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How often do you see or how often do you grab that salt shaker and start pouring salt all over your food as soon as the plate is set in front of you? Sodium intake in our nation is extremely too high. Did you know that the recommended amount of sodium intake per day is less then 2,300 milligrams, which only equals 1 teaspoon? (*Note. Daily Value used on food labels is based off 2,400 milligrams).
Sodium plays a vital role in our bodies by helping maintain acid-base balance and it is essential to nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. However, too much sodium makes our bodies hold on to fluid and to pump the added fluid, the heart has to work harder which over years of doing this puts an extreme strain on our heart. Also, too much salt can worsen symptoms like swelling and shortness of breath and cause weight gain. A diet high in salt has been linked to very serious health conditions including high blood pressure, hypertension, and heart disease.
The Today Show posted an article with the 20 Saltiest Foods in America. They compiled a top 20 list of foods (or dishes) found in restaurants across our nation. Their list is posted below.
20. Saltiest Side Dish
Denny’s Honey Smoked Ham, grilled slice. 1,700 mg sodium, 85 calories
19. Saltiest Dessert
Atlanta Bread Company Raspberry Scone. 1,750 mg sodium, 360 calories
18. Saltiest Soup
Baja Fresh Chicken Tortilla Soup. 2,760 mg sodium, 320 calories
17. Saltiest Burger
Hardee’s 2/3 lb Monster Thickburger. 2,770 mg sodium, 1,420 calories, 108 g fat
16. Saltiest “Healthy” Food
Chili’s Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter. 2,780 mg sodium, 590 calories, 85 g carbs
15. Saltiest Pasta
Fazoli’s Rigatoni Romano. 3,180 mg sodium, 1,090 calories, 54 g fat, 101 g carbs
14. Saltiest Chinese Entrée
P.F. Chang’s Beef with Broccoli. 3,752 mg sodium, 1,120 calories, 65 g fat
13. Saltiest Breakfast
Arby’s Sausage Gravy Biscuit. 3,754 mg sodium, 961 calories
12. Saltiest Beef Entrée
Bob Evans Steak Tips and Noodles.4,131 mg sodium, 822 calories, 43 g fat
11. Saltiest Frozen Dinner
Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey.4,480 mg sodium, 1,360 calories, 70 g fat
10. Saltiest Bread
Dunkin’ Donuts Salt Bagel. 4,520 mg sodium, 320 calories, 62 g carbs
9. Saltiest Sandwich
Quiznos Turkey Bacon Guacamole Large Sub with Cheese and Reduced-Fat Ranch Dressing. 4,670 mg sodium, 1,120 calories, 49 g fat, 116 g carbs
8. Saltiest Pizza
Pizza Hut Meat Lover’s Stuffed Crust Pizza (3 slices of the 14” large). 5,070 mg sodium, 1,560 calories, 87 g fat, 114 g carbs
7. Saltiest Comfort Food
Denny’s Meat Loaf Dinner (with Mashed Potatoes and Corn). 5,080 mg sodium, 1,210 calories, 69 g fat, 97 g carbs
6. Saltiest Salad
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Chicken Florentine. 5,460 mg sodium, 840 calories, 53 g fat
5. Saltiest Mexican Entrée
Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Fajitas. 5,690 mg sodium, 1,730 calories, 107 g fat, 143 g carbs
4. Saltiest Kids’ Meal
Cosi Kid’s Pepperoni Pizza. 6,405 mg sodium, 1,901 calories, 93 g fat, 190 g carbs
3. Saltiest Seafood Entrée
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Grilled Teriyaki Salmon. 6,590 mg sodium, 1,230 calories, 74 g fat, 79 g carbs
2. Saltiest Appetizer
Papa John’s Cheesesticks with Buffalo Sauce. 6,700 mg sodium, 2,605 calories, 113 g fat, 296 g carbs
1. The Saltiest Dish in America
Romano’s Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello. 7,300 mg sodium, 1,020 calories, 66 g fat

Most Americans consume way more sodium than what is recommended. To cut down on your sodium intake try doing the following:
- Limit the amount of times you eat out
- Select fresh, unprocessed foods
- Prepare foods with sodium-free spices (basil, bay leaves, curry, garlic, ginger, mint, oregano, pepper, rosemary, and thyme)
- Add little or no salt at the table; take the salt shaker off of the table!
- Taste your food first and see if you actually need to add something else for flavor… you may choose another spice or seasoning instead of salt.
- Read food labels
- Select low-salt or salt-free products when available
















An
While on the
Isometric training (static strength training) consist of constant muscle contraction without joint movement. This type of exercise is good for general strength training and rehabilitation. Isometric training is also an excellent way to strengthen muscles without putting too much stress on the joints. This is a another great way to incorporate different exercises into your everyday routine.



Round 1: Nutrition Facts
If you served these side by side with no explanation of which is which- no one would recognize that one is fat free- or that one is lower in fat. Both No Pudge and Betty Crocker get points for having a moist, rich, fudgy and truly cravable brownie without a lot of the extra fat and calories. No Pudge has a richer chocolate color and is not as overwhelmingly sweet as Betty Crocker- which has a classic chocolate brown color and a lot of sugary taste.
Post-Match Commentary
A new study insinuates that a high
This study, with a very small sample size, consisted of only six healthy, normal weight individuals, showed that the body quickly converts fructose to body fat. In this study, the researchers gave the participants a morning feeding of one of three different drinks. Both the researchers and the participants were unaware of which drink they were given. One group received a breakfast drink consisting of 100% glucose, another group received half glucose and half fructose drink; and the third group consumed a 25% glucose and 75% fructose drink. Four hours later, the participants consumed a regular lunch.
In this article, Dr. Parks made a great point by saying that “There are lots of people out there who want to demonize fructose as the cause of the obesity epidemic. I think it may be a contributor, but it’s not the only problem. Americans are eating too many calories for their activity level. We’re overeating fat, we’re overeating protein and we’re overeating all sugars.” This is so true… too often we get distracted and try to find one thing to blame for making us overweight or obese, but often it is multiple factors. Excessive amount of calories and fat consumed mixed with a sedentary lifestyle is the perfect formula for disease and obesity.



