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National Senior Vice President
Barbara Hale Ray
Heart Health Benefits
The primary care physician plays a vital role in caring for the aging seniors. You will find that by visiting your doctor on your annual wellness basis helps to focus on what matters most to you about your health and quality of life.
My Patriot and I recently visited his primary care physician and found out through her
that he has not been reading nutritional labels the way he should and this includes
restaurant labels. For example, they talked sodium and the role it plays in the body. Do
you know much sodium you eat daily? If you are like most people in America you are
getting more sodium that you need in your diets.
Now, that is a good question for us to find the answer. When visiting the Mayo Clinic
website we found some interesting facts to guide us in making better choices,, In aging
certain organs become at risk. What you eat and where you eat affects you differently
causing you to make life style changes in your diets. If you love to eat and drink as you
always have done, you may think this not a problem.
For example, If you can’t get the top number on your blood pressure to go down after
several attempts, it’s time to get serious about what you are doing to yourself.
Sodium plays a role in: the balance of fluids in the body, the way nerves and muscles
work. The kidneys balance the amount of sodium in the body. When sodium is, low the
kidneys holds on to it. When sodium is high, the kidneys release some in urine. If the
kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, it builds up in the blood. Sodium attracts and
holds water, so the blood volume increases.
The heart must work harder to pump blood, and that increases pressure in the arteries.
Over time this can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Some
people are more sensitive to the affect of sodium than are others. That means they
obtain sodium more easily which leads to fluid retention` and increase blood pressure.
To decrease the amount of sodium you might consume, eat both fresh fruits and
vegetables that you prepare. Fresh meat is lower in sodium than hot dogs, sausage
bacon, lunch meats, or ham. Look for meats that have not been injected with a sodium
containing substance. Read the labels to make sure sodium in products is low.
Eat more fresh foods..
Choose low sodium products.
Eat at home.
Remove salt from recipes when possible.
Replace salt with herbs, spices and other flavoring.
Go easy on the condiments. That includes soy sauce, sauces, dips, ketchups,
mustard, relishes and salad dressing. Check and read the food labels. These food labels contain nutritional facts that are found on most packaged and processed foods. The food list on the label contains the amount of sodium in each serving. Learn the lingo and common sodium claims and what they mean.
Sodium-free or salt-free.
Very low sodium.
Low sodium.
Reduced or less sodium.
Lite or light in sodium.
.Unsalted or no salt added.
Remember to use salt substitutes wisely. Go low on the salt and take it slow. Your
craving for salt is acquired and the taste buds will adjust as you decrease your salt
intake.
Let’s continue to make the right choices in what we eat.
Barbara
BarbaraR.MOPHA@gmail.com
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