Salt: The Scapegoat for the Western Diet

Sodium restriction is today the most widely publicized non-medication recommendation for heart disease and stroke prevention. Unfortunately, this advice has proven ineffective. Despite the vast amount of scientific research that has been published over the past seventy years, there is still little agreement as to the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of dietary salt reduction. In 2007, the authors of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (The NHANES III study) representing nearly 100 million US adults reported that there is “ a robust, significant, and consistent significant inverse association between dietary sodium and cardiovascular mortality.” This means people who eat more salt have a lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

Even if less salt meant better health, people’s eating habits are near impossible to change, simply because so few of us are able to successfully make the transition to what are considered to be unpalatable foods. Our biological craving for salt has made this an unachievable goal. Focusing on an impossible dream—“eat low salt”—does, however, assure no consequential health changes will occur in our society—and that means consumers continue their same buying habits, food companies remain highly profitable, people remain sick, and drug companies enjoy record profits. In contrast, a meaningful message, like “stop eating meat and cheese, and instead focus your diet on rice and potatoes,” would revolutionize the world—but those now in control of governments and “health” organizations representing profitable businesses don’t want to see that day come anytime soon. The status quo will indeed continue until the truth about salt becomes accepted.

Read Salt: The Scapegoat for the Western Diet

In the Hypnosis Health Info Article Library you will find more articles by Dr. John McDougall and other health and wellness professionals. The Slender For Life™ weight loss hypnosis program is based on the teachings of John McDougall, MD. Learn hypnosis and put and end to unhealthy habits and behaviors and successfully make the transition to healthy plant-based foods.

My book, Becoming Slender For Life can help support you with living the McDougall Plan. 

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90% of us in the U.S. get too much salt but we can curb those salt cravings with hypnosis. I teach all my clients self-hypnosis along with several NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) techniques so that they can put an end to cravings such as salt, sugar, chocolate, nicotine or what ever it is that they may be craving. If you are struggling with cravings, then put hypnotherapy to work for you.

90% in U.S. Get Too Much Salt; 5 Foods Blamed

According to the June 24, 2010, WebMD Health News five high-sodium foods — not all of them salty tasting — are a big reason why nine in 10 Americans get way too much sodium every day.

New CDC data show that only 9.6% of U.S. adults limit their daily sodium intake to recommended levels. Where’s all that sodium coming from? From salt, mostly. But only 10% of it comes from our shakers. An estimated 77% comes from sodium in processed or restaurant foods. All food categories contribute to sodium intake. But grains and meat — the foods we eat most — contribute the most sodium.

But the CDC report identifies five foods that give Americans most of their salt:

1. Yeast breads
2. Chicken and mixed chicken dinners
3. Pizza
4. Pasta dishes
5. Cold cuts

The three food groups from which we get the most sodium include some surprises: 1) Grains contribute 37% of our daily sodium. These foods include grain-based frozen meals and soups, breads, and pizza (which is mostly salty bread). 2) Meats, including poultry and fish, contribute 28% of our daily sodium. 3) Vegetables contribute more than 12% of our daily sodium. This seems surprising, but potato chips and french fries are vegetables. And canned vegetables, vegetable soups, and vegetable sauces tend to be loaded with salt. (Notice this list doesn’t say potatoes or broccoli!)

U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that adults get less than 2,300 milligrams of salt each day, but the basic guidelines apply to fewer than a third of Americans. The rest — 70% of the population — are middle aged, elderly, or African-American. This huge majority should get less than 1,500 milligrams of salt per day.

But the average American gets more than twice the recommended daily dose of sodium: 3,466 milligrams of sodium per day. This means we’re at risk of dangerously raising our blood pressure. That high blood pressure increases our risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. The CDC calculates that if everyone followed sodium-intake guidelines there would be as many as 120,000 fewer cases of heart disease and up to 66,000 fewer strokes each year.

What can we do?

* Eat less processed food.
* Eat more fresh and frozen vegetables.
* Compare labels to choose low-sodium foods (and don’t be fooled by deceptive labels).
* When using canned vegetables or beans, rinse the food well with water to remove as much salt as possible.

Read 90% in U.S. Get Too Much Sodium; 5 Foods Blamed.

So put hypnotherapy to work for you. You too can manage your unhealthy cravings with self-hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).

Check out Seattle hypnosis and Bainbridge Island hypnosis. Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

I know that kids love chicken nuggets, but parents do you know that they are loaded fat and salt? Slender For Life™ parents have been asking me how do they work, get kids to and from school and after-school activities and quickly, easily and affordably feed their children healthy meals. Childhood obesity is preventable. Parents are telling me that thanks to hypnosis for weight loss they have stopped buying junk food and fast food and that their children have adapted to healthy food remarkably well. Are you ready to to do you part in preventing childhood obesity and get your kids off chicken nuggets and mac’n'cheese?

Chicken Nuggets Loaded With Fat, Salt

Chicken Nuggets May Taste Great to Kids, but They Often Lack Nutritional Value

According to a May 4, 2010, WebMD article, Chicken nuggets may be a hit with kids and some adults, but for the most part, their nutritional value is minimal, says a new investigation by Consumer Reports Health.

What’s more, many brands make claims that are misleading, using terms like “whole grain,” “all natural,” or “organic” — which make some people think of the little chicken bites as healthy dinner choices, Consumer Reports Health says.

But whether store-bought or purchased from McDonald’s or other fast food establishments, chicken nuggets pack a wallop of fat and sodium.

Among the major findings:

• Perdue Baked nuggets scored a “good” rating for nutrition, even though a single 3-4 ounce serving had 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 370 milligrams of sodium. It touts its nuggets as having “whole grain breading,” but a serving contains just 1 gram of fiber.
• Tyson’s chicken nuggets, which claim truthfully they are “100% natural,” contain 17 grams of fat and 470 milligrams of sodium. Tyson’s earned a “fair” rating for nutrition.
• Three brands earned a “very good” taste rating, but only “good” for nutrition. Market Pantry, by Target, contains 500 milligrams of sodium and 10 grams of fat; Bell & Evans Breaded came in second in taste, with 360 milligrams of sodium and nine grams of fat; Kirkland Signature Disney (Costco) contains 370 milligrams of sodium and 9 grams of fat.
• The Boca nuggets had 500 milligrams and the Morningstar brand 600 milligrams of sodium. Those brands, though, do have a minor nutritional advantage because they contain more fiber — 3 or 4 grams compared with 0-2 grams for most others. Even two soy-based nuggets, Boca Original Meatless Chik’n and Morningstar Farms Chik’n, contain “a heaping” of sodium, Consumer Reports Health says.

The average person gets about 3,500 milligrams of sodium daily, which is considerably more than the maximum daily recommended amount of 2,300 milligrams. About 77% of sodium in the American diet comes from packaged and restaurant foods, Consumer Reports says. Read Chicken Nuggets Loaded With Fat, Salt.

Help end childhood obesity by stopping feeding your kids fast foods, junk foods and processed foods. Discover fast, easy and affordable ways that you can make great kid friendly meals for your family. Put hypnosis for weight loss to work for you.

At Slender For Life™ I recommend the following resources for healthy recipes:

• Fat Free Vegan
• Fat Free
• McDougall Wellness Center
• Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine
• VegSource

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

The Institute of Medicine says that the FDA should regulate the amount of salt that is added to processed food, junk food and to the food served in restaurants. As you may know, in the Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss offices of Slender For Life™ I encourage people to eat real food (food that looks like it was grown in the earth, picked off a plant or bush or out of a tree) and leave the packaged food alone. If you are hooked on salt or are loving salty crunchy foods way too much, self-hypnosis can help you end your cravings. Learn hypnosis and leave the salt shaker alone.

FDA should regulate salt, a panel says in a Reuters story: The Food and Drug Administration should regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans cut their high sodium intake, which can lead to high blood pressure, kidney failure and strokes, The Institute of Medicine said on April 20, 2010. The Institute of Medicine said this was needed because Americans get most of their salt from processed and restaurant food, and merely telling them to eat less salt has not worked.

Lowering sodium intake could save 100,000 lives a year and billions in healthcare costs. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which the Institute of Medicine in February declared a “neglected disease” that costs the U.S. health system $73 billion a year.

People only need about 1,500 mg of salt a day to maintain bodily functions, but the average American eats twice that, more than 3,400 milligrams a day, or the equivalent of 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Read FDA Should Regulate Salt.

Since 1997 at my Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss offices of Slender For Life™ I have been encouraging clients to use self-hypnosis to cut back on their salt cravings and especially on their intake of processed food.

You too can learn hypnosis and start enjoying the natural flavors of real food.

You may also wish to read, A Health Threat Could Be Lurking At Your Local Restaurant ~ Pass On The Salt.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

How can hypnosis help with heart disease? In many ways! Hypnotherapy can help you end your unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits and create healthy habits that promote heart health. It is really easy for you to learn how to hypnotize yourself. Learn self-hypnosis.

On Monday, February 8, 2010, NBC Today had a segment titled Heart by the Numbers Today. Matt Lauer interviewed Dr. Arthur Agatston who said we should be consuming about 1 teaspoon of salt per day rather than the 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons that most Americans are consuming.  About 80% of the sodium most people get comes from processed fast food. Too much salt can increase blood pressure and heart disease. Watch Heart by the Numbers Today.

You may also want to read Are You Killing Yourself With Salt? End Salt Cravings With Hypnosis.

Visit the Seattle hypnosis and Bainbridge Island hypnosis offices or if you live too far away, then call me at (206) 903-1232 or email me and begin creating wellness in your life.

Create heart health and prevent heart disease by using hypnotherapy to make lifestyle changes. End you cravings for salt and learn how to hypnotize yourself with self-hypnosis here at Hypnosis Health Info.

Check out Seattle hypnosis and Bainbridge Island hypnosis. Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

According to Reuters, Shaving 3 grams off the daily salt intake of Americans could prevent up to 66,000 strokes, 99,000 heart attacks and 92,000 deaths in the United States, while saving $24 billion in health costs per year. 75 to 80 percent of salt consumption comes from processed food. Men typically consume 10.4 grams per day. For women, the average is 7.3 grams. Its use is rising.

Various organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, have published recommendations on daily sodium limits. Most recommend not exceeding the range of 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults. The average American salt consumption can be as high as 3,200 mg per day.  Read Salt Reduction Could Save 92,000 Lives A Year. Also, read Hypnosis Help For Heart Disease.

Learn hypnosis and end your salt cravings.

Check out Seattle hypnosis and Bainbridge Island hypnosis. Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!