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TOO MUCH SALT IS BAD

By University of Utah Health

Americans generally eat lots of salt—often in the form of processed foods—and this can lead to high blood pressure and hypertension. On today’s “Health Minute,” Dr. Tom Miller explains what you can do to keep your daily dose of salt at a minimum.

Listen to the full story here or read the transcript below.

Announcer: The Health Minute, produced by University of Utah Health.

Interviewer: One of the best things you can do for your health is keep an eye on your sodium intake. Dr. Tom Miller, why is that so important?

Dr. Miller: Too much salt, as we get in our American diet, can lead to elevated blood pressure and the development of hypertension.

Interviewer: All right. So if I’m paying attention to my salt intake, how much is too much?

Dr. Miller: Well, the average American diet is too much, and 3.4 grams a day is what the average amount is.

Interviewer: All right. And what is that come out to?

Dr. Miller: Oh, that’s a good question. That’s about 2 teaspoons of salt a day.

Interviewer: So every day I shouldn’t be getting any more than two? That doesn’t seem like a lot.

Dr. Miller: The problem is we eat processed foods, canned soups, potato chips, and we pour the salt on at the table.

Interviewer: All right. So a lot of us are getting more salt than we need. How do we avoid it?

Dr. Miller: Basically you want to stick to one teaspoon of salt a day. And the way to do that is to avoid processed foods and no added salt at the table.

Announcer: To find out more about this and other health and wellness topics, visit thescoperadio.com.[/bs_col][bs_col class=”col-sm-4″][bs_well size=”lg”]

LOSE WEIGHT BY CUTTING SODA

If you’re struggling to lose weight, today’s “Health Hack” may be for you. Dr. Troy Madsen explains how cutting one large soda a day can lead to losing up to a pound a week

Listen to the full story here.

HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF MENTALLY FIT
You may be working on being physically fit—working out, eating better, kicking bad habits—but have you thought about how to keep yourself mentally fit? On this “Health Minute,” psychologist Dr. Michael McIntosh explains how incorporating ‘planned positive outreach’ is the best thing you can add to your routine to keep your mind as strong as your body

Listen to the full interview here.

For more expert health news and information, click here.[/bs_well][/bs_col][/bs_row]