Happy Salt Awareness Week

posted on February 05, 2010

By Monal Patel – Assistant Outreach Coordinator

The focus of World Salt Awareness Week 2010 (February 1st- 7th) is ‘Salt and Your Health.’  Many people are aware that salt can damage your health, but do not know it is linked to serious health conditions such as stroke and heart failure. If everyone consumed half a teaspoon less salt per day, there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year.  There is also increasing evidence supporting links between current high salt diets and the onset of stomach cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and kidney stones and kidney disease. There are several key ways to cut back on salt usage to reduce your risk of serious health conditions.

Here are various ways in which salt can be cut back in your diet:

• In the kitchen - Stop adding salt to your cooking unless it is absolutely necessary. Halve the amounts that recipes suggest and keep halving. Add seasonings in place of salt.

• At the home table - Don’t reach for the salt shaker. When reducing, shake only once and gradually wean yourself off this habit.

• Eating out - Ask for the salt to be left off chips/fries and other fast foods. Avoid foods you know are salty. Order the salad or baked potato instead of the fries.

• Grocery shopping - Learn to read nutrition labels. In particular, look at the amount of sodium in what you eat.