Of health, salt and being light

Nowadays, there seems to be more people who are concerned about their health and fitness. Whether it is a fad or a wake-up call, we don’t know. People diligently go to the gym not only to lose weight but more so to keep fit. Some also eat smart by eating organically grown produce, or are very much conscious about the caloric content of the food that they consume.

It pays to look after one’s health by watching what we eat. As the old adage goes, "Too much of anything is bad." Excessive sugar intake, fondness for fried and greasy food as well as salt are bad for the health. For the conscientious weight-watcher, these are big no-nos. Why wouldn’t they be? Aside from opening the gateway to more serious health problems, it doesn’t do them good in their quest to trim down and battle the big bulge.

A typical example is salt intake. Salt in very small amount is a vital constituent of our diet. Currently, we eat 10 to 20 times more salt than our bodies actually require. Surprisingly, most of the salt that we eat is hidden in processed foods and this accounts for over three-quarters of our intake. Only one-quarter comes from salt that we add either at the table or in our cooking. It is but important to note that high salt intake is linked to high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of stroke or heart disease.

Salt and water retention

Water retention may cause frustration for people wanting to lose weight. Many average healthy adults experience some water retention and the accompanying weight gain that occurs. The day-to-day weight fluctuations are commonly caused by the loss of gain in body fluid.

There are a few causes of water retention but for many, an increase in sodium through the diet (mainly salt intake) is a common cause and research suggests it may contribute to high blood pressure and other health complications.

Sodium is present in virtually all food products so when a person consumes more food, it’s inevitable that he also consumes more sodium. Weight gains are very often a combination of fat stores and water retention.

An increased water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. It’s because the kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they do not work to capacity, some of their work is dumped off to the liver whose primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the work of the kidney, it cannot work at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat and more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

Research also shows that when water retention is a constant problem to you, excess salt may be the reason. Your body will only tolerate sodium in certain concentrations. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy – just drink plenty of water. As the water is forced through the kidney, it will remove the excess sodium.

Conscientious eating

But the best option available is to be very cautious about what you eat especially when you have goals of flaunting that new bikini you bought for your summer trip to the beach. Fortunately, there are so many products in the market that have reduced sugar, fat, salt and starch contents in their products to help fitness enthusiasts and conscious dieters in their quest for better health and a more fit body.

Recently, Century Canning Corp. introduced Century Tuna Lite. Put simply, Century Tuna Lite is low in fat, high in protein and 50 percent salt – perfect for the weight watchers and figure-conscious.

When food becomes too tempting to pass up on, have at least a choice. Look for products that contain less of the dreaded ingredients that will make you bloat even more. You wouldn’t want to put your efforts in the gym for naught, would you?