I was unable to follow a low sodium diet for this exercise because I suffer from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and was instructed by my cardiologist to increase salt intake in order to raise my blood pressure. I also do not know anyone who has to be on a special diet, because all of my family members and friends are healthy and I do not really know anyone who has to be on any dietary restrictions. In order to complete this exercise I did a research on low sodium diet and what effects it has on a human body.

Sodium is a mineral which is necessary in order to keep normal fluid balance in our body (Cleveland Clinic). Low sodium diet is considered to be a maximum 2g of salt intake per day. I imagine, as with any other diet, it is hard to follow any strict diet that limits us to take certain amount of anything. For those who are instructed to be on a low sodium diet, it must be very difficult to figure out how much salt is in certain foods. This is especially hard to figure out in processed foods. Even though they are labeled, we discussed serving sizes at the beginning of the semester and how manufacturers can be misleading, so people have a hard time figuring out how many serving of food they are actually eating.

In order to stay on this diet people should avoid certain foods which are high in sodium, and the mail source of sodium is table salt that we use in everyday cooking. According to UCSF Medical Center (2014),” The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day. This is about 20 times as much as the body needs. In fact, your body needs only 1/4 teaspoon of salt every day”. It seems like we are over using table salt in cooking. I personally always avoided table salt, and never added any extra to my food, and that may be one of the reasons why I developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. I have noticed a big improvement in my symptoms since I increased the salt intake.

According to UCSF Medical Center (2014), high sodium foods that people on a low sodium diet should avoid include smoked, cured, salted or canned meat, fish or poultry including bacon, cold cuts, ham, frankfurters, sausage, sardines, caviar and anchovies, frozen dinners, salted nuts, canned beans with added salt. On the other hand foods low in sodium, which would be recommended for people on this diet would be any fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, poultry and fish, Eggs and egg substitutes, Low-sodium peanut butter, dry peas and beans (not canned), milk, yogurt, etc. It seems like anything that is highly processed contains too much salt, and should be avoided by people on a low sodium diet.
As far as how people feel while being on this diet, I would like to explain how I personally felt because my salt intake was minimal for years. I would get light headed very easily. I often had headaches and felt dizzy. Every time I got up from a sitting position I would experience bright lights in front of my eyes and would need a few moments to be able to continue walking. It was not really my intention to be on a low sodium diet, but I just naturally did not like too much salt in my food.
In my opinion, being on a low sodium diet is not very difficult if one prefers to eat healthy. Eating vegetables and fruits ensures that we do not intake too much sodium. For those people who like processed food, this diet can be challenging because besides containing too much salt, these foods are also not labeled properly and it is hard to know how much salt we really intake. I understand that it must be difficult for some people to adhere to this diet, but since I am a very healthy eater I would like to believe that other people can make adjustments and switch from processed to healthy foods.

Works Cited

Guidelines for a Low Sodium Diet. (2014, January 1). UCSF Medical Center. Retrieved July18,2014, from http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/guidelines_for_a_low_sodium_diet/

Hyponatremia. (2014, January 1). Low blood sodium in older adults: A concern?. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/expert-answers/low-blood-sodium/faq-20058465