# Calculating Sodium Question



## JMediger (Sep 27, 2013)

DH was recently diagnosed with Liver disease and has been put on a restricted sodium diet.  I made pot roast today in the crock pot and used 1 cup of beef broth with a jar of my own tomatoes that I know are low in sodium as cooking liquid (I didn't make gravy).

Here's my question ... how much sodium is absorbed by a food during cooking?  If I cook with something that has 100mg of sodium, does the food then take on the 100mg?  50mg?  I'm guessing meat is different than say pasta which actually absorbs the liquid.

Thoughts?  Just wondering how to calculate sodium for meals like this.


----------



## taxlady (Sep 27, 2013)

I think you need a dietician to answer that. Maybe Ezil, who is a dietician student knows and will chime in.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 27, 2013)

You will have to guess on that one.  Meat is muscle, if the sodium concentration on the outside is higher it will move by osmosis into the cells of the roast until it balances out, but only on the outside of the roast for about 1/4 inch or less.  This is the nature of sodium (and countless other substances).  Ask DH's doctor for a dietician consult and both of you go.


----------



## tweakz (May 13, 2014)

Weird: salt is one of the best health supplements imho.


----------



## taxlady (May 13, 2014)

tweakz said:


> Weird: salt is one of the best health supplements imho.


Moderation.


----------



## GotGarlic (May 13, 2014)

tweakz said:


> Weird: salt is one of the best health supplements imho.



When people are diagnosed with serious diseases, their needs can change drastically.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (May 13, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> When people are diagnosed with serious diseases, their needs can change drastically.



Very true, I am salt sensitive, makes my blood pressure shoot right up.  Doesn't stop me from having a treat now and then...but I am aware and drink more water.


----------



## Zhizara (May 13, 2014)

To much salt has been my nemesis for a long time.  Too much salt and my ankles swell.

I really hate that and often will stop eating something when I get the too salty taste.

I have found that vitamin B12 will help ease the swelling.


----------



## tweakz (May 13, 2014)

Zhizara said:


> To much salt has been my nemesis for a long time.  Too much salt and my ankles swell.
> 
> I really hate that and often will stop eating something when I get the too salty taste.
> 
> I have found that vitamin B12 will help ease the swelling.



-I sometimes get that swelling also and suspected a deficiency of something else rather than blaming salt entirely. When I wasn't adding salt to my food; I got serious throat infections about yearly. -Not one since. I won't take vitamin supplements (too much silicon dioxide explains a lot of disease, and isolated / man made nutrients are more poison than help). I will consider food sources of B12. -Thanks for the tip!


----------



## CraigC (May 13, 2014)

tweakz said:


> -I sometimes get that swelling also and suspected a deficiency of something else rather than blaming salt entirely. When I wasn't adding salt to my food; I got serious throat infections about yearly. -Not one since. I won't take vitamin supplements (too much silicon dioxide explains a lot of disease, and isolated / man made nutrients are more poison than help). I will consider food sources of B12. -Thanks for the tip!



I like B12. There are many varieties to choose from. I prefer the ones from Germany, Holland and Belgium.


----------



## Zhizara (May 13, 2014)

I didn't know there were different versions.  How can you tell which are which?  I'm not really satisfied with what I can get easily.  It's Spring Valley, timed release 1000 mg.


----------



## CraigC (May 13, 2014)

Oh sure. Here are some examples of brand names.

Germany - Becks
Belgium - Stella Artois
Holland - Heineken


----------



## Dawgluver (May 13, 2014)

Craig, I saw that one coming!


----------



## taxlady (May 13, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> Craig, I saw that one coming!


Same here.


----------



## JMediger (May 15, 2014)

Salt / Sodium isn't bad unless in excess or if your body can't process / absorb it properly.


----------



## tweakz (May 15, 2014)

Chefs dispensing medicine without a license.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (May 15, 2014)

On the contrary, the original poster was directed to talk to a dietician by a practicing RN, since then it's just been chatter about how salt/sodium effects all of us.


----------



## GotGarlic (May 15, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> On the contrary, the original poster was directed to talk to a dietician by a practicing RN, since then it's just been chatter about how salt/sodium effects all of us.



+1..


----------



## JMediger (May 16, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> On the contrary, the original poster was directed to talk to a dietician by a practicing RN, since then it's just been chatter about how salt/sodium effects all of us.



And I did  but didn't get a real firm answer.  She recommended that I still calculate what the original liquid contained and record that as different meats and foods absorb differently.  It wasn't long after my original post, though, that the situation changed.  Still good information though.


----------



## Mad Cook (May 16, 2014)

Not sure whether you have them over there but we have products such as Lo-Salt which is based on potassium rather than sodium. Might be worth hunting them out (but ask the doctor first).

Just checked Lo-salt is available in USA but there may be other similar products.

Something a lot of people overlook when trying to cut down on sodium is bottled mineral water. Check the analyses of the brands first if buying it


----------



## tweakz (May 16, 2014)

Technically everyone should restrict salt (not drink sea water). You can add salt to fresh water or salt water to fresh water to absorb more of the water than you would with just fresh water. Imagine if Gatorade advertised salt instead of electrolytes.


----------



## JMediger (May 16, 2014)

MadC ... I had actually found several very good salt substitutes and used them with seasoning meat or veggies I was cooking.  The problem I ran into was when I wanted to make a roast or needed braising liquid.  It's hard to make just water taste good even with seasoning.  I found that by thinning stock or broth I could make pot roast come in under the limit with ease.  Soups were equally difficult as milk has a good deal of sodium as well.

Tweakz ... I'm not understanding your analogy I guess.  I did end up diluting low sodium stocks and broths to make it work for our needs. Is that what you were meaning?  And I agree about Gatorade, all electrolyte drinks really.


----------



## GotGarlic (May 16, 2014)

tweakz said:


> Technically everyone should restrict salt (not drink sea water). You can add salt to fresh water or salt water to fresh water to absorb more of the water than you would with just fresh water. Imagine if Gatorade advertised salt instead of electrolytes.



I'm surprised anyone buys it. After all, how many people can pronounce electrolytes? Or how many grandmothers cooked with it? Weird chemicals, indeed.


----------



## Mad Cook (May 16, 2014)

JMediger said:


> MadC ... I had actually found several very good salt substitutes and used them with seasoning meat or veggies I was cooking.  The problem I ran into was when I wanted to make a roast or needed braising liquid.  It's hard to make just water taste good even with seasoning.  I found that by thinning stock or broth I could make pot roast come in under the limit with ease.  Soups were equally difficult as milk has a good deal of sodium as well.
> 
> Tweakz ... I'm not understanding your analogy I guess.  I did end up diluting low sodium stocks and broths to make it work for our needs. Is that what you were meaning?  And I agree about Gatorade, all electrolyte drinks really.


You could make your own stock leaving out the salt and freeze it in manageable amounts. Stock cubes and similar stock concentrates aren't essential.


----------



## Mad Cook (May 16, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> I'm surprised anyone buys it. After all, _how many people can pronounce electrolytes?_ Or how many grandmothers cooked with it? Weird chemicals, indeed.


How VERY intellectually superior of you, GG.


----------



## tweakz (May 16, 2014)

I wonder if it has bromine too.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (May 16, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Not sure whether you have them over there but we have products such as Lo-Salt which is based on potassium rather than sodium. Might be worth hunting them out (but ask the doctor first).
> 
> Just checked Lo-salt is available in USA but there may be other similar products.
> 
> Something a lot of people overlook when trying to cut down on sodium is bottled mineral water. Check the analyses of the brands first if buying it



Yes, we have several brands of the potassium salt, I can't get over the metallic taste.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (May 16, 2014)

JMediger said:


> And I did  but didn't get a real firm answer.  She recommended that I still calculate what the original liquid contained and record that as different meats and foods absorb differently.  It wasn't long after my original post, though, that the situation changed.  Still good information though.



I'm glad you found my "help" or lack of helpful.  Some questions just do not have answers. 

My cardiologist's idea to help me is to eat only raw fruit and vegetables ...I am non-compliant because I didn't take her idea seriously.


----------



## JMediger (May 16, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> You could make your own stock leaving out the salt and freeze it in manageable amounts. Stock cubes and similar stock concentrates aren't essential.



I make my own stock and that's what I use most of the time.  But everything has natural sodium.  Vegetable stock would be the lowest but even veggies have natural sodium.  I needed to actually track how much sodium he was taking in so my own made it even harder.  If I had to follow a low sodium diet now that didn't need to be carefully tracked, I would rely on my own cooking but at the time, it made it more difficult.

Anyway ... I appreciate everyone's feedback!  It was hard at the time and I felt better when he was in the hospital and the dietitians struggled with what he could and couldn't eat from their own cafeteria.  It somehow made me feel better.


----------



## GotGarlic (May 17, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> How VERY intellectually superior of you, GG.



That was sarcasm, MC. Since you're not constantly exposed to the extreme nutritionism (I just made that up) here in the United States, I can see why you wouldn't get it.


----------

