Recently, salt has become known as a nutritional enemy. Most people consume far more sodium than the recommended amount, with American’s averaging 3,400 mg of sodium intake per day. When trying to lose weight, most people don’t focus on salt as a potential inhibitor of significant weight loss; however, salt affects obesity in three different ways.
Salt’s Effects on Obesity
As we all know, when we consume salt we tend to get thirsty. While some of us drink water to quench our thirst, most people actually turn to sugary drinks. The addition of these excess sugary drinks as a result of high sodium intake makes it incredibly difficult to lose weight.
Secondly, salt can actually increase the taste of the food you eat. While this may seem magical and harmless, oftentimes the added taste will lead to overeating, making it that much more difficult to drop excess body weight.
Lastly, there is research that points to salt creating more activity in your fat cells, which in turn makes them larger.
What are the risks of high sodium intake?
In the short term, consuming too much salt is not the worst thing in the world. You may experience some puffiness and bloating due to increased fluid intake, but nothing serious will occur.
However, in the long run, eating too much salt can have drastic effects on your health. When we overuse salt in our diet, we force our heart to work harder in order to properly pump fluids throughout our entire body. As a result, you can damage your heart while causing high blood pressure. The increased blood pressure can lead to significant health issues such as heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.
How do I reduce salt in my diet?
With an understanding of the possible harm of too much salt in your diet, it’s important to touch on a few tips and tricks for eliminating sodium from your diet:
- Try using fresh meat instead of packaged meat; there is far less sodium in fresh beef or chicken.
- Throw away the canned fruits and try some fresh fruits and vegetables!
- Start reading food labels – we don’t always focus on the content of what we eat.
- Experiment with spices that don’t have sodium – like using garlic powder instead of garlic salt!
- If you’re dining out, do some research on the sodium level of their meals, or just ask your server to have your dish made without salt!
The Spatz Weight Loss Balloon
At Spatz Medical, we encourage the full commitment of our patients to reach their weight loss goals. In order to do so, it is important to focus on all the little things that can be making losing weight more difficult, like salt!
As always, our ultimate goal is to have you looking and feeling confident in your body long after the Spatz3 balloon is removed. By making the necessary adjustments in your lifestyle to compliment your weight loss procedure, you’ll be on your way to being your best self. With our unique adjustable gastric balloon and your dedication to a healthier lifestyle, you will be losing weight in no-time!
Ready to take the first step towards meeting your weight loss goals? Start losing weight today >>> Learn More
