My Fytness Journal

High levels of sodium lurk in many of the foods we eat. Anything processed like meats and cheese, snacky snacks, beef jerky, soy sauce, canned soup, and pickled foods are just some of the culprits. Sports drinks, V8, and many canned teas are bad as well. Nothing like good ol' water folks...

I try to keep my sodium levels under 2500mg. People who don't track their sodium have no idea how hard this is. That cuts out all fast foods, processed meats, most juices, my favorite cheeses, and many restaurants. Places like Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's load their food with sodium. Even the "Guiltless Grill" choices are so high in sodium, I get thirsty just thinking about it.

One of the main reasons for avoiding sodium is the water retention. I feel bloated and tired when I consume too much salt. And the 3 to 4 extra pounds of water does not help during those weigh-ins. In addition, high blood pressure risks are very real when you maintain a healthy regime of high sodium foods.

The only people who should consume high amounts of sodium are ultra-endurance athletes. I don't know any of those and if you are reading this you most likely are not one either. Always check the sodium content of food. If you can't find it, don't eat it!

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