body-health > how-to-control-hypertension

to benefit when they lower their daily salt intake to no more than 2,400 milligrams a day - or about one teaspoon. The best thing that we can do for ourselves is to take the salt shakers and high sodium seasonings off of the dinner table and control the salt intake with better cooking practices. Below are a few hints and suggestions on what you can do to help reduce your salt intake during the day:

Moderate your sodium intake gradually if you are accustomed to eating salty foods
Enjoy plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables instead of consuming salty snacks
Choose other foods within a food group that don’t have as much sodium i.e. meats , fish , poultry
Season with herbs and spices, herbed vinegar, and fruit juices instead of salt
Learn to prepare food with less salt or high-sodium ingredients
Go easy on high sodium foods (canned soups, processed foods)
Read the Nutrition facts information on your food label and understand where the sodium is coming from
If cutting back on sodium, look for reduced sodium products in the store
Be “salt “ conscious when eating out
Purchase lightly salted snacks, and nuts
When eating out move the salt shaker off the table, When at home do the same thing
Recognize terms that describe salty foods: Pickled, smoked, au jus, soy bases
Go easy on condiments, they tend to be salty
Reduced the consumption of processed and luncheon meats

Above all, remember that these changes must be gradual. Setting a goal too high will set you up for great disappointments. You can take control of your health by taking one step at a time.

(published with permission in writing from:http://www.blackwomenshealth.com/)