Nutrition Tip

Hello Fitness Fans!  I wanted to share an experience with you.  I did not have time to go to the grocery store and in my hast and out of convenience, I ate canned chicken breast.  Not good.  When I woke up the next morning, my face was extremely bloated and I looked a hot mess!  Yikes!  In order to ge the excess sodium off me, I did extra cardio and flushed my system with extra water.  Now, all is back to normal.  However, the sodium in the canned chicken was obviously excessive.  Which is very common in pre-packed foods. 

Sodium is an essential nutrient.  We do need a certain amount of salt in our diet to function properly because it:

• Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
• Helps transmit nerve impulses
• Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.  However, these guidelines are on the upper side of recommendations and less is always better (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011).

Beware of prepared, frozen or pre-pakaged foods, as they usually contain more salt.  This added salt serves as a method to preserve the food.  It is always best to eat fresh and whole foods. So from here forward I will be more prepared with my meals.  Doing extra cardio and consuming extra water was just a pain and more work.  From hence forth, I will come to the training table prepared!

Love, Peace and Protein Drinks,
Chilone "Steel Appeal" Payton

References:

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, May 31). Sodium: How to tame your salt habit now. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from Mayoclinic.com: www.mayoclinic.com