National Nutrition Month – Go Further with Spices
Going further with spices can provide a flavorful palate for our salty taste buds. Our taste buds looovvvee salty foods. We are drawn to salt and constantly over use the salt shaker. Higher sodium diets have been linked to increased risk for heart problems including hypertension. The dietary guidelines recommend 2000mg sodium per day. We know we need to decrease our sodium intake, but we still want foods to taste great.
Go further with these lower sodium spice tips from the American Heart Association: Article: Be Spice Not Salty. While you are at www.heart.org, check out great heart healthy recipes!
On the flip side, our taste buds and our souls love sweet treats. We convince ourselves that we deserve sweets to as rewards, gestures of love, or a way to cope with difficult days. Sweets are often high in calories, added sugars, and fats and sabotage even our healthiest diets.
Instead of reaching for a big bowl of ice cream try using fruits as your sugar fix. Fruits contain natural sugars. Choosing in-season fruits will help maximize your sweet tooth happiness.
Mentally, we need to evaluate a different reward system for ourselves. Wear a new nail polish or lipstick, take a walk with a friend or a trip to the home improvement store, start a new home project, or buy yourself flowers. These are great sugar-free ways to give yourself a pat on the back.
Want to find sodium and sugar on the food label? How much is too much? New Nutrition Facts Label coming this summer. Get a sneak peek!
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