How to Help a Salt Addict?

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Superbob

Superbob

Steely Resolve!
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
8,481
Location
Coastal Carolina
Well, I finally sprung my DW from the hospital today -- after waiting around for three hours, we started taking off the residual monitors and told them adios. The care there was great, but they were in no hurry to let go. :D

Anyway, because of the TIAs, it is critical that my wife cut down on salt in particular. She is from the North Carolina school of country cooking and heavily salts everything -- even watermelon. :eek: On the way home from the hospital, she wanted some McDonald's fries. :eek: Then for supper, she said she'd might like fried catfish! :eek: I finally put my foot down at that.

Okay, I am going to search vr.com; I think there have been some good discussions of the low-sodium life. Here is one I found started by our very own precocious chimp :):

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23080&highlight=salt+sodium

However, if anyone has helped a sodium addict cut back, or done so themselves, I would appreciate your experiences. I mean, this could help save her life because she is at high risk of having another major stroke because she has had the TIA. And the doctor and stroke care consultant said salt is a major enemy.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers -- they were much appreciated.
 
I am on a very low-sodium diet (below 1500 grams daily) due to on-going CHF issues. I must admit, it was not easy getting use to although I have never salted my food at the table or used too much salt to cook with either. But since 2007, I have cut back even more.

When I buy canned tomatoe or tomatoe sauce, I made sure it's the "no salt added" kind; every can good that I have to buy, I look for "no salt added" or low-sodium. Low sodium or no salt food is off course more expensive but this is your health & I don't mind paying the extra cost for these items.

I also buy Ms. Dash spices (I think I've got them all!) & use those to put added flavor to potatoes, eggs, chicken, whatever instead of salt.

Also, start paying close attention to the sodium content & the serving size on foods. On bread for example, 1-slice of some breads has 125 gr of salt per slice. Some of the ready to eat convenience meals such as frozen pizzas, lasagne, spaghetti, etc., are loaded with salt that I would never even dream of eating!!

It may take a little while to get adjusted but it is do-able. In fact, my husband has finally weened himself away from the salt shaker & he already has seen the difference on how he feels & he has lost some weight too! :)

My prayers are with you & I know your wife can do it --- she has too if she wants to stay healthy!
 
Yippee......the DW has been sprung!!

Rule #1. Empty all salt shakers.

Rule #2. Buy lots of those fancy No Salt Herb/spice shakers. They are great.

Rule #3. Read labels religiously.....salt lurks everywhere....breakfast cereals, most prepared foods, salad dressings, canned foods, and frozen meals are all high sodium culprits.
 
Norma don't you know that's what our husband call us... DARLING WIFE.:D
(yea right) I thing that's Cooker phase.
Anyway back to the salt issue... I too had to cut back on salt it's the four letter word around our house. I put everyone on a low salt diet.:eek: I make alot of my own stuff like salsa, sauces, because they are loaded withotherwise salt. I'm alot like Norma I keep my salt to around 1500 mg. a day. Which is sometimes pretty hard. Bina ideas were good too. You just have to do it and help the wife, both of you I'm sure would benefit from cutting down on the salt. :cool:
Fast food is a no-no for me and buying premade stuff check the salt it's horrible.
Just start checking out those labels SB and put your steel foot down and you'll do fine.:D Good luck!!!!
 
CThrock said:
Norma don't you know that's what our husband call us... DARLING WIFE.:D
(yea right) I thing that's Cooker phase.
Anyway back to the salt issue... I too had to cut back on salt it's the four letter word around our house. I put everyone on a low salt diet.:eek: I make alot of my own stuff like salsa, sauces, because they are loaded withotherwise salt. I'm alot like Norma I keep my salt to around 1500 mg. a day. Which is sometimes pretty hard. Bina ideas were good too. You just have to do it and help the wife, both of you I'm sure would benefit from cutting down on the salt. :cool:
Fast food is a no-no for me and buying premade stuff check the salt it's horrible.
Just start checking out those labels SB and put your steel foot down and you'll do fine.:D Good luck!!!!
Click to expand...


Actually, I thought it was "dumb weight"! :D:)
 
It's easier to control the salt you put on yourself, but you really have to look out for foods that are already high in sodium.

I think Nancy is probably the resident expert on low/no sodium diets.

Glad your Saltie Sweetheart is home!
 
Norma I don't know if I like your phase "dumb weight". But it made me laugh!!:D
It could be dizzling wife. :rolleyes:
I like Bonzo's too. But do you actually say that Bonzo Dog???
 
Check this site for some good info and recipes:

http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/

or

http://www.chfpatients.com/rec/rec0.htm

I also second what others have said. Read labels every time you buy anything. You'd be surprised what does (and doesn't) have a heavy hand in the salt. We're not religious about cutting out the salt, but we are much better than your "average" family. Almost everything I cook is low in sodium (Nathan is another story). And we've been doing this long enough that now even Nathan will comment when we go out to eat how salty things are! :p It may be tough at first, but you can totally get used to it!
 
Going high to low sodium cold turkey will be hard if not impossible with out a ?throwdown? which I fear you would lose??My DW slowly reduced salt in cooking and then started eliminating salty snacks (sorry SB, that means chips too) and replacing them with fruits etc??I wish you both well on this endeavor?..I do not add salt to anything?..:eek:with the exception of grits:eek:
 
Bina said:
Yippee......the DW has been sprung!!

Rule #1. Empty all salt shakers.

Rule #2. Buy lots of those fancy No Salt Herb/spice shakers. They are great.

Rule #3. Read labels religiously.....salt lurks everywhere....breakfast cereals, most prepared foods, salad dressings, canned foods, and frozen meals are all high sodium culprits.
Click to expand...

Niki reminded me:
Rule #4. Stay away from Fast Food joints. Most restaurants are heavy handed with salt anyway.
 
Gnusgal said:
Check this site for some good info and recipes:

http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/

or

http://www.chfpatients.com/rec/rec0.htm

I also second what others have said. Read labels every time you buy anything. You'd be surprised what does (and doesn't) have a heavy hand in the salt. We're not religious about cutting out the salt, but we are much better than your "average" family. Almost everything I cook is low in sodium (Nathan is another story). And we've been doing this long enough that now even Nathan will comment when we go out to eat how salty things are! :p It may be tough at first, but you can totally get used to it!
Click to expand...

One of my favorite recipes on the lowsodium.com archives, is the "Spanish Chicken" & I add a sprinkling or two of red-chile flakes for that extra zing!
 
Bina said:
Bonzo, your GF became your SO, until finally becoming your DW.
(How on earth does she handle you?) LOL
Click to expand...

WIFE = Washing Ironing Feeding Enjoyment :D



Back on original topic, me and SWMBO tried to go salt free. Impossible of course as it is present in so many bought in foods. Never any salt condiment on our table, never ever used it in cooking. After a bland month taste buds adjust, other delicate flavours start to show themselves. Then it becomes a pain to go out to dinner. All restaurant food just tastes of salt. :(

Food manufacturers over here are trying to grab market share by responding to consumer demand for lo salt, lo sugar products. Baked beans, now with even lower salt and sugar boasts the can label. various breakfast cereals, low salt. Last week buying a tub of vegetable bullion for stock making I had three choices, normal, organic and lo salt organic.
 
I had to cut my husband down to almost 0 sodium, his CHF was so bad, and his kidney function wasn't good either.

It is very hard at first, but after a while, things start to taste even better w/o so much salt. I think too much salt actually masks the wonderful flavors in most foods.

The secret is to make as much from scratch as possible, even bread, which can have a LOT of sodium.

Extra spices help a lot.

Look in the health food section of your market and you will see lots of good low sodium foods.

Read all labels, even those in the meat section. Stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Ask restaurants to prepare your food w/o added salt.

Here is one of my favorite online sources of cooking sauces which actually taste just great, even if you aren't low sodium.

http://www.mrspice.com/
 
I began by cutting out fatty AND salty. I cut it quickly by not adding to cooking foods - no going to McDonald's and that type of places, either. Salt was once my favorite food, but it is seldom used in our house anymore. If it's really unbearable, we can add a little - or add a little butter or margarine (we use the half butter, half yogurt and regular butter).

There was a very good dr from India in the last town where I lived and his advice to everyone was: no sot, no sot, no sot - (no salt). Said he never used it at all but then folks from India use lots of spices, I think.

Restaurant food, once you get off most salt, just isn't as good as it used to be. Unless it's shrimp...... which already has salt in it naturally.
 
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