World Salt Awareness Week
JOBURG - World Salt Awareness Week educates people about the effects and intake of salt in their daily lives.
The relationship between high blood pressure and a high salt consumption is well documented and an estimated 3.3 million South Africans suffer elevated levels. High blood pressure may in turn be associated with heart disease and strokes. As diet directly affects blood pressure, restricting salt intake, will reduce the risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke.
One of the best low sodium food choices you can make is fresh mushrooms. They are not only delicious, affordable and versatile but fresh mushrooms contain only 14mg of sodium per 100g. When one considers the fact that a low salt diet allows between 400 to 1000 mg of sodium per day, the low sodium content of fresh mushrooms is even more impressive.
80g of mushrooms also represent one of your five-a-day components, so there are plenty reasons to add them to your meals.
Tips for reducing levels of salt in your diet from World Action on Salt and Health.
-Read labels when shopping and choose low sodium or salt free alternatives in prepackaged foods
-Keep snacks of fresh fruit, dried fruit or unsalted nuts at home and in the office, and in children’s lunch boxes
-Limit takeaways and fast foods such as burgers, fried chicken and pizza to an occasional treat
-Ask for fries with no salt
-When ordering pizza, choose a vegetarian or chicken topping rather than pepperoni, bacon or extra cheese
-When dining out, ask for sauces and other condiments to be served on the side rather than on the meal
-Avoid ordering dishes that contain high salt ingredients such as Asian sauces, cured meats and cheeses
-Don’t add salt to your food at the table when dining out or eating at home
-Stock up on low sodium or salt-free condiments, sauces and spreads.
-Replace salt in your cooking with herbs and spices
World Salt Awareness Week takes place between 10 March to 16 March.
Details: www.worldactiononsalt.com
