Hi Everybody, 

Debbie Benson Here,

My main focus here will be information about natural seasonings, herbs, spices and how to create flavor without salt.  Giving you tips, tricks, cooking techniques that are especially focused on a low sodium diet.  This includes a things you can do, to naturally to lower high blood pressure, including things you can do to help your heart and I have a strong passion for those of you with kidney issues or on dialysis which so often follows heart or high blood pressure problems.

As I learn, I will share the information with you here. 

We will discuss the salt free lifestyle. How to reduce the sodium in your diet. How to cook salt free, the over all health benefits of low sodium cooking, (it's not just about blood pressure),  salt free recipes, salt free tips and general information about the salt free diet.  

We will also cover diabetes and the diabetic diet.  A low sodium diet applies to diabetics a well.  I know that folks seem to just think of sugar free and diabetes but heart attacks are the #1 killer of diabetics.  Also diabetes is the main cause of amputations in the US and a major cause of blindness and eye problems.  Diabetic cooking, low carb cooking and general information about sugar and sugar substitutes and the glycemic index.

Kidneys, dialysis and the dialysis diet. I want to keep as many as I can stay off dialysis. Those on dialysis I want to help them enjoy their food as best they can.

General health questions and answers and links to helpful information and websites.

Generally share information that I come across that will help you.  Then you can follow-up and do your own research and make your own more informed decisions regarding your health, or a loved ones health.  Knowledge gives you power.

It's not just what you don't do or can't have.  It's also about things you can or should do or add that can also make a difference. 

Here we go...

First:  Take the salt shaker off the table and don't add salt to your cooking.

Just by eliminating salt from the table and your cooking, these steps alone will help a lot in reducing the sodium in your diet.

One teaspoon of table salt is 2368 mg of sodium. So you can see that it is very easy to overdo the daily sodium allowance of about 2000 mg. Your body only needs about 368 mg of sodium per day. Easily attainable without any added salt.

If you can't have salt you can't have sea salt or Kosher salt. Sea salt has the same amount of sodium as regular salt (just a better balance of minerals).  Kosher salt may look lower sodium on the label but it is just a larger granule. Weight for weight it has the same sodium content as regular salt.

According to the nutrition labels a healthy diet would be up to 2000 mg of sodium for women and 2400 mg of sodium for men per day. That would be no more than 1/4 teaspoon of salt per meal, which is actually a serving. That is for a healthy diet. If you are on a reduced or low sodium diet it should be less than that. Many of you tell me you are on a really reduced low sodium diet of only 2000 mg of sodium,  but as you see, it is just the amount of sodium as recommended by the FDA for a healthy diet. You should actually try to get under 1300mg to 1500mg of sodium for a healthier heart diet.  Under 1000 mg of sodium per day would be ideal. I remember the doctor telling my Mom to reduce her sodium to only 100mg per day, but she averaged about 500mg per day.  That was definitely a reduced sodium diet.

Crush then cook garlic cloves lightly for the most health benefits, say Agricultural Research Service scientists.

Garlic's heart-protective phytonutrients-its allicin and thiosulfinates- help lower blood pressure and break up clumps of potentially artery-clogging platelets in the bloodstream.

Until now, most researchers assumed eating raw whole garlic bulbs would provide the most phytonutrient activity, but when they boiled (3 minutes), baked 400 F (200 degrees C) and microwaved both crushed and uncrushed garlic cloves, they discovered that crushing, which frees garlic's beneficial compounds, is responsible for most of its health benefits. Lightly cooking was no problem but microwaving destroyed almost all of the health benefits.

Many of you ask about what kind of chicken to buy?  We always tell you watch the labels and the very fine print on the labels.  It is a common practice especially with boneless skinless chicken breasts to inject them with a sodium broth.  Now I am seeing this more in other chicken products.  Many chicken pieces are ice glazed.  The glaze is a sodium broth.  Here is a link to a page by Foster Farms discussing this process about plumping (injecting with a sodium type broth).  http://www.saynotoplumping.com/

Always look for yellow chicken.  The more yellow the better.  The chicken is usually raised more natural and is usually a little older so a little bigger and we have found almost always has better flavor.  Yes, we usually buy chicken with the skin on.  It makes for a better tasting and a moister chicken recipe.  You don't have to eat the skin.  As you read above, most skinless chicken has a sodium broth injected. If you can find a natural cage free or free range chicken, they are usually the best.  Usually expensive but amazingly good and no hormones or antibiotics.  Kosher chicken is usually brined (read your labels).  Occasionally, we shop at Mexican markets in our area and their chickens are usually very yellow.  Sometimes the chickens are fed marigold petals to help get that yellow skin.  The Mexican shoppers seem to know that yellow chickens are best.  Even if the yellow is helped along, these chickens tend to be bigger and more flavorful.  Good to cook long and slow.  You may find this to be the case in other ethnic markets.

It looks like most all of the turkey is being plumped (injected with a sodium broth) or brined.  Look for free range, no antibiotics or hormones.  These farmers raise their turkeys this way so they are the most natural and usually the most flavorful.  These will most likely not be plumped.  Not easy to find. Try natural food stores, or direct from the farms, or mail order.

Brining is soaking in salt water.  The reason is to add flavor and moisture.

Kosher birds are always touted as having the best flavor.  As far as I know and my research shows, all Kosher turkeys and Kosher chickens are brined.

An"Injected bird", is injected with salt water or a sodium broth.  See my mention about plumping above.

Almost all frozen birds are injected or brined.

Disclaimer:  This will be information, ideas and comments only. You should always check with your doctor before trying or changing anything.