Since living in America, I have noticed how rich the Americans like their food.
Everything is with copious amounts of either sugar or salt.
The other day, having breakfast at Denny's I noticed how very salty the scrambled eggs were, after tasting, I was advised this was normal seasoning.
Dont get me wrong, I like a pinch of salt on my potatoes and eggs, but sometimes I feel the food here is so overly salted.
Cans of fish like salmon and tuna sit in a very rich brine, sometimes over 95mg of salt!
Our kidneys regulate the amount of sodium kept in our bodies. When sodium levels are low, our kidneys conserve sodium. When levels are high, they excrete the excess amount in urine.
If your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume, in turn, makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, increasing pressure in your arteries. Certain diseases such as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can lead to an inability to regulate sodium.
Some people are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. People who are sodium sensitive retain sodium more easily, leading to excess fluid retention and increased blood pressure. If you're in that group, extra sodium in your diet increases your chance of developing high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
Heart disease is more often than not blamed on weight problems, but high salt intake is a silent and deadly killer too.
salt is often listed on packages and cans as sodium, its a good idea to check the amounts before purchasing.
About 11 percent of the sodium in the average U.S. diet comes from adding salt or other sodium-containing condiments to foods while cooking or eating. But the majority of the sodium — 77 percent — comes from eating prepared or processed foods that contain the mineral. So even though you may limit the amount of salt you add to food, the food itself may already be high in sodium.
Salt or sodium is needed in the body to operate certain functions such as..
Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
Helps transmit nerve impulses
Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles
But to do this it only needs a tiny percentage of what we consume.
If we eat high salt amounts, our taste buds rely on it to be able to taste.
When suddenly reducing the salt, we think we cant taste anything.. its true..
..because the taste buds are so used to it.
BUT after trial and error, our natural taste buds leap back in to action and we begin to taste the food as it really is.. and not with the fake taste that salt has our taste buds relying on.
Keep healthy... reduce salt intake and read labels. 
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read more blogs!
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misschoos
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Aug 23 @ 1:56PM
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I don't salt anything at all, only at the table.
I cooked the most amazing roast dinner today, you would have loved it.
2 x roast chickens.
Roasted sweet potato, courgette, parsnip, corn cobs, onion and carrot.
Broccoli, savoy cabbage, runner beans, peas, leeks.
Roast potoatoes.
Stuffing.
Gravy.
Mum brought 20 Yorkshire Puddings.
I know Yorkshire Puddings are so wrong, but some people want them with everything.
I served dinner, nobody asked for salt, I did put it on the table, but nobody used it. 
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Mission_Impossible139
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Aug 23 @ 2:21PM
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I've been cutting back on salt for several years now. Some restaurant food is so salty, it's like they poured a half cup of the stuff on the meal. At one fine dining place here in Baton Rouge, I had to send the Red Snapper with almond sauce back. It was inedible. Do chefs build up a resistance to salt or what...sheesh.
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dizzydoll
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Aug 23 @ 2:23PM
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like misschoos, i dont add salt to anything i cook and i dont buy boxed, canned or fast foods  i do however buy crumbed chicken and fish, i dont know the sodium levels but i feel healthy 
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Fender
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Aug 23 @ 2:28PM
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OMG, If I get fast food fries, I salt them heavily 
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sweet5red
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Aug 23 @ 2:47PM
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i dont use extra salt.. and i do read sodium content on labels... since i was diagnosed as diabetic 4 years ago this month.. and im not on any diabetic meds at all and i have dropped 50 pounds since my wedding a year ago.. Sweet N Louisiana  
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Wing_Zero_75
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Aug 23 @ 2:58PM
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And that is why obeseity is so over the top here in the states.
Larry
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gunn12fan
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Aug 23 @ 2:59PM
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That's why I'm on blood pressure meds and a no salt diet
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leprichaun_magic
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Aug 23 @ 3:56PM
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yes thats true ..and I didnt miss it when .I stopped --or the sugar in coffee`and tea..its just a habit .that you can break :)
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legacy1
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Aug 23 @ 5:00PM
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I love my beef jerky or buffalo jerky but have you seen some of the sodium contents in those things?...DOH! 
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ttomtarr
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Aug 23 @ 7:00PM
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Grease, Charli, you forgot the grease !
Sweet or salty stuff is great, but it's much better if it is greasy too.
Transfats are OK, but butter is better and lard gives the best taste of all. What is better than a fried mullet dinner, with french fries, onion rings, and nice sweet hush puppies?
You can almost hear your heart slam shut while you chew 'em. 
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chubs
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Aug 23 @ 7:03PM
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yeah, I heard tell some women really like things that taste salty!
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luneib
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Aug 23 @ 8:12PM
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There was a news article recently on Dennys, here is just one that I found, you are right they salt everything heavily.
https://www.google.com/adsense/static/en_US/AfcOverview.html?gsessionid=bM9h4uYIrW624S3wCflMSgttps://www.google.com/adsense/static/en_US/AfcOverview.html?gsessionid=bM9h4uYIrW624S3wCflMSg
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luneib
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Aug 23 @ 8:13PM
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There was a news article recently on Dennys, they are being sued for heavy salt content in their foods.
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luneib
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Aug 23 @ 8:16PM
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Let me try this again lol.
WEB MD Dennys Sued For Salt Contenthttp://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20090723/dennys-sued-over-salty-food
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Loreli
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Aug 23 @ 8:38PM
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You can get packed meats in water, not the heavy stuff. BUT, one is better off just buying a good cut of meat, fish, etc....and doing it on the grill!
I only like a little salt, but LOVE pepper!
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butterfly943
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Aug 23 @ 10:19PM
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I guilty I love salty foods..allot better then sugar 
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mystery2u888
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Aug 23 @ 11:56PM
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I don't even own salt............ or have sugar.........I just cook with spices and other ingredients.......... I just think it is where you live and what places you are going to.........it all depends.........some places are very high that are just who are vegan eaters or organic .......that is what I see here.......
I can't stand salt......I check alot of ingredients of how much sodium is in everything......if I buy it
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Always_Striving
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Aug 24 @ 5:15AM
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I need to cut back.
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