loss nor for the overall health. You may actually end up gaining more weight and slowly progress towards an unannounced epidemic called hypertension.
Hypertension is a condition with repeatedly elevated blood pressure.Your body tends to hold on to the extra sodium from the salt you eat. Sodium attracts water and increases the fluid volume in the body.
Extra fluid means more work for the heart and extra pressure in the arteries. Every gram of salt has 400 mg of sodium in it. Your body doesn’t need more than 500 mg of sodium for it to function properly. World Health Organisation guidelines 2013 recommend 2,000 mg sodium per day or five grams of salt.
Your kidneys are usually smart to filter out all the excess sodium. But if you won’t learn to eat smartly by reducing the amount of salt in your food, sooner or later, your kidneys might give up.
Damage caused
Hypertension can silently damage several organs such as the heart, kidney, arteries and brain, without showing any symptoms. Significant of all is the irreversible damage to the kidneys leading to chronic renal failure. Almost 75% of chronic kidney patients have high blood pressure. As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, hypertension is the cause of 57% stroke deaths and 24% of all coronary heart disease deaths.
Yes, it will be challenging to change the long accustomed to habits of eating elevated levels of salt. But if your mind can realise the debilitating effects of high levels of salt in our diet, taming the taste buds won’t take that long. A little patience and learning to reject the addiction for some time will prepare your tastebuds to accept lesser salt than what you have been eating now. It will be worth a try to save your health and possibly the money, which will be spent to recover from the debilitating illnesses.
The quickest way to decrease high blood pressure is to reduce salt intake. Your idea is to reduce the salt intake, and not to be too concerned about it. As long as you can keep it around five grams a day, you are in-charge of your health. Here are some ways in which you can cut down on salt intake:
Many of you may think to cut out the salt shaker while cooking, but most of the sodium comes from foods which are processed and at restaurants. We practically ignore salt as an ingredient in the restaurant menu. Ask for less salt menu and specify your needs at the restaurant. Eating often at home may not be such a bad idea.
Fast food joints do not have just excess fat, but also large quantities of salt in just one serving. Ask for small servings instead of going for jumbo or large.
In supermarkets, anything in bags or boxes may have more sodium for longer shelf life and flavour enhancement. Read the labels carefully.
All pickles, cured meats, papads, fried chilies, wadis, sauces, soups, curry powders have excess sodium. Eat only on occasion and in limited quantities.
Eat more of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables which are natural and unprocessed. These foods are good sources of potassium too, which will help to restore the delicate balance of sodium and potassium, and decrease high blood pressure.
Make the flavour intense by grilling or roasting vegetables in very hot oven. This can impart sweet smoky flavour. Spray oil to avoid dry texture. Finish by sprinkling herbs and spices.
Cook onions slowly on low heat flame in little oil to bring the natural sweet flavour.
Balance the flavour of your food with tangy citrus lemon juice, or grated lemon.
With increase in the availability of culinary herbs with mild flavours such as oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and more, the scope for making delicious food using less salt is only getting expansive.
A little imagination, knowledge and willingness to experiment will make your food desirable and interesting even with less salt. Learn from a registered dietitian and cook specific to your needs. After all, it is better to appreciate good health rather than taking charge when the body gets sick.
(The author is with the department of dietetics, NephroPlus Dialysis Centres)