Do you know how much salt you consumed yesterday? Do you ever give it a second thought? If you don't, you should. For the sake of your health, you need to know your enemy!
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of salt is 4g and a maximum of 6g. Most of us consume in excess of 12g, and we don't know we're doing it. So where does it all come from? The main culprit is processed food and in particular fast foods and ready meals. They do the most damage.
The reason manufacturers put add so much salt is to increase the shelf life and to make their products taste better. They put salt in baked beans, in Corn Flakes, candy bars and lots and lots of salt in white bread. We get over 25% of our salt intake from white bread, buns, bagels and burger buns.
Far too many of us start the day by eating too much salt. A good cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages and hash browns is very likely to contain more than half your recommended daily allowance. Even if you decide to skip breakfast and have a cup of coffee and an American muffin you will have consumed nearly a quarter of your RDA.
So what's all the fuss? Is salt bad for us? In the right amounts it is fine, in fact it's essential that we eat a certain amount of salt. The right amount of salt helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at the right levels and in the transmission of electrical impulses in the body as well as helping our cells to take up nutrients.
What happens when we eat too much salt? It causes us to retain too much fluid. When this happens you feel bloated. It also increases your blood pressure causing hypertension which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Too much salt is not good.
Salt helps us to put on weight. Thirst is one reason, another is that the signal your brain receives to let know that you're thirsty is virtually indistinguishable from the signal for hunger. All too often we answer the call for thirst with more food - and usually high calorie food at that. The result is weight gain.
We all need to get out of the habit of eating too much salt and learn the habit of knowing how much salt there is in the food we eat. It's not difficult to do. It's an essential slim habit we all need to learn. - 16463
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of salt is 4g and a maximum of 6g. Most of us consume in excess of 12g, and we don't know we're doing it. So where does it all come from? The main culprit is processed food and in particular fast foods and ready meals. They do the most damage.
The reason manufacturers put add so much salt is to increase the shelf life and to make their products taste better. They put salt in baked beans, in Corn Flakes, candy bars and lots and lots of salt in white bread. We get over 25% of our salt intake from white bread, buns, bagels and burger buns.
Far too many of us start the day by eating too much salt. A good cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages and hash browns is very likely to contain more than half your recommended daily allowance. Even if you decide to skip breakfast and have a cup of coffee and an American muffin you will have consumed nearly a quarter of your RDA.
So what's all the fuss? Is salt bad for us? In the right amounts it is fine, in fact it's essential that we eat a certain amount of salt. The right amount of salt helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at the right levels and in the transmission of electrical impulses in the body as well as helping our cells to take up nutrients.
What happens when we eat too much salt? It causes us to retain too much fluid. When this happens you feel bloated. It also increases your blood pressure causing hypertension which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Too much salt is not good.
Salt helps us to put on weight. Thirst is one reason, another is that the signal your brain receives to let know that you're thirsty is virtually indistinguishable from the signal for hunger. All too often we answer the call for thirst with more food - and usually high calorie food at that. The result is weight gain.
We all need to get out of the habit of eating too much salt and learn the habit of knowing how much salt there is in the food we eat. It's not difficult to do. It's an essential slim habit we all need to learn. - 16463
About the Author:
A Well known speaker, writer and consultant on dieting and health, Henry John's special subject is permanent weight loss and behavior change. He is committed to helping people with weight problems achieve permanent weight loss. If you would like learn more about how to lose weight permanently visit www.slimhabit.com
