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"Sodium Intake
Perhaps the most important dietary consideration for heart failure patients is sodium intake. Sodium is "the bad guy" because it makes the body retain water. The more water you retain, the more fluid your heart has to pump through the body—resulting in added workload and greater strain for the heart, as well as reduced lung function. For a heart failure patient with an already weakened heart, this stress is very detrimental. Water retention also worsens the symptoms of swelling, shortness of breath, and weight gain.
Most Americans tend to consume far too much sodium in the form of salt (sodium chloride). After all, we're a culture known to sprinkle salt onto already salted fries. The first step towards lowering your sodium intake is banishing the saltshaker. Given how much sodium is already present in many of the foods we eat, you don't want to be tempted to add any more. Next you should begin to limit the high sodium foods in your diet.
According to the American Heart Association, many doctors recommend that heart failure patients restrict sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams per day. That's about a teaspoon of table salt. While that may seem drastic, remember that any reduction, however small, will be helpful. It may be easier to adopt a gradual, step-by-step approach to lowering your intake.
Pay attention to nutrition labels when you're in the grocery store. You'll be amazed how much sodium is present in certain prepared or processed foods. When possible, look for low-sodium varieties of the things you buy—these items generally have 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving. Also, when you cook at home, leave the salt out of your recipe or use a salt substitute. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about other ways to reduce your sodium intake."
"When preping for contest I try to reduce my sodium intake as much as possible. I eat only rice, yams and meat without any seasonings. In addition, I drink about 2.5 gallons of water. Some bodybuilders start lowering their sodium intake way too early. After three days, the body has lost the maximum amount of water. It then starts to protect itself from losing more water by holding sodium back and releasing hormones that are binding water. If you eat low sodium all the time, you will not be able to lose the excess water from your skin for a competition."
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