Interesting Finding on Low-Sodium Lifestyles

After reading this blog, http://www.physiciansplan.net/blog/?p=22, I have begun to rethink and research on the actual health benefits of sodium and what it means to live a "Low Sodium Lifestyle".

I love that this physician mentions, "Americans don't do anything in moderation", because it's so true.  I think that this low sodium lifestyle is really just a lifestyle of consuming high sodium food/drink in moderation.  We are a very fast-paced nation with "convenience" everywhere.  In food terms, "convenience" means "processed" and the American version of something being processed means to add tons of preservatives (including sodium).

I don't really know about this physician's other ideas and theories, but from my research, he sounds pretty accurate about the "Low Sodium Controversy"

Dining Out Low-Sodium Style - Not Impossible

One of my favorite restaurants is Sweet Tomatoes (also called Souplantation in other areas).  We usually go to the one on Ernest Barrett Pkwy. in Kennesaw, GA.  It's a bit expensive, even for lunch, BUT if you sign up to get their monthly coupons, the price is quite reasonable.  For myself, my husband and our 3 kids (ages 9, 5 & 3) we can eat lunch there for $25.  It is a buffet, but not the type of buffet that I usually avoid.  ALL of the food is fresh and I would say that 90% of all of their food would be considered healthy (low-cal, fat-free, low fat, vegan & even vegetarian).

I am looking for LOW SODIUM items, so this restaurant is where I begin when considering dining out with my family.  Pictured are the items that I found best to eat at Sweet Tomatoes for a low-sodium option.  If you pick all of the lowest sodium items from each category, then your total sodium count for your entire, HUGE, meal would be 530 mg;  and for the size of that meal, I'd say that pretty good.

Of course they have tons of fresh veggies and fruits which have NO SODIUM and you should fill up on those as much as possible to prevent from filling up on the other higher sodium options.  My absolute favorite salad there is one of their pre-made tossed salads called Wonton Chicken Happiness and for 1 cup of my fav salad it's 290 mg. (mainly due to the dressing used in the salad).  290 mg for a salad is a bit more sodium than I'd prefer, but I can also fill my plate with as much fresh lettuces and veggies that I'd like and use only 2 TBSP of dressing to create a huge, filling salad with only 90 mg of sodium.

So, my final take on dining out with a low sodium lifestyle:  very possible and very delicious.  I will post more restaurant low-sodium options later on.



Food Journaling & Water Intake

I've been doing horrible these past couple of days with my food journaling.  I've noticed that when I do write down everything I eat/drink, I am more conscience of what I eat.  Of course I was doing great the first week or so, but then I start to slip. 

As far as what I've actually been eating, it hasn't been so bad.  I recently gave into the "soda" craving and bought those tiny cans of soda (ginger ale).  They have 65 mg of sodium each.  But I've managed to limit my consumption to only 1 per day. 

Drinking anything other than water makes me drink less water, of course.  So, I need to watch that.  I was trying to make a habit of drinking a min. of 64 ounces of water per day.  But the last couple of days have been hard in that area and I've only drank about 32 ounces per day.

So, I'm back on the journaling wagon and I am going to continue to move forward:

My Goal:    Daily max. 2,400 mg of sodium  & 64 ounces of water

These are my "baby step goals" of course.  A lot more needs to change, but I am a person that does better with gradual, small changes.

Breakfast - My favorite meal of the day

(these look a lot better than mine, but basically the same thing)

Since I've been pregnant, protein for breakfast really helps me for the rest of the day.  Plus, my husband always wants me to have homemade Mexican charro beans on hand to prepare with EVERYTHING.   So, 3 or 4 times a week, including today, we will have a Mexican-style breakfast and maybe I add a little southern "flare" :-)

Today consisted of refried charro beans (pinto beans), scrambled eggs, tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, tortillas & homemade biscuits.  Sound like a lot, I know, but the biscuits were mainly for my two little ones as they don't really eat the beans or tortillas. 

Now, how did I make all this with low or no sodium, you may ask?  Well, normally with the beans, I make a huge batch of them and we just eat them all week long.  I make them in my dutch oven and it's only a 1lb. bag of dried beans, but it's lasts us a while.  Before changing to our new lifestyle, I would cook the beans with lots of salt & bacon for flavor.  This time around I used only 1/2 tsp of sea salt & 1 slice of bacon instead of the normal 3.  So each 1/2 cup serving ends up only being 90 mg of sodium.

We eat the eggs and beans as tacos with our warm corn tortillas.  The tomatillo salsa adds excellent flavor and so does the queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese).  This is actually a very typical Mexican breakfast in most parts of Mexico. 

I made the biscuits using my normal recipe using regular milk instead of buttermilk and I only used 1/8 tsp sea salt.  The recipe made 12 biscuits & each biscuit is 25 mg of sodium.  My corn tortillas are 25 mg. of sodium each so I limit my intake to 2 tortillas, although my husband eats about 5 or six sometimes :-0

So, our entire breakfast: 
2 beans/egg tacos w/ salsa & cheese & 1 biscuit w/ jelly & 1 cup of milk = 306 mg sodium

A bowl of cereal with milk can be up to 400 mg of sodium, so I think this was a pretty hearty and low sodium breakfast.

Here's are the recipes I used for the beans and biscuits:

Frijoles Charros
1 lb bag of pinto beans, rinsed
8 cups water, hot
1/2 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 slice bacon

Place all ingredients in a large pot an bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, cover and lower temperature to low.  Cook 3-4 hours or until beans are tender.  Stir occasionally. 

This can also be done in a crock-pot or slow-cooker.

90 mg sodium for 1/2 cup serving


Buttermilk Biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup shortening or butter

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder & baking soda.  Add shortening or butter and mix with hands until crumbly (like bread crumbs).  Place in freezer for 5 minutes.  Measure milks and add salt to milk to slightly dissolve.  Remove flour from freezer and add milk mixture.  Mix just until combined and turn out onto a floured surface.  Knead slightly, but not too much.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into circle (I use a cutter that is 3 in. wide).   Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Makes approx. 12 biscuits.

25 mg sodium per biscuit

Beef and Broccoli over rice w/ Asian Salad

Trying to make my favorite recipes into healthier versions has been easier than I thought.  It has also been surprisingly delicious.  Tonight's dinner will include Asian Beef and broccoli over white rice.  I will also try to make a delicious Asian salad using store-bought plain salad, a vinagrette made from sesame oil, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, green onions & brown sugar.  I love sunflower seeds and even though these may not be "Asian" I will put lots of these in my salad.  Other veggies in my salad include: carrots & snow peas.

Finding a good sauce for the beef and broccoli was a bit difficult.  The one I normally make is very high-sodium.  So, I've adapted a completely different recipe:

Beef and Broccoli 

16-18 oz. Beef Sirloin, thinly sliced into strips
1 head of broccoli, cut into pieces
3 green onions, chopped, diagnally, white and light green parts only
2 TBSP corn starch or flour
1/4 cup beef stock or water
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 TBSP minced or finely shredded ginger
3 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP sesame oil

Dredge the steak in corn starch or flour.  Place 2 TBSP sesame oil in a hot wok and cook steak for 5 minutes.  While steak cooks in a small skillet add 1 TBSP sesame oil.  Once oil is heated add garlic and ginger and cook for about 15-30 seconds.  Quickly add brown sugar and when it is dissolved add soy sauce and beef stock.  Add sauce to beef & stir.  Add broccoli to beef then cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir and add freshly chopped green onions on top. 

This makes 4 servings.  I serve it over 1/2 cup white rice.  Each serving, with rice contained 250 mg of sodium.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Last night's dinner was great!  And only contained 216 mg of sodium per serving.  Nothing beats fresh, homemade salsa.  I made salsa using tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, cloves garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, sea salt and lime juice.  My recipe makes approx. 4 cups of salsa, so I put it in a mason jar and it should last about 7 days or maybe a little more.  I adapted this recipe from an old Pampered Chef recipe that I had.  After making the salsa, I sauteed some boneless skinless chicken breast and poured 1/2 cup of the salsa on top just before the chicken was cooked through.  I placed a lid on it to simmer and the chicken turned out so flavorful and juicey all without seasoning the chicken.

I served the chicken with salsa over 1/2 cup of white rice with a side of sauteed summer squash and zuchini.  I couldn't believe that it was not only very low sodium but low fat and low-cal.  It was delicious.

Here's the recipe for the salsa:

6 tomatillos
1 jalapeño
1/2 an onion
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro

1/4 tsp. sea salt 

2 TBSP lime juice

Peel and rinse tomatillos, then slice in half across the width (horizontal).  Slice onion into 2 thick, round slices & take off outer layer.  Slice jalapeño in half lenght-wise.   Place the tomatillos (sliced side down), onion, jalapeños & 3 garlic gloves on a hot griddle or large skillet.   Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until charred.  Try not to spill the tomatillo juices onto the skillet.  Depending on how spicey you want it, you should remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño after charring it.  Place everything in a blender or food processor.  Also add 1 more clove of un-cooked garlic, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt to the mix.  Blend until it is your desired texture.  I like mine very thin because we will add some chucky tomatoes later. 

Let the salsa cool, then add fresh, choped tomatoes to the salsa.  Depending on the taste, I may also add more fresh garlic or minced onions (your preference really).

Makes approx. 4 cups.  Contains 36 mg of sodium per 1/4 cup serving.

Beginning of a new AGE!

First a little background:

Sounds quite dramatic, I know, but turning 30 is a huge deal for me.  I know it's not technically "old", but 30 is a big milestone.  Before giant beginnings, I like to look back a bit.....let's say on the last 29 years of my life. I think of all of the "to do lists" that I created and hoped to accomplish before I turned 30, 40 or 50 years old.  No regrets, just pondering.  For instance, one biggie for me was to be done having kids by the time I was 30.  Well, before my 30th birthday, next year, I will already have my fourth child. WOW!  Now that was definitely NOT on my "to do list" (have 4 kids).  But here we are, and I wouldn't change it for anything.  My first child came when I was a very young 19 years old.  She was born on August 5, 2001.  Elora is the light of my life, hence her name meaning "God is light" in Hebrew.  Then came Gabriel, my angel, when I was 25 yrs. old.  He was born on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2005.   Quickly after came Eden, the little princess, when I was 25 yrs.old.  She was born on July 23, 2007.   So, our family was complete, right?   Obviously not, because in January of this year I found out that I was pregnant with our fourth child.  I am due on Sept. 13th, 2011.  

AGE is not the only transition that I or my family are facing currently.  Of course my age seems very trivial compared to what is to come this/next year.   There's the new baby, trying to find a home and move before the baby is born, also my son starting Kindergarten and my husband & I transitioning his business provide additional services which includes more WORK for my hubby.  AND in the midst of all this, changing our lifestyles completely to help lower my blood pressure.  By changing our eating habits to only include low-sodium and fresh food, I have already been successful in lowing my blood pressure.  However, I want it to stay down and NEVER creep up again.  So, losing weight and exercising are on the "list" as well.  I know you might be asking, "What about blood pressure medication?", but I really HATE medication.  I know it has it's purposes, but I would rather take a more natural approach before jumping on the "medication bandwagon".  I also would like to add that I don't "condemn" anyone on meds, it's just my preference to not start on that route.

Thus, me creating this blog, which also gives me a way to stay accountable, to develop a ACTUALLY DELICIOUS - LOW SODIUM LIFESTYLE.  Now, I am a foodie at heart.  I love food!  And not just food, but good food, exceptional food.  I don't claim to be a gourmet chef, but I have a few great recipes up my sleeve and I love to share great food with great people.  When I say "lifestyle" I mean that this is a lifetime change.  NO DIET, not temporary.  So, even if you don't have high blood pressure or even if your doctor has not recommended a low-sodium diet for you, I think that you could still get alot out of this blog.  We will journey together to find ACTUALLY DELICIOUS, low sodium foods, recipes and cooking techniques. 

I hope that everyone can benefit from this blog and begin to live healthier lifestyles to make this life well lived and lived long.