If there is one mineral that we do not lack, it is salt! We consume an average of 10 g of salt per day, while it is recommended to limit its intake to 5 or 6 g. So, does salt make you fat? No, but excess salt is bad for weight. Your new slimming step is therefore to ensure that you respect your daily salt quota!
In addition to contributing to fluid retention and bloating, salt (also called sodium chloride) increases blood pressure.
In addition, salt sharpens the taste buds and increases the feeling of hunger, which we often try to escape when we want to lose weight.
By reducing your salt intake, you will avoid cracking under its exciting effect, while giving your taste buds the true taste of food.
Is it true, does salt make you fat?
Our salt intake generally comes to 80% of industrial food preparations, and only 20% of the salt shaker. Unsurprisingly, salt is mainly found in foods to limit such as appetizers, cold meats, cheeses, ketchup or vinaigrette.
Ultra-processed foods also contain a lot of it, so take the time to read food labels carefully. In particular, avoid ready-to-heat meals, ready-to-use sauces, packet soups, frozen meals or canned meats.
For foods that cook in water, salt the water before immersing them. In general, it is preferable to add salt when cooking rather than at the table. This allows the salt time to penetrate into the food. As a result, you will add less salt than if you had salted directly on the plate.
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A low-salt diet decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and overweight.
Very healthy but very salty foods!
Also pay attention to certain foods considered healthy and which are often recommended in slimming diets. Among them, we find certain mineral or sparkling waters, oily fish such as sardines, tuna, salmon (especially if it is smoked) or foods considered probiotic such as pickled vegetables such as sauerkraut, gherkins, olives, pickled beets…
They should not be banned, they are nutritionally interesting, but just avoid consuming them every day.
You can now answer the question negatively: does salt make you fat? But you also know that you need to limit your salt intake. Does this mean that you will now have to eat bland foods? Of course not ! There are several alternatives to sodium. And if you are curious, you can even discover exotic and unexpected tastes!
Here are some tips from cooking :
- Choose cooking that preserve flavor food: steam, papillote, stewed…
- Privilege some vegetables (cabbage, celery, etc.), fish (monkfish, mackerel, etc.), meats (lamb, beef, etc.) which have a strong enough flavor not to be salty.
- Spice up your poultry and white fish with a julienne or vegetable fondue (leeks, fennel, etc.), a dash of olive oillemon juice or white wine (alcohol evaporates during cooking).
- For the pasta, make homemade sauces made with fresh or frozen tomatoes.
- Thus, they will lose less of their water-soluble aromatic compounds.
The delight of spices and aromatic herbs
Several condiments, spices and aromatic herbs can enhance the taste of food without risking weight loss or water retention. By adding them to your dishes, you will completely forget that you did not use salt.
Some of the best candidates include:
- paprika,
- the Basilic,
- thyme,
- Laurel,
- garlic,
- onion powder.
You can prepare seasoning mixes without salt from these herbs and spices. They do not contain sodium chloride and add a lot of flavor to foods. Other condiments, such as diet mustard, may also work.
If you have an adventurous temperament in the kitchen, do not hesitate to test the famous chinese monoglutamate sauce (Vi-Sinh). It brings out the taste of the products themselves better, such as meat, fish, vegetables, and can advantageously replace salt.
A salt substitute to know
Potassium chloride is an excellent taste substitute for salt and the difference between the two is not easy to tell. It can therefore be a good substitute for salt. However, when taking potassium chloride, you have to remain vigilant and keep your hand very light. Do not exceed the recommended intakes… of chlorine for the body. That’s not the goal either!
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