Sodium

It’s important to understand what salt does in the body, how it is used and why it is an important and necessary element. In moderation. But what is moderation? How much is too much? We have all read by now that too much sodium in our diet can cause hypertension, increase CV risk and kidney problems. Sodium holds and retains water in the body. This can be good and bad.

Sodium is an essential nutrient requiring about 200 mg to maintain proper levels that helps maintain fluid balance in the body, aid in nerve cell transport stimulating muscle contraction and is essential for the absorption of nutrients from the small intestine, “Sodium is essential for nutrient absorption in the small intestine and also for nutrient reabsorption in the kidney. Amino acids, glucose and water must make their way from the small intestine to the blood. To do so, they pass through intestinal cells on their way to the blood. The transport of nutrients through intestinal cells is facilitated by the sodium-potassium pump, which by moving sodium out of the cell, creates a higher sodium concentration outside of the cell (requiring ATP) (Human Nutrition (Deprecated, nd).

The U.S. FDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. To put that in perspective, one teaspoon of salt has 2,325 mg of sodium. Food examples that are naturally high in sodium for example would be seafood and shellfish. One egg yolk has 170 mg of sodium and ground beef has 60-70 mg of sodium in one 3 oz serving. (Sheehen, K., 2018).

Naturally occurring sodium in foods can quickly add up. And that’s before we even pick up the salt shaker.

fat. Good vs Bad

Fat tastes good. It’s what gives food flavor. Take the fat out of food and something else has to be added back in to help give it flavor. That something is usually sugar. If you start to read labels, you’ll begin to notice that low fat foods are usually higher in sugar. And for good reason.

But there are two types of fat in the lipid category. Fats that are good for you and some, not so good for you. Monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are found in food like avocados and olive oil for example, are considered healthy and necessary for our energy reserves and to aid in the utilization of fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamins A, D, E and K. The body actually needs healthy fat or lipids as they are referred to, in order to perform a series of necessary functions in the body, “ Triglycerides control the body’s internal climate, maintaining constant temperature. Those who don’t have enough fat in their bodies tend to feel cold sooner, are often fatigued and have pressure sores on their skin from fatty acid deficiency. Triglycerides also help the body produce and regulate hormones. For example, adipose tissue secretes the hormone leptin which regulates appetite. Omega 3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids help regulate cholesterol and blood clotting and control inflammation in the joints, tissues and bloodstream. Fats also play important functional roles in sustaining nerve impulse transmission, memory storage and tissue structure” (Human Nutrition (Deprecated, nd).

Industrial trans fats, some saturated fats found in processed foods and hydrogenated fats are considered unhealthy if eaten on a regular basis. And that can help contribute to unwanted weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular risk and other CV related diseases.

Nutrition labeling is there to help you identify what kind and what percentage of a particular kind of fat was used to make the product you are about to purchase or in the food you are about eat. Something as simple as being able to identify good or bad fats ahead of time, can make a big difference in your health and wellbeing.

sugar

Everyone knows that sugar tastes good. That is why it’s in just about everything we eat. It is also addictive which is why we crave it. It is a food source to be wary of. It is tempting and in large enough amounts, dangerous to our health.

Sugar is a non-essential nutrient, known as a simple carbohydrate which the body uses as glucose for energy production. Sugar is naturally occurring in some foods. Galactose which is found in milk and fructose which is natural to fruit. Sugar that is not naturally occurring is referred to as added sugar.

There are numerous forms of sweeteners like honey, high fructose corn syrup, coconut sugar, maple syrup and the list goes on and on.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the body does not need any added sugar to function normally or stay healthy. The DHS recommends that less than 10% of our daily caloric intake should come from foods containing added sugar. Naturally occurring sugars that we consume from fresh fruits and vegetables, used to supply glucose to the brain and provide energy to the cells, is a healthier form of this carbohydrate (Sissons, B., 2021).

When we continuously consume large amounts of added sugar in the form of alcohol, soft drinks, candy and desserts, we leave ourselves open to an increased risk of diabetes, obesity which can increase our CV risk, kidney and liver disease, muscle and nerve damage, tooth decay and systemic inflammation to name a few. And increased inflammation levels can adversely affect many areas of the body like joints, aggravating existing conditions like arthritis, existing heart disease and diabetes (Sissons, B., 2021).