Get the Salt Out (77 page)

Authors: C.N.S. Ph.D. Ann Louise Gittleman

BOOK: Get the Salt Out

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499
Do things you haven’t done before.
Foods loaded with salt no longer seem so necessary when you give yourself the “charge” of stimulating, new activities.

500
Value yourself enough to nourish yourself with life-giving whole foods
(instead of eating life-draining processed foods, as so many Americans do). Certain cultures, such as some Native American tribes and the Chinese, believe that both plant-based and animal-based whole foods have a life force that strengthens our own life force when we use those foods for nourishment. As you’ve learned, natural foods like these also help support good health because they’re low in sodium but otherwise dense with nutrients.

501
Treat yourself to experiences you can savor many years from now.
In the long run, the things you remember are not the salty foods you’re eaten but the warm, meaningful experiences you’ve shared with people you love.

T
hese days, advice about sodium can be as misguided as all the conflicting advice about fat.

Although Americans know the hazards of too much fat in the diet all too well, many still eat too many processed foods with the wrong kinds of fat and too few natural foods with the right kinds of fat. This same situation, unfortunately, is also happening with sodium.

Get the Salt Out
was written to set the record straight: the truth is that we all need sodium, but too much of the wrong kinds can cause disease. The sodium found in natural foods is a good source of sodium that helps support good health. However, refined table salt, which is found in virtually every processed food and salt shaker across the land, is not.

In this day and age, when fat is wrongly blamed for all our health problems, it’s often easy to forget that table salt truly is bad for us. There is no doubt, however, that table salt is a real villain that contributes to serious disease.

Now that you know this and you know the secrets of how to get salt out of your diet, it’s your responsibility to use this information to your advantage and become a food consumer who is seasoned as well as savvy about salt.

A WEEK OF SAMPLE MENUS

T
he following sample menus for a week represent one way to incorporate this books low-salt tips into everyday eating. It’s meant to provide you with meal and snack ideas, not something that should be followed to the letter.

The sum of the amount of sodium in the food on each day’s menu totals less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium—an amount that is appropriate for most people on a low-sodium diet. If you want a more moderate sodium intake or if you have higher sodium needs because of specific physical conditions, you should add extra salt at the table to meet your requirements.

Even if you’re on a low-sodium diet, you still can enjoy foods you may have thought were forbidden. This menu shows you that foods such as pizza, pretzels, and even sauerkraut can all be included, as long as you are careful about using any salt when you prepare or select them.

This menu illustrates how to include many tasty foods you’ll relish, but it may not be your ideal eating program. The secret of developing a low-salt diet you can stick to is to personalize what you have learned about salt and create an eating plan that works for you.

MONDAY

Breakfast
:—Cream of rye cereal topped with crushed caraway seeds and homemade yogurt cheese (see tip 140)

⅓ cantaloupe

Lunch
—Lean homemade roast beef sandwich on salt-free rye bread with sliced onions, red leaf lettuce, and a dab of Instant Horseradish Sauce (see tip 293)

½ cup Salt-Free Sauerkraut (see tip 203)

2 unsalted whole-grain pretzel twists dabbed with unsalted mustard

Dinner
—Sole almondine (3 ounces baked sole topped with a tablespoon of toasted slivered almonds and a dash of almond oil)

Steamed green beans

Baked Apples with Walnuts, Raisins, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg (see tip 378)

TUESDAY

Breakfast
—1 hard-boiled egg sprinkled with salt-free herbal blend and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup oatmeal topped with 1 tablespoon toasted pecans, 1 teaspoon currants, and 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

Lunch
—1 cup Spring Minestrone (see tip 187)

½ cup Fresh Herbal Tabouli (see tip 202)

Snack
A few low-sodium, whole grain, bible bread (sprouted) wedges dipped in Winter Bean Pâté (see tip 357)

Dinner
—2 broiled lamb chops with rosemary or oregano leaves and garlic, sprinkled liberally with fresh lemon juice

1 cup Greek-Style Spinach and Brown Rice (see tip 255)

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast
—Shredded wheat or other low-sodium, sugar-free, ready-to-eat cereal topped with ½ sliced banana, 1 tablespoon toasted hazelnuts, and ½ cup nonfat milk

Lunch
—Grilled Mexican Turkey Burger (see tip 232) with lime wedge

Grilled zucchini slices brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder

1 cup unsalted baked corn tortilla chips dipped into Simple

South-of-the-Border Salsa (see tip 339)

Dinner
—Mixed green salad with shredded carrot and green pepper slices topped with Sesame-Lemon Dressing (see tip 210)

Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup with Fresh Cilantro (see tip 185)

THURSDAY

Breakfast
—2 slices low-sodium, whole grain sourdough toast spread lightly with unsalted peanut butter

Sliced pear

Lunch
—Vegetarian Chili (see tip 260)

15 small grapes

Snack
1 Mushroom Broccoli Cheese Muffin (see tip 437)