Originally published October 12 2005
Removing salt from your diet requires a careful look at processed foods
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Claire Jones of the Daily Mail offers advice on how to cut the salt content of your diet, which can prove trickier than simply taking the shaker off your table, as most processed foods contain significant amounts of salt.
Six grams of salt is equivalent to only one teaspoonful.
Therefore it is important to remove extra salt from the dinner table.
Taste buds adjust in a few weeks to less salty food and you could reduce salt gradually to help yourself adapt.
Pre-produced gravy cubes and granules are a hidden source of salt.
You could replace these by making your own stock and gravy.
Look for foods with 'no added salt' labels, or check for 'reduced salt' versions of old favourites.
Guidelines from the Food Standard's Agency say these should have at least 25 per cent less salt than the orginal.
If this is the case convert sodium to salt by multiplying the number by 2.5.
Ginger can replace salt Try using alternative seasonings to salt.
Fresh herbs, garlic, ginger and even lime can add zest to a meal.
You could add red wine to stews and casseroles, and white wine to risottos and sauces for chicken.
See our guide to the seven seasonings and how they could affect your health here.
If you are often too tired to prepare a meal and find yourself reaching for the ready variety, think about pre-making meals at the weekend.
For instance spaghetti bolognese can be cooked and frozen into portions and meat and fish can be marinated up to two days in advance if stored in the fridge.
If so you could gradually reduce the amount of salt it suggests in the recipe.
Follow suit when making pastry and scones.
The average slice of bread contains 0.5g of salt.
Therefore just one sandwich contains a sixth of your daily salt intake.
Some 'thick sliced' brands can contain as much as one gram of salt per slice.
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