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"Dash" The Salt Habit for Better Health

By HERWriter
 
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High blood pressure, hypertension and a list of other health related issues can be attributed to too much salt in your diet. Many Americans are becoming more food shopping savvy and looking at the sodium content on labels in order to improve their health.

Food companies such as Kraft and Campbell’s are yielding to consumer’s concerns and working to reduce the sodium levels in their foods. Kraft foods announced this week that they will reduce an average of 10-percent of salt in their food over the next few years. For example, currently a 2.05-ounce, single-serving Easy Mac Cup, for example, has 700 milligrams of sodium. This is about 30 percent of the recommended average daily intake. Kraft plans to cut this by 17 percent. Campbell’s Soup has already been offering low-sodium options for consumers. This is good news as too much salt can lead to excessive water retention and bloating. Many of their products are also consumed mainly by children, so providing less salt intake is particularly important in the nation’s quest to create healthier food choices for kids. Here are some my original recipes remaking Italian family favorites. I like to use Trader Joe’s Low-Sodium Chicken Broth, which contains just 70mg of sodium per serving. Their Organic Marinara Spaghetti Sauce also only has 25mg of sodium per serving.

-EASY ESCARAOLE SOUP
• 1 Package of frozen spinach thawed
• 1 Can of Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• (2) 6 oz. cooked chicken breast, diced
• 8 oz. of Lean Ground Beef
• 1 tsp. of parmesan cheese

Form lean ground beef into tiny meatballs and cook thoroughly in olive oil in large skillet. Meanwhile in medium sized pot, boil spinach in chicken broth. Add in cooked chicken breast, cheese and cooked meatballs. Let simmer about 10 minutes. Makes 3 servings.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN
One Eggplant
1 cup of Almond Meal (usually found in nut aisle at grocery or health food store)
3 Eggs
10oz. Package of Lean Ground Beef
16oz. Jar Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce
1 Thickly Sliced Portobella Mushroom
8oz. Package of Mozzarella Cheese
2 tbs. of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. of garlic powder
Olive Oil

Brown ground beef in olive oil in large skillet and set aside
Mix together almond meal, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder
Slice eggplant widthwise; dip each piece in egg than in almond meal mixture
Layer eggplant on bottom, place cooked ground beef as next layer, cover with low sodium tomato sauce, layer eggplant again, sauce again
Top with portobella mushroom slices and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
Cover casserole with parchment paper, then tin foil.
Bake covered for 50 minutes. Take off foil and paper and bake for another 10 minutes.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about an hour
Makes 8 servings

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area with her fiancé, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

Add a Comment5 Comments

I enjoyed reading your article. Could you send me a list of things i can eat to help my blood pressure and help my ankel from swellling. Keep up the good work. will keep in touch with you all and may God bless.

March 23, 2010 - 7:31am

I thought your article was very interesting and boy, did I ever like those recipes. Please write more and
include some more recipes. May I have your permission to post them to my churches womens Circle?
You know, it would really be a good idea to contemplate writng a cookbook. I would buy it!!! I have had
told watch salt since my first pregnancy. For the past 10 years , I have had to cook everything from
scratch with absolutely no salt. Sincerely Lioness111.

March 21, 2010 - 9:42pm

I think that were a great article, and i would like more information on Dash, i need to start taking good care of myself so i want damage my other kidney. I lost my right kidney and i need to know what type of salt do i use for myself?

March 21, 2010 - 7:32am
(reply to Rutherford55)

Hi Rutherford55,
Your other post, with a similar question, was answered here: What about my blood pressure, and I wanted to make sure that you saw the response. Please feel free to ask additional questions if you would like more information.

March 21, 2010 - 8:36pm
(reply to Alison Beaver)

hello Alison, Thanks for listening to me. I just need to control my blood pressure, and to keep my kidney safe. I want to ask this, do you think that 8 glasses of water is to much for me to drink with one kidney, i was trying to drink up to 7 then my ankle start to well up, can you give me some advice, i can drink 5 glasses of water, 8 glasses is to much for a person with one kidney, can you help me out with my kidney an high blood pressure, i do not want to end up on a kidney machine. Can you send me a list to keep for myself to help myself. I stay in front of my computure for about 5 hrs before i get off trying to look up stuff containg to my kidney and blood pressure.

March 23, 2010 - 7:37am
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.