tip of the day from Bob Harper

Today's Daily Tip

The average person should only have 2,000 milligrams of sodium a day, yet one teaspoon (a little pile about the size of quarter) of table salt has 2,400 milligrams of sodium. Logic should tell you that even without adding salt to your meals you get all of the salt you need daily. So take the salt shaker off of your table because you don’t need it!

Issues With Salt

"After working on my show for years, I have become all too familiar with people who have heart issues. I quickly picked up on the fact that one of the biggest contributors to heart problems is how much sodium (SALT) we consume on a daily basis. When sodium enters into the body it absorbs fluids, causing our blood to increase in volume, which causes stress on our hearts. This is also known as increased blood pressure! When you have an over salted meal, you are raising your blood pressure which overloads your heart with work. Just image what the effects will be on your body if you do this on a daily basis. (Heart disease anyone?) People grab the salt shaker because they want to add flavor to their meal, so I suggest looking for other flavor enhancers such as fresh lemon or some red pepper flakes. There are other factors that can also cause high blood pressure, such as genetics and lack of exercise, but your sodium intake is something that you can control. So taste your food before you season it!"

From Bob Harper's The Skinny Rules