KTK-Nutrition

Most people know too much salt increases your risk for high blood pressure and strokes.    Although everyone knows about salt in the salt shaker but many people aren’t aware of the  hidden salt  in the foods we eat and even drinks.    In fact, more than 70% of the salt (sodium) in our diet comes from packaged, prepared foods and restaurant foods.   🧠  What Sodium Does in the Body Sodium helps regulate  fluid balance ,  nerve function , and  muscle contractions . It’s essential—but only in small amounts. Most people consume far more than the recommended daily limit. The  American Heart Association  recommends 2300 milligrams of sodium a day.  Yet, the average American consumes about 3,300 mg a day or about 50% more than the recommended amount.    ⚠️  Health Risks of Too Much Sodium High Blood Pressure ( Hypertension ):  The most direct and dangerous effect. Sodium causes the body to retai...

Have you ever had kidney stones?   Do you know someone who has had kidney stones?   I remember my boss having a bout with kidney stones.   He would be in such pain he would lie on his office floor.   What can one do to prevent kidney stones?   Recently a reader wrote to Dr. Roach and asked: “Approximately three years ago, I developed a calcium oxalate kidney stone, which was removed by surgery.   What can I do to prevent the calcium oxalate kidney stone from forming again?” Dr. Roach stated that the calcium oxalate stones are indeed the most common kind.   He had quite a few recommendations.   WebMD and Mayo Clinic also provide good advice.   What can you do to help prevent kidney stones?   Drink more water .   This reduces both the quantity of calcium and of oxalate in urine.   Mayo Clinic recommends drinking 2-3 quarts of water a day.   Drink more water.   Cut back on foods high in oxalates .   Dr. Roach...

Everyone has a salt shaker in their home.   For years this shaker was filled with Morton’s salt.   Everyone used Morton’s salt.   Then sea salt seemed to be popular.   Now the rage seems to be “pink salt”.   It has been around for a while. Apparently Trader Joe’s started selling pink salt in 2009.   If you read the label, most pink salt seems to branded as coming from the Himalayas in Pakistan.   However, one source said it comes from just south of the actual Himalayas in Pakistan.   There are lots of health claims for using sea salt and pink salt in place of Morton’s salt.   What salt should people use?   What is the benefit of using Morton’s Salt? One reason to use Morton’s salt is to get enough iodine. If you look at a package of Morton’s salt you will see the words: “Iodized salt.   This salt supplies iodide, a necessary nutrient.”     Why is iodine added to Morton’s salt?   Someone asked the Mayo Clinic , “I...

Americans love to snack.   Who doesn’t enjoy some snacks?   Most afternoons I enjoy some popcorn as a snack.   Not a bad choice since popcorn is whole grain and actually good for you.   We can fit snacks into our diet, even some not-so-healthy snacks.   But, some of us have no idea how much is too much.   We start to eat a seemingly small portion of a snack and before we know it, we’ve eaten most of the bag or box.   Eat This, Not That! Has some good recommendations on what the correct portion size is for snacks.   Why watch the portion size?   Many snacks that we enjoy fall into the junk food or empty-calorie food category, meaning the snack food is loaded with calories but not loaded with nutrients.   What are some of those snack foods we tend to eat an over-size amount of? Potato Chips – one of my relatives who loved Pringles said they had to give them up cold turkey.   Why?   Because they would always eat the entire ...