low sodium diet

[celestw]

although a low sodium diet is helpful for controlling my blood pressure this diet is extremely hard...i feel like i can’t eat anything without being conscious of the fact that it has sodium in it, every time i eat anything i see the mental numbers rising in my brain, i’ve gotten to the point where i would go days without eating barley anything because i can’t stop thinking about the fact that i have to eat low sodium..eating only vegetables and stuff get really tiring, i can’t even shop at the grocery store normally without picking up things, looking at the sodium content, and immediately putting it back, then soon being left with barely anything bought from the store for this very reason, i’ve denied going out and eating with friend because i can no longer eat fast food or go out to eat...sometimes i won’t even eat my moms cooking because i’m scared to eat, the mental numbers of the sodium just rise in my head, i feel guilty when i eat..i just wanna be a normal teenager and go out with my friends and eat food without feeling guilty, i understand i need to eat healthy and i do but i can’t even eat a piece of chicken without feeling bad like,,,any normal teenager would jus eat like a burger and not think twice, i eat one bite and feel guilty,,,this sounds irrational but that’s how i feel and there’s nothing i can do about it😔

[Happyrosie]

I remember, celeste, you have posted before.

As long as you eat 'real' food - i.e. fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish that have not been interfered with (i.e. not in a packet that's been manufactured) then you won't need to worry at all. These things don't contain salt or if they do its so tiny as to make no difference.Have a look at interesting recipes using fresh food. When you or your family are cooking it don't add more than a tiny bit of salt, don't add salt at table. Then you will be well within the suggested limits. I cook everything from scratch and as a result eat less than half the recommended amount of sodium, without even trying.

'Packet' food usually has added salt, so you should avoid this except maybe once a week as a special treat, like if you go out with your friends.

A further thought. You come over as really worried when there is not necessarily any need to. Have you thought about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? This will help you to learn how to control your thoughts better so that you can live a better life.

Here is one explanation of CBT: CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past.

It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

[celestw in reply to Happyrosie]

hi thank you! i’ve tried CBT last year and it didn’t rlly work, i only saw them once a month and i didn’t rlly connect w my therapist i started dwelling going to therapy, so i’ve been out of therapy for several months. I’ve been put on anxiety meds so hopefully that helps a little although i don’t expect it to cure me. I currently don’t have the funds to even get therapy as of now, i’m trying to pay for college 😔

do you have any food brands or recipes that you would recommend? that would be helpful thank you!

[Happyrosie in reply to celestw]

I can’t recommend brands to you, celestw. Firstly, I think you live in a different country to me so brands won’t be the same. Secondly, I’m saying you ought to cook from fresh - so there are no brands! Go to Blood Pressure UK for ‘blood pressure friendly recipes’

[peter999999999 in reply to Happyrosie]

be careful i did not eat any salt to reduce bp, ended up with very low sodium on a blood test and bp was no different, doc told me to eat crisps for a week, sodium levels normal and bp went down, so its not so straightforward as eating less salt your body needs it to function properly,

[Happyrosie in reply to peter999999999]

Peter, yes the body needs salt you are right and I apologise. I should have said that there is LITTLE salt in natural food. Yes the body needs some.