Okay, so I always hear how bad sodium is, but nobody has ever been able to explain why it is bad for ME. Let me explain:
I take a medicine that is usually used for high blood-pressure to help me prevent kidney troubles. I`ve never had high blood-pressure. In fact, sometimes my blood-pressure runs a little low and I can get a little dizzy while working out/playing sports. Also, I am at a healthy weight I`m happy with. I`m not worried at all about my blood-pressure or weight rising due to sodium now, so I don`t try very hard to avoid it. The only negative effects of sodium I usually come across while reading or talking to friends are weight gain and high blood-pressure. What other concerns are there to motivate me to avoid high-sodium foods, or should I not worry about it?
even if you don't experience problems regarding sodium now, it can catch up to you. partaking in a healthy lifestyle now, despite not having any risk factors, will help prevent or delay the onset of sodium-related problems later.
because you are on a kidney-protecting medicine, you may want to be a little more careful with sodium. increased sodium can raise the blood pressure, even if just temporarily, because it encourages the cells to retain water. this extra fluid creates increased pressure as it flows through the kidneys and heart, causing damage. when your heart has to work harder to pump all the blood and fluids through your body, it causes strain on the vessels, and strain can result in damage to the vessels. damage to anything in your body is not safe :o)
sodium also tends to be paired with foods that are higher in calories and bad fats. even though you are at a normal weight, these fats can build up in your arteries, creating plaque. once plaque is formed, you can't get rid of it - you can only try to prevent more from building up. you might have a good metabolism now with all your activity, but as we get older our metabolism naturally slows down and our bodies naturally store fat around our middles.
essentially, by taking care of your body now, while you are young, you can prevent "bad" things from happening later. so, do you want to be healthy now AND later. or do you just want to be healthy now? ;o)
the recommended sodium intake is 2300 mg (1 tsp of salt per day). that's pretty restrictive. if you are interested in lowering your intake, start by aiming for less than 4000 mg per day, the move your way down to 2300. you will be surprised how much sodium you are actually taking in - especially if you eat out. this is already long enough, so i won't add anything else. if you want tips on how to reduce sodium, just ask.
The reason sodium is bad is actually because of the osmotic effect it creates. when you eat a lot of sodium the concentration of it in your blood increases, which in turn draws more liquid into your blood. This increase in blood volume increases blood pressure, which puts more pressure on your blood vessels and heart, and in time can cause serious damage