Ways to Cut the Sodium in Your Diet

Sodium is need by the body, but unfortunately, with the highly processed diet that most have these days, we over consume it.  Sodium is essential to muscle contraction and nerve transmission.  It is also helpful in balancing your body acid bases, maintaining normal fluid and electrolytes balance.  It helps with formation of saliva and other digestive enzymes that help balance the body's water amounts.

Even when we eat too much Sodium the body works to keep things in balanced. When we consume sodium, it is absorbed straight from the intestines and sent to the blood stream, where it travels freely.  It then travels to the kidneys where it is filtered out and sent back to the blood stream to be delivered where needed.  If we are smart with our diet, keeping things in moderation, the amount going back into the blood stream, from the kidneys, is the exact amount we consumed.  This is not the case for some and the body has an excess of sodium.  When our body notices an excess of sodium it sends messages of thirst, to help get the body back to a normal water-sodium ratio.  Once that ratio is restored the kidneys then excrete the water and excess sodium.

What Foods Should You Cut or Reduce Intake?

These are foods that are highly processed and the manufactures add it in excess to preserve and make taste more appealing.
Cereals
Cheeses, especially processed types
Canned and instant Soups, Legumes, Vegetables, and Fruits
Sauces: BBQ, Catsups, Mustards, and such
Junk Food/Snacks: chips, pretzels, popcorn, breakfast bars, instant foods that are packaged
Foods prepared in brine: pickles, olives, fish, meats, some vegetables.

Eat foods high in salt sparingly within moderation. When cooking add little to no salt to the foods, and try seasoning with spices for added flavor.  Spice mixes and rubs tend to have a lot of sodium as well, look for sodium free varieties or make your own herb rubs.  Read all your labels and keep an eye out for Salt and Sodium.

The average person gets enough of the needed sodium through a balanced daily diet that has its 5-7 servings of vegetables a day.  By eating a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods you can get your needed sodium naturally.  This does not mean you can't have table salt, just use sparingly and use a organic seas salt variety.  By watching your salt intake you can make sure your body stays within homeostasis.

As we move into summer, we might be hiking, swimming, and other activities that cause us to sweat and lose our sodium supplies.  Instead of reaching for sports drinks, think about adding a refreshing smoothie with some of the raw food choices below.  During the summer we should include more salads and vegetables that replenish natural sodium and cool the body naturally.

Good Foods High in Natural Sodium
Kelp, Celery, Dulse, and Irish Moss- these are sources that you will find good for adding to cooked dishes and soups.

Raw Juice Containing Sodium
Celery, Carrots, Okra, Spinach, Cucumbers, Beets, Apples, Asparagus, Swiss Chard, Plums, Radishes, and Turnips.

Summer colds

A summer time cold is irritation, but there are ways to avoid one. So often we are out in the sun absorbing all the great vitamin D. The sun transforms cholesterol into vitamin D and we also use and transfer vitamins needed for the skin.
Vitamin F rejuvenates the skin. If you are out in the sun and end up getting a sunburn, the body will send whatever vitamin F is needed to replenish the skin. That is why you will see people put oils on after a nice shower after a day in the sun. It helps to restore the vitamins and condition the skin to heal. Coconut oil is my preference followed by safflower oil. The reason people feel tired after a long day of sun and fun is that the body is compensating for the changes in vitamins used and needed to restore, a lot is going on there. It would also be a great idea to eat a nice garden salad to replenish the used sodium supply. Sodium and Potassium are the two minerals that need to be restored on a daily basis. So, when you are out playing and glistening from the heat and exertion, you are losing lots of sodium and potassium. After being in the sun all day a wheat allergy may increase the risk of a summer cold. That is why people normally will eat fruits and salads to cool down, rice is great also. But, the wheat will use up the sulphur and cause the sulphur sacks in your throat to swell and create flem. When you are in the sun for extended periods of time, be sure to eat right after to keep from getting any of those silly summer colds.
If the cold comes on, just let it run its course. If you take over the counter meds you will slow down the healing process. Drink plenty of fluids, stick to water, teas, and juices. Avoid mucus causing foods like milk, dairy, and wheat. Allow the body to rest to be able to heal. By doing a little bid of exercising you can also help loosen any mucus that may have formed in the chest. Also, increase your salad and fruit intake. Our family also loves a certain raw egg smoothie that I will describe below the kids refer to it as the "Sunny D" Shake. It is delicious and easy to make. it helps to alleviate the symptoms of the cold and helps to cut down on healing time.

"Sunny D" Shake
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
1 Raw Egg
1 1/2 cups of Orange Juice
1/2 cup of ice

First blend the egg and honey together briefly until frothy. Then add juice and ice, whip until all blended and enjoy. You can also add your favorite berries and/or bananas. We drink this 3 times a day when we have a cold in the house and usually only have to continue for 2 days.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!!!!