You’re Probably Eating Way Too Much Sodium—Here’s How to Cut Back

We created the Health Hacks on a Budget video course series to make it as easy as possible for everyone to save time and money while living a healthy life. In this series, we share simple recipes, easy tips, and educational information to help you and your family thrive.

Okay, what’s the deal with salt and sodium?

Our host Sara Snow breaks down exactly why you need salt, but watching your sodium intake is important too. First, salt and sodium are not synonymous—salt contains sodium, but it’s also made of other essential minerals and micronutrients that are necessary for the body to function.

Sodium is an electrolyte and an element (remember back to Chemistry 101 and the Periodic Table) that is present in salt. Sodium is also important for our bodies to function, but too much can have some not-so-great consequences to our health. Overdo it on the sodium and you’re looking at kidney damage, raised blood pressure that puts your heart at risk, and even dementia.

You’ll be shocked when you see where extra sodium is lurking in your everyday “healthy” favorites, how much sodium we’re supposed to eat and how much we actually ingest, and the easy (and inexpensive) ways to flavor food without salt. Watch the video for these tips and more!

This is one video in a series that’s free for all Thrive Gives recipients. See the rest of the videos here. Applying for a free membership through our Giving program is easy—just click here.