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How Much Salt Should You Have?
"Delicious Living" magazine: October 2004
By: Elisa Bosley
Salt is the stuff of life- we need it for fluid regulation, not to mention baked potatoes- but too much can contribute to hypertension and coronary illness. Many experts suggest a daily sodium intake of about 1,500 mg; however, according to new guidelines from the National Institutes of Health, 95 percent of American men and 75 percent of women exceed the upper recommended limit of 2,300 mg, downing a heart-stopping 4,000 o 6,000 mg daily.
Processed foods pack the biggest sodium punch, so cut back by going natural (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and lean meats). Most important: Read labels, and look for items that contain 5 percent (115 mg) or less of the maximum daily-recommended intake per serving.

To Lower Your Salt Intake:
Instead of… Go Low-Sodium With…
4 dried apple slices (24 mg)                                      1 whole apple (0 mg)
1 ounce of beef jerkey (637 mg)                               2 ounces of raw almonds and raisins (3 mg) or
                                                                                1 ounce of trail mix (65mg)
8 ounces vegetable juice cocktail (540 mg)                8 ounces fresh orange juice (2mg)
7 inch flour tortilla (234 mg)                                      6 inch corn tortilla (3 mg)
2 tablespoons Italian dressing (231 mg)                     2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice (0 mg)
8 ounces club soda (50 mg)                                      8 ounces seltzer water (10 mg)
1 cup rice pilaf mix (710 mg)                                     ¼ cup of brown rice (0 mg)
1 ounce sour dough pretzels (400 mg)                       3 cups microwave light butter popcorn (38 mg)
5 Salts to Know:

1) Celtic Salt- Hand-harvested from the Celtic Sea and solar dried using an ancient Celtic method. Mellow, sweet0salty taste favored by gourmet chefs. This is also a natural-salt choice.

2) Fleur De Sel- Specialty salt made from crystals that form atop salt marshes. Delicate (and expensive); use sparingly to add a finishing touch to fine foods.

3) Kosher Salt- Coarse- grain and additive-free; otherwise the same, nutritionally, as other natural salts. Often preferred by chefs for its easy-to-pinch texture and authentic flavor.

4) Sea Salt- Made from evaporated sea water, lauded by cooks for its slightly grainier texture and purity. Buy unrefined sea salt, which is additive-free.

5) Table Salt- Refined and stripped of trace minerals; treated with anti-caking agents and often iodine. Useful when precise measurements are needed.