The great salt shake-up

The great salt shake-up

You know I’ve never really bought into the salt issue. But that’s exactly why I had to take a minute to comment on this. A couple of weeks ago, the CDC released some new figures. Apparently, nine out of 10 adults in the US consume more sodium than government health authorities recommend.

Researchers gathered data from more than 7,000 people. And from that, they estimate that people are eating about 3,266 mg of sodium a day. Which is almost 1,000 mg more than the “food police” want you to eat. And more than twice what they think “high risk” people should have. (“High-risk” includes people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease, as well as African Americans.)

But here’s the interesting part. More than 70% of that sodium came from packaged foods. I find this amusing. Because these are the very first foods I have my patients ditch. Which makes the New Hamptons Health Miracle naturally low-sodium.

So if you’re following it, salt is a non-issue.

But guess what? You’ll never miss it!

Unlike those bland, low-sodium diets most doctors try to put their patients on, the New Hamptons Health Miracle is based on foods that naturally have a lot of flavor. (Did you ever wonder WHY those packaged foods have so much sodium? Food manufacturers have to add salt. Otherwise, the over-processed ingredients would taste like cardboard.)

But, I digress…

Here’s the real reason I bring this up. According to the CDC, these findings “reinforce the importance of implementing strategies to reduce US sodium intake.”

And one of the strategies they suggest? Government policies to regulate sodium content in foods.

Didn’t I just suggest doing the same thing with sugar? And just this Tuesday I told you about how outraged so many people got when that idea went public. So why isn’t anyone making a peep about salt regulation?

And here’s the best part. The CDC report states that “reducing sodium content…by one-quarter would…prevent an estimated 28,000 deaths and $7 billion in healthcare expenditures annually.”

Those numbers may sound high. But they’re nothing compared to the stats on sugar.

Sugar leads to six of the top 10 leading causes of death in America. But even if you only consider the impact sugar regulation would have on diabetes-related deaths and medical expenditures, the results would be staggering.

Still, federal agencies are now considering whether they should implement stricter standards for the amount of salt that food manufacturers, restaurants, and food-service companies can add to their products. And, sadly, they’ve refused to even consider doing this for sugar.

So what does this mean for you?

It means you have to do your own “regulating” when it comes to sugar. And limit how much–if any–is allowed in your house.

Sounds like a lot of work, I know. But it’s easier to do than you might think. In fact, cutting sugar from your family’s diet actually makes grocery shopping go faster. Because the biggest sources of sugar (and refined carbs that turn into sugar in your body) are those processed, packaged foods. The ones that take up 80% of the supermarket.

So stick to the produce section, the deli, the cheese case, and the meat and seafood section. Shop this way in ANY supermarket and you’ll dramatically cut down on the amount of sugar (AND sodium) you and your family are eating. Without doing anything special. Or spending hours in the grocery store.

It’s that simple.

But if you’re not quite convinced yet, there is another reason to steer your shopping cart clear of those packaged foods. Keep reading…