3 Ways to adopt a low-salt diet for weight loss

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or commonly abbreviated as DASH, is a type of diet that was originally intended for people with hypertension. As it develops, this low-salt diet is increasingly recommended because it is useful for maintaining heart health, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and even losing weight.

Principles of the DASH diet

The main principle of the DASH diet is to eat foods low in salt (sodium) and increase the intake of natural foods, not processed foods. Vegetable food items consumed on this low-salt diet include vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, as well as a variety of vegetable oils.

Meanwhile, animal food sources on this diet include lean red meat, fish, chicken, and low-fat dairy products. While the types of foods that are challenged in this diet are foods high in sodium, sugar and fat

A low-salt diet does not directly aim at weight loss. However, people on this diet usually experience weight loss as a result of reducing sodium intake. This is supported by a study in Spain in 2014 which found that sodium intake can increase body weight, even lead to obesity.

Low salt diet for weight loss

Based on the maximum limit of sodium intake, this low-salt diet is divided into two types. The Standard DASH diet limits sodium intake to below 2,300 milligrams a day, whereas the DASH Low Sodium diet recommended for hypertensive patients, should limit sodium intake to below 1,300 milligrams a day.

The DASH diet should be done gradually, so you don't need to drastically reduce your sodium intake right away. After knowing what is the maximum sodium intake you can consume, here's how to live it:

1. Reduce sodium intake

You need sodium to maintain the balance of body fluids, but if the levels of this substance are too high, it will cause hypertension. Apart from being found in table salt, these nutrients are also found in canned foods, instant foods, dried foods, sweets, sauces, dressing salads, as well junk food.

To reduce your sodium intake, start by limiting the amount of salt you eat to no more than 1 teaspoon a day. Also pay attention to the amount and percentage of sodium on the packaging label when you buy food or drinks.

2. Choose the right food ingredients

So that your low-salt diet is not in vain, you also have to pay attention to the types and portions of food ingredients. Of course, choose healthy foods and avoid processed food products. Here are some examples of DASH diet dishes that you can try:

Breakfast:

150 grams oatmeal Cook with ground cinnamon
1 slice of whole wheat bread with low-fat butter
1 banana
150 mL of nonfat milk

Lunch:

Tuna salad made with 50 grams of unsalted tuna, 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 15 grapes, celery, and 50 grams of lettuce
Biscuits
150 mL of nonfat milk

Dinner:

150 grams of whole wheat spaghetti with 100 grams of marinara sauce without added salt
100 grams of mixed salad
1 slice of small wheat bread with 1 teaspoon of olive oil

3. Monitor incoming calories

Monitoring your daily calorie intake will help optimize the functioning of a low salt diet. To do this, you don't need to cut back on your meals in a big way. You can do the following safer ways:

eating fruit as a snack
changing the proportion of foodstuffs to more vegetables than meat
replace ice cream with yogurt
using sauce and dressing low-fat salads
check the packaging labels of two or three similar products to find the product with the least number of calories
eat smaller portions gradually

Another important factor for losing weight with a low-salt diet is getting enough fluids, both from drinking water and other fluid sources. However, avoid consuming sugary drinks that contain high amounts of sugar.

Good luck!