man vs. salt

I don't often write about my heart condition or the health factors that accompany it. Likewise, I rarely publicize the successes or failures of managing my low sodium (also known as, "salt is the devil") diet. To me, a day during which I don't have to spend time thinking about these things is a good day, and writing about them seems counterproductive to that end. But I've been struggling to find the time or inspiration to write about anything at all lately, so I might as well address what is, for me, the unfortunate elephant in the room...

I started a new job recently, which is good, but also puts me in the position of having to "come out" about my condition as people I work with question my willingness to eat certain foods or observe me popping my morning coreg in a meeting. So far it hasn't been too bad - I've become comfortable talking about it and do appreciate when others take an interest and ask meaningful questions about how I manage my diet.

While I say I don't like to think about my health on a daily basis, I do take an active interest in any and all articles I come across related to sodium intake and healthy eating and living, and am probably quicker than I realize to share these findings with those close to me. For example, I read an article over the winter (that of course I can't find right now) about how Finland lowered it's recommended daily allowance of sodium to 1500mg, and with a couple years life expectancy in the country increase by 8 years!

In the United States, the FDA (It's the FDA that sets these guidelines, right?) recommends, as it did about 50 years ago, that the average American intake no more than 2300mg of sodium on a daily basis. Newsflash: that's a lot of salt! And actually, it's not just salt - there are many sources of sodium not originating from the treacherous condiment that people fail to account for in their diets. Also, it's imperative that individuals balance out the sodium they consume with potassium. You should intake twice as much potassium on a daily basis as you do sodium, and one banana is not going to hit that mark.

Personally, I try to stay under 750mg of sodium a day - I know on some days I might go a little over that mark, but on most days I manage to stay well below. And sure, there are some salty foods I miss. But knowing the health benefits of my current diet more than makes up for that. And I've found ways to make dishes like chili, wings, pizza, tacos and hamburgers, that are low in sodium and healthful.

My girlfriend has suggested to me that I should write more about what I eat, and share my low sodium recipes with others through this blog*. I've been reluctant to do that for some of the reasons mentioned above, and because I'm not one to follow a recipe when I cook - I just have a knack for knowing how to do things in the kitchen. Still it's something I'll consider, though I do question how many people other than her read this regularly...

*If I did start keeping a blog about my low sodium diet, "Man vs. Salt" would be a pretty good title, huh?

In the meantime, I just want to urge anyone and everyone to cut back on their sodium intake and add 5-10 years to their lives. Not only can you make the world a healthier place, you can make it a more comfortable and enjoyable environment for people like me.