Little do you know but salt is placed in the vast majority of the food we eat, even down to your favorite desert or drink. Not only is consuming too much sugar an epidemic for most Canadians but so is the increase of salt/sodium. Having too much sodium can lead to serious health complications such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Sodium is actually required to help us function, however, most people are eating far more salt than necessary or required. Based on research, there are dietary recommendations as guidelines that we should pay closer attention to. See the recommendations below:

• Healthy adults need only 1500 mg of sodium per day.
• Healthy children need only 1000 to 1500 mg of sodium per day.

People with health conditions like high blood pressure or kidney disease may need to aim for a lower sodium intake and should follow the advice of their health care provider. The alarming reality is that most of us eat about 3400 mg per day. This is more than double the amount of sodium we need.