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Taking Action To Control High Blood Pressure Cont...
Choose
foods low in salt and sodium.
Americans eat more salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium
than they need. And guess what? They also have high rates of high
blood pressure.
CALORIES BURNED DURING
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES*
| Activity |
Calories
Burned Per Hour |
| Bicycling,
6 mph |
240 |
| Bicycling,
12 mph |
410 |
| Cross-country
skiing |
700 |
| Jogging,
5-1/2 mph |
740 |
| Jogging,
7 mph |
920 |
| Jumping
rope |
750 |
| Running
in place |
650 |
| Running,
10 mph |
1,280 |
| Swimming,
25 yds/min |
275 |
| Swimming,
50 yds/min |
500 |
| Tennis-singles |
400 |
| Walking,
2 mph |
240 |
| Walking,
3 mph |
320 |
| Walking,
4-1/2 mph |
440 |
· · · · · · ·
· · · · · · · · · ·
· · · · · · · · · ·
· · · · · · ·
*Note: These figures are for a 150-pound person. The
amount of calories you burn depends on how much you weigh. The
more you weigh, the more calories you burn. To find the number of
calories you would burn in any activity, divide your weight by 150
and multiply that result by the number of calories for an
activity. For example, how much would a 100-pound person burn in 1
hour of bicycling at 6 mph? First divide 100 by 150 to get 0.67.
Then multiply 0.67 by 240 calories. That equals 160 calories. A
200-pound person bicycling for 1 hour at 6 mph would burn 320
calories—200/150 multiplied by 240.
Source: Exercise and Your Heart—A Guide to
Physical Activity, NIH Publication No. 93-1677, National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute/American Heart Association. |
Studies show that when some people cut back on salt and
sodium, their blood pressure drops. It happens particularly among
African-Americans and the elderly.
Sodium occurs naturally in foods. It also is added to food in
various ways: during processing, cooking, or at the table.
People with high blood pressure should eat no more than about 2.4
grams (2,400 milligrams) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams or 1
teaspoon of table salt. But remember that the 6 grams includes ALL
salt eaten—including that in processed foods and added during
cooking or at the tale. And for people with high normal blood
pressure, cutting back on salt and sodium is also a good way to
prevent blood pressure from rising.
These days, it’s easier than ever to keep track of how much
salt and sodium you eat. Information on salt and sodium is available
on new food labels (see next page). Tips on how to reduce your salt
and sodium intake are on page 3. The
sodium content of some foods is listed beginning on page 20. This list
also highlights foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol that you
may need to eat less of is you have high blood cholesterol. (To get a
more complete list, check the section on getting more
information.) Also, see the sample menus and
recipes.
Read The Label
Reading food labels will help you choose foods low in calories, total
and saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Labels have two important
parts: the nutrition information and the ingredients list. Also, some
labels have different claims like "reduced" or "light".
Here’s a closer look at labels.
Read the nutrition information
Look for the amount of calories, sodium, total and saturated fat on
a food product’s nutrition label, shown at the left. If you have
high blood pressure, compare similar products to find the one with the
smallest amounts of sodium, as well as fat and calories if you also
need to lose weight.
Look at the ingredients
All food labels list the product’s ingredients in descending
order by weight. The ingredient in the greatest amount is listed
first. The ingredient in the least amount is listed last. So, when
watching your sodium look on the label for the words "sodium"
or "salt." As you can see from the ingredients box to the
left, if either word is listed first or more than once on the label,
then the food probably has a lot of sodium.
| .
. . . . Learning the Claims on Labels . . . . .
Just what does "sodium free" or "low sodium"
mean? Here are the answers:
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·Sodium free = less than 5 mg of sodium in a
serving
·Low sodium = 140 mg or less of sodium in a
serving
·Very low sodium = 35 mg or less of sodium in
a serving |
·Reduced or less sodium = sodium at 25 percent less
per serving than the regular version of that food
·Light or light in sodium = sodium at least 50
percent less per serving than the regular version of that food |
·No salt added = no salt is added during processing
in a food that usually has salt added |
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Pork Principles
Many people think pork should not be eaten when trying to cut back
on sodium. But fresh pork usually has no more sodium than do beef and
poultry. Here are a few principles to help you keep pork dishes low in
sodium:
- Choose fresh lean pork like pork chops, pork loin, or pork
roast. Fresh pork has about the same amount of sodium as any other
fresh cut of meat.
- Take care of how the pork is prepared. Spice it up with some of
the low sodium seasonings. Also try the recipe for baked pork chops.
- Cut back on cured and processed pork like bacon, ham, sausage,
and luncheon meats. Such products are very high in sodium.
| .
. . . . Getting the Low-Down on Low Sodium Products . . . . .
Many food products come in "low" or "reduced
sodium" versions. Among these are:
|
convenience foods (such as frozen dinners)
mixed dishes (such as pizza)
packaged mixes
salad dressings
vegetable juices |
canned vegetables
soups (including dried soup mixes and bouillon)
condiments (such as catsup and soy sauce)
snack foods (such as chips, processed pretzels, and nuts)
crackers |
baked goods
cheeses
butter and margarine
processed meats |
|
|
. . . . . . Spicy Choices . . . . . .
Get out of the salt shaker rut and open your spice rack to lots
of new tastes. Here are some great choices—
|
Basil |
Bay leaves |
Chili powder |
|
Cinnamon |
Cumin |
Curry powder |
|
Dill |
Dry mustard |
Fruit juices |
|
Garlic or Garlic powder (NOT garlic SALT) |
Ginger |
Marjoram |
|
Mint |
Nutmeg |
Onion or Onion powder (NOT onion SALT) |
|
Oregano |
Paprika |
Parsley |
|
Pepper (black and red) |
Poultry seasoning |
Rosemary |
|
Sage |
Tarragon |
Thyme |
|
No-salt spice blends |
|
|
|
| .
. . . . . . Spice it Up . . . . . . .
It’s easy to make foods tasty without using salt. Try
these foods with the suggested flavorings, spices, and herbs:
Meat 
|
Beef |
Bay leaf, garlic, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme |
| Lamb |
Curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint |
| Pork |
Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano |
| Veal |
Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, oregano |
| Chicken |
Ginger, lemon juice, lime juice, marjoram, oregano, paprika,
poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme |
| Fish |
Curry powder, dill, dry mustard, lemon juice, lime juice,
marjoram, paprika, pepper |
Vegetables
| Carrots |
Cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage |
| Corn |
Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley |
| Green
Beans |
Dill, curry powder, lemon juice, marjoram, oregano, tarragon,
thyme |
| Greens |
Onion, pepper |
| Peas |
Ginger, marjoram, onion, parsley, sage |
| Potatoes |
Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage |
Squash
Summer
Winter |
Cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion |
| Tomatoes |
Basil, bay leaf, dill, garlic, marjoram, onion, oregano,
parsley, pepper |
|
Sodium
in Foods (in milligrams)
Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Shellfish
. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
|
Fresh meat (including lean cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal),
poultry, finfish, cooked, 3 oz. |
Less
than 90 |
| Shellfish,
3 oz. |
100-325 |
| Tuna,
canned, 3 oz. |
300 |
| *Sausage,
2 oz. |
515 |
| *Bologna,
2 oz. |
535 |
| *Frankfurter,
1-1/2 oz. |
560 |
| Boiled
Ham, 2 oz. |
750 |
| Lean
Ham, 3 oz. |
1,025 |
Eggs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Egg
white, 1 |
55 |
| *Whole
Egg, 1 |
65 |
| Egg
substitute, ¼ cup = 1 egg |
80-120 |
Dairy Products
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Milk |
|
| *Whole
milk, 1 cup |
120 |
| Skim
or 1% milk, 1 cup |
125 |
| Bulttermilk,
salt added, 1 cup |
260 |
Cheese
*Natural cheese: |
|
|
*Swiss cheese, 1 oz. |
75 |
|
*Cheddar cheese, 1 oz. |
175 |
|
*Bleu cheese, 1 oz. |
395 |
| Low
fat cheese, 1 oz. |
150 |
| *Processed
cheese and cheese |
|
|
spreads, 1 oz. |
75 |
| Lower
sodium and fat versions, 1 oz. |
Read the label |
| *Cottage
cheese, (regular), ½ cup |
455 |
| Cottage
cheese, (low fat), ½ cup |
460 |
| Yogurt
|
|
| *Yogurt,
whole milk, plain, 8 oz. |
105 |
| Yogurt,
fruit or flavored, low fat or non fat, plain, 8 oz. |
120-150 |
| Yogurt,
nonfat or low fat, plain, 8 oz. |
160-175 |
Vegetables
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Fresh
or frozen vegetables, or no salt and canned (cooked without
salt), ½ cup |
Less
than 70 |
| Vegetables,
canned, no sauce, ½ cup |
55-470 |
| *Vegetables,
canned or frozen with sauce, ½ cup Read the label Tomato
juice, canned, ¾ cup |
660 |
Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta, Dry Peas and Beans
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
| Breads
and Crackers |
|
| Breads,
1 slice |
110-175 |
| English
muffin, ½ |
130 |
| Bagel,
½ |
190 |
| Cracker,
saltine type, 5 squares |
195 |
| *Baking
powdered biscuit, 1 |
305 |
Cereals
Ready-to-eat
|
|
| Shredded
wheat, ¾ cup |
Less than 5 |
| Puffed
wheat and rice cereals, 1-1/2 to 1-2/3 cup |
Less than 5 |
| Granola-type
cereals, ½ cup |
5-25 |
| Ring
and nugget cereals, 1 cup |
170-310 |
| Flaked
cereals, 2/3 to 1 cup |
170-360 |
| Cooked |
|
| Cooked
cereal (unsalted), ½ cup |
Less
than 5 |
| Instant
cooked cereal, 1 packet = ¾ cup |
180 |
| Pasta
and Rice |
|
| Cooked
rice and pasta, (unsalted), ½ cup |
Less
than 10 |
| *Flavored
rice mix, cooked, ½ cup |
250-390 |
| Peas
and Beans |
|
| Peanut
butter, unsalted, 2 tbsp. |
Less
than 5 |
| Peanut
butter, 2 tbsp. |
150 |
| Dry
beans, home cooked, (unsalted), or no salt added canned, ½
cup |
Less than 5 |
| Dry
beans, plain, canned, ½ cup |
350-590 |
| *Dry
beans, canned with added fat or meat, ½ cup |
425-630 |
Fruits
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Fruits
(fresh, frozen, canned), ½ cup |
Less
than 10 |
Fats and Oils
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Oil,
1 tbsp. |
0 |
| *Butter,
unsalted, 1 tsp. |
1 |
| *Butter,
salted, 1 tsp. |
25 |
| Margarine,
unsalted, 1 tsp. |
Less than 5 |
| Margarine,
salted, 1 tsp. |
50 |
| Imitation
mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. |
75 |
| *Mayonnaise,
1 tsp. |
80 |
| *Prepared
salad dressings, low calorie, 2 tbsp. |
50-310 |
| *Prepared
salad dressings, 2 tbsp. |
210-440 |
Snacks
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Popcorn,
Chips, and Nuts |
|
| Unsalted
nuts, ¼ cup |
Less than 5 |
| Salted
nuts, ¼ cup |
185 |
| *Unsalted
potato chips and corn chips, 1 cup |
Less than 5 |
| *Salted
potato chips and corn chips, 1 cup |
170-285 |
| Unsalted
popcorn, 2-1/2 cups |
Less than 10 |
| Salted
popcorn, 2-1/2 cups |
330 |
| Candy
|
|
| Jelly
beans, 10 large |
5 |
| *Milk
chocolate bar, 1 oz. bar |
25 |
| Frozen
Desserts |
|
| *Ice
cream, ½ cup |
35-50 |
| Frozen
yogurt, low fat or non fat, ½ cup |
40-55 |
| Ice
milk, ½ cup |
55-60 |
Condiments
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| Mustard,
chili sauce, hot sauce, 1 tsp. |
36-65 |
| Catsup,
steak sauce, 1 tbsp. |
100-230 |
| Salsa,
tartar sauce, 1 tbsp. |
85-205 |
| Salt,
1/6 tsp. |
390 |
| Pickles,
5 slices |
280-460 |
| Soy
sauce, lower sodium, 1 tbsp. |
600 |
| Soy
sauce, 1 tbsp. |
1,030 |
Convenience Foods
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
| **Canned
and dehydrated soups, |
|
| 1
cup |
600-1,300 |
| **Lower
sodium versions |
Read the label |
| ***Canned
and frozen main dishes, |
|
| 8
oz. |
500-1,570 |
| ***Lower
sodium versions |
Read the label |
*Choices are higher in saturated fat, cholesterol,
or both.
**Creamy soups are higher in saturated fat and cholesterol
***Limit main dishes that have ingredients higher in saturated
fat, cholesterol, or both.
Source: Adapted from Home and Garden Bulletin 253-7, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, July 1993
. . . . . Take Care Beware . . . . .
Some fatty foods contain large amounts of salt. Examples
include processed pork, bacon, and corned beef.
Also "fast foods" can contain both salt and fat. At
the restaurant, ask that salt not be added to your meal during
cooking. To cut down on how much of these foods you have, try
eating smaller portions. If possible, choose foods that are baked
or grilled—and hold the mayo and special sauces such as
barbecue or tartar. These tips are also important for those trying
to lose weight. |
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