Avoid the Salt Assault

We vastly underestimate the health risk of a high salt diet. It is estimated that

150,000 lives could be saved every year if Americans cut their salt intake to the

recommended amount.

To put that into perspective: In just two years, as many Americans die from a high salt diet as died in combat during all of World War II.

Here are five facts you should know about salt:

1. Excessive salt raises blood pressure, wrecking havoc with one’s

cardiovascular system and kidneys.

2. After one high salt meal one’s arteries are inflexible for hours

3. Only 6% of our salt comes from the saltshaker; the vast majority comes from

processed foods and restaurant meals

4. Salt is listed as “sodium” on food labels. If the sodium number (in milligrams) is bigger than the number of calories per serving, it is a high salt food.

5. The average American eats over 3600mg of sodium per day which is double

the recommended amount

At first it might seem hard to cut back on salt, but in just six weeks of eating a

normal amount of salt, your taste buds become more sensitive. Foods that were

bland in the past become flavorful and foods that you once craved taste too salty!

Adding fruits and vegetables to your day are a great way to start. They are very

low salt - just one of the reasons they are the best foods on the planet!

So if you’d like to enjoy your food more—and perhaps tack a few more years onto your life - cut down on your salt intake.