Premier - Local Registered Dietitian
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Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable isotope is Na. The free metal does not occur in nature, and must be prepared from compounds
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Heart Health and Salt Restrictions <p><a href="https://www.healthchoicesfirst.com/practitioner-type/nurse">Nurse Practitioner</a> – Adult, talks about why and how heart patients can restrict their salt intake.</p>Nurse Practitioner – Adult, talks about why and how heart patients can restrict their salt intake.
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Sodium Reduction in Heart Failure Patients <p> <a href="https://www.healthchoicesfirst.com/practitioner-type/nurse">Nurse</a>, discusses sodium reduction and heart failure recovery.</p>Nurse, discusses sodium reduction and heart failure recovery.
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Sodium Reduction in Heart Failure Patients
Monitoring your sodium intake is crucial, particularly for individuals with heart failure. Fluid retention poses a significant challenge for these patients, as it can accumulate in the feet, legs, and abdomen, causing discomfort and bloating. Additionally, fluid buildup in the lungs can make breathing difficult. It's essential to be mindful of these symptoms for proper management of heart failure.
As far as how much salt you should have in your diet, we do recommend a diet of less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium, recognizing that the average North American diet has about four to five thousand milligrams.
You know, you find most of our sodium is hidden in those processed foods. So things like processed meats or if it comes in a – we always say if it comes in a bag, a box, or is pre-packaged, it probably has more than 70 percent of the daily recommended allowance of sodium in it. Often seeing a local family physician or a physiotherapist in conjunction with a registered dietitian and athletic therapist is a great option to take control of this condition.
So really avoiding those pre-packaged products. Shop around the outside of the grocery aisle. Look for that fresh produce. If fresh isn’t available – fresh is always best – but if it’s not available, have a look down the frozen food aisle for the frozen veggies. And usually those have a lot less sodium than the canned products.
So if you’re looking for additional resources if you’re having a challenging time, you know monitoring the salt in your diet, talk to your family physician and ask for a referral to your local dietitian. They’re your best resource when it comes to learning how to read labels and reducing salt in your diet. Local Dietitian.
Now Health Network Local Practitioners: Nurse
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