Diet

Low Sodium Guidelines for CHF

Now, let's learn more about how to eat right and stay healthy. Controlling your diet is a very important part of your daily life. Remember what you eat can influence your control over CHF. Most patients with heart failure should be on a low sodium diet. Of course, talk to your doctor so that together you can make a diet decision to meet your specific needs. You can be referred to a dietician for in-depth nutrition teaching and begin your diet action plan.

What is Sodium? Sodium is a mineral that is needed in small amounts for many body processes.

Where do we get it from? Most of the sodium we get comes from salt. High sodium foods include: cheese, lunch meats (hot dogs, ham), cured meats (country ham), and canned foods.

What is wrong with eating salt, since it makes my food taste better? Eating too much sodium (salt) can cause blood pressure to rise. Having high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump the blood to the body. High sodium also causes our bodies to hold on to extra fluid, again making the heart work even harder.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you get started:

Control you sodium- By reducing the sodium you eat to 2000 milligrams (mg) a day, you will better manage your CHF.

Learn to read food labels- Food labels are important for you to look at. They can help you make the best selection for your diet. Note the serving size. This is the normal amount eaten by an adult. Always pay attention to the mg of sodium. If you see a food label that has sodium 300mg, this means there is 300mg of sodium per serving size. What are the sodium guidelines?

Low sodium	= 140mg or less per serving
No Sodium	= less than 5mg per serving

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Last modified: 11/16/05

Did you know? One teaspoon of salt is equal to 2300mg of sodium. This is why it is so important to keep a record of how much sodium you eat everyday. Always talk to your doctor before using salt substitutes. Even though they are low in salt, they may have other things in it that you may not need. Let's compare sodium found in some foods:

1 hotdog= 585mg

3 ounces Salmon- 50 mg

1 slice American cheese=443mg

1 cup cooked white rice= 4mg

As you can see, sodium is found in all foods. It is surprising to look at just how much sodium there is in foods. Talk with your doctor or dietician for more product information:

		Use fresh ingredients.
		Do not add salt.
		Avoid canned soups, vegetables, frozen dinners, and gravy sauce packets.
		If you want canned soups, buy the low sodium cans.
		It is better to use fresh, frozen, or no added salt canned vegetables. If you use a regular can of vegetables, make sure to rinse them off with cold water through a strainer.

For more information on a healthy diet go to:

Important Diet Information

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/1800/1834.asp?index=8122

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=340