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Test Your Sodium IQ

Posted on October 13, 2020

Cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death globally (1). Eating too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Here are 5 questions to test your sodium IQ!

Watch Sue’s national TV interview on YouTube or click on the image below.

1. True or False: We need sodium to stay healthy.

True! We do need some sodium to maintain our blood pressure and fluid levels in our body. Sodium is also needed to keep our muscles and nerves running smoothly. The problem is that most of us are getting too much sodium, which can lead to health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular disease.

On average, we should stick to less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, but we’re eating about 1½ times that amount (2). In fact, 3 out of 5 Canadians eat too much sodium (2). A report by Health Canada found that 72% of kids between the ages of 4 to 13 are eating too much sodium. And over 95% of males aged 19-30 are eating too much sodium (2).

Eating too much sodium today can lead to high blood pressure later in life. According to a report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, about 20% of Canadians have high blood pressure or hypertension, and another 20% of Canadians have pre-hypertension (where their blood pressure is above normal but not quite diagnosed as high yet) (3).

2. True or False: Sodium is the same thing as salt.

False! Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Sodium is a mineral that’s found naturally in foods and / or added to foods. Salt or table salt is a combination of sodium plus chloride. Salt is the main source of sodium. Other sources of sodium include sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium benzoate (a preservative) and monosodium glutamate (a seasoning).

3. True or False? Sea salt is healthier for you than table salt.

False! The main differences between sea salt and table salt are the taste, texture and how they’re made.

Sea salt is made by evaporating sea water and can taste differently depending on where it’s from. There are some trace minerals in sea salt such as calcium and iron, but the amounts are very low. The sea salt crystals can be large.

Table salt is made from fine crystals mined from ancient dried up salt lakes, and then ground to give it a finer texture. You may find iodine in table salt – it’s a nutrient that’s added to lower the chances of developing an iodine deficiency.

Kosher salt is the same as table salt, but has larger crystals and no iodine. And Pink Himalayan salt is actually mined in Pakistan. The pink color is from the iron in the salt.

By weight, all of these types of salt have about the same amount of sodium as table salt.

By volume however, (i.e. if you’re measuring it with a teaspoon), sea salt, Kosher salt and Pink Himalayan salt will have slightly less sodium because they have larger crystals.

Whichever type of salt you prefer, use less to cut down on your overall sodium intake. Boost the flavour of food with sodium-free ingredients like herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice or citrus zest.

4. True or False? You can tell which foods are high in sodium because they taste salty.

False! Some foods such as bread and cereal don’t really taste salty, but they do contain sodium. Sodium can also be hidden in salad dressings, soups, pasta sauces, different condiments and baked goods like cookies and muffins. Read food labels and look for foods that generally contain less than 15% of the Daily Value (%DV) for sodium. Or look for foods that are specifically labelled “low sodium”.

The image below shows a Nutrition Facts table for crackers. You can see that 4 of these crackers contain 6% of the Daily Value (DV) for sodium. A %DV that is 5% or less is considered “a little” and a %DV that is 15% or higher is considered “a lot”.

Nutrition Facts table for crackers, showing 6% DV for sodium

Image source: Sue Mah

5. True or False? Most of the sodium we eat comes from the salt shaker.

False! Only about 11% of the sodium we eat comes from the salt shaker when we add salt to our cooking or to our food at the table Almost 80% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged foods. The rest is from sodium found naturally in foods.

In fact, the top 6 sources of sodium in are diet are:

Bakery products (e.g. bread, muffins) – salt is added to baking, and even though the food doesn’t taste very salty, but we tend to eat a lot of these foods, so the sodium adds up
Appetizers and entrées (e.g. pizza, frozen meals)
Processed meat
Cheese
Soups
Sauces and condiments

Fast food / restaurant meals also tend to be higher in sodium. Sodium is added to foods to act as a preservative and also to bring out the flavour of foods. To cut back on sodium, enjoy more wholesome fruits and veggies because they’re essentially sodium-free. If you’re making a recipe, try cutting down on the ingredients which contain sodium. If you’re eating out, ask for sauces, salad dressings and gravy on the side so that you can control the amount of sodium that you eat.

References:

1) World Heart Foundation (no date). World Heart Day is celebrated every year on 29 September. Retrieved September 20, 2020 from https://www.world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/about-whd/

2) Health Canada (no date). A salty situation. Retrieved Sept 20, 2020 from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/services/publications/food-nutrition/infographic-salty-situation/26-18-2058-Sodium-Infographic-eng-08.pdf

3) Heart and Stroke Foundation (2014 August). Position statement – Dietary sodium, heart disease and stroke. Retrieved September 20, 2020 from https://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/2017-position-statements/dietary-sodium-ps-eng.ashx?rev=29762d89e1e3446084fa988ac9b0c3d7&hash=6523A0B22CEB23AC5B87207DB5C00E8C

5 Things You Need to Know about that Red Meat Study

Posted on October 11, 2019

A piece of marbled red meat on a plate. — [Image: Canva]

Yes, red meat is in the news…again. Headlines last week announced that we may not have to cut back on red meat or processed meat after all, based on conclusions published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

This stirred up quite a bit of controversy especially since many health organizations offer different advice. The Canadian Cancer Society for example, recommends limiting red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb and goat) to 3 servings a week (a serving is 85 grams or 3 ounces of cooked meat – smaller than the size of a deck of cards) and avoiding processed meats. The World Cancer Research Fund (WRF) advises that if you eat red meat, limit it to no more than about three portions per week (total of 350-500 grams or 12-18 ounces per week). And the WCRF also recommends eating very little, if any, processed meat like bacon, ham, hot dogs and sausages.

So, is that confusing or what? It sure is! And it took me a while to read through the science to figure it out.

Here are 5 things you need to know about the study to help you understand how and why the guidelines were made:

This wasn’t a new study about red meat. Basically, a panel of scientists reviewed existing studies looking at the impact of red meat on health. They looked at “absolute risk”. In other words, they considered how many people per 1000 people would likely benefit from eating 3 fewer servings of red meat or processed meat (e.g. going from 7 servings/week of red meat to 4 servings/week or going from 4 servings/week to 1 serving/week). They found that out of 1,000 people, only between 1 to 18 people would have a lower chance of heart disease, type 2 diabetes or cancer if they ate 3 fewer servings of red meat or processed meat.
The evidence for this guideline is “low” to “very low”. The panel found “low” to “very low” certainty evidence for their conclusions. The panel even admitted that their guideline for adults to “continue current unprocessed and processed red meat consumption” is a weak recommendation. In fact, three out of the 14 panel members didn’t agree with this recommendation.
Observational studies were reviewed. In observational studies, researchers observe the effect of something – in this case, the effect of eating red meat and processed meat. When it comes to making recommendations though, observational studies aren’t as strong or conclusive as experimental studies in terms of showing a cause and effect relationship. In experimental studies, typically two or more groups are compared – for example, an experimental study could compare the health status of Group A who ate red meat versus Group B who didn’t eat red meat. Plus, many of the observational studies lumped red meat and processed meat together, and didn’t consider other dietary factors or the cooking methods (e.g. broiling versus BBQ).
Pros versus cons. The researchers believed that for most people, the desirable effects from eating less red / processed meat (a potential lower risk for cancer and heart disease) did not outweigh the undesirable effects (impact on life, burden of modifying cultural and personal meal preparation and eating habits).
Other issues were not considered. The researchers acknowledge that their guideline didn’t consider issues of animal welfare and potential environmental impact. They admitted that their guideline may be less relevant for people who see these as important issues.

So what’s the bottom line?

Remember that we choose foods for many different reasons – cost, taste, nutrition, health, animal welfare and environmental concerns. No single food completely causes or prevents a health condition. But we do know that an overall healthy pattern of eating plus lifestyle habits can make a big difference to your well-being. News headlines can be sensational and the stories may not always give you the full picture.

As a dietitian and chef’s daughter, I wholeheartedly believe in enjoying delicious, wholesome food. Processed meat can add extra saturated fat and sodium to the diet – these are the nutrients we’re trying to limit. From a nutrient point of view, red meat is packed with protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Whether you choose to eat red meat or not, keep your portions in check. Moderation is truly the key. And make sure to fill at least half your plate with Mother Nature’s superheroes – fruits and veggies.

The MIND Diet for Brain Health

Posted on May 13, 2018

Render illustration of "MIND DIET" title on head silhouette with cloudy sky as a background.

It’s never too early or too late to start taking care of your brain health. In fact, diet is an important predictor of how well our brain ages.

The MIND diet stands for “Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay” and its goal is to prevent dementia and loss of brain function as we age. The MIND diet is a blend of the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the traditional foods enjoyed by those living in Mediterranean countries including Italy and Greece. Researchers found that these people actually had a lower risk of diseases such as heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and premature death. This diet focuses on eating vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, fish, seafood and extra virgin olive oil.

The DASH Diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Research shows that this diet is helpful in lowering high blood pressure. This diet also emphasizes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes as well as low fat dairy products and lean protein.

When followed rigorously, the MIND Diet results in a 53% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. When the MIND Diet is followed modestly (i.e. not perfectly), it still results in a 35% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

According to the MIND Diet, here are the 10 foods to eat for brain health:
– green leafy vegetables – at least 1 dark green salad every day
– other vegetables – at least 1 other vegetable every day
– whole grains – at least 3 servings every day
– nuts – at least 1 ounce (30 g) every day
– beans or legumes – at least every other day
– berries – at least twice a week
– fish – at least once a week
– poultry – at least twice a week
– olive oil – this is the oil of choice
– wine. If you don’t drink alcohol, purple grape juice provides many of the same benefits.

And here are the 5 foods to avoid/limit:
– red meat
– butter/margarine
– cheese
– pastries/sweets and
– fried fast food.