Diseases and Low Sodium Diet

Taken from MayoClinic.com, written by the Mayo Clinic staff.
There are many diseases and conditions that can benefit from consuming a low sodium diet. I will try to hilite one of these each week in the following posts.
1) Acute kidney failure.
During your recovery, your doctor may recommend a special diet to help support your kidneys and limit the work they must do. Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian who can analyze your current diet and suggest ways to make your diet easier on your kidneys.
Depending on your situation, your dietitian may recommend that you, a) Choose lower potassium foods at each meal. High-potassium foods include bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Low-potassium foods include apples, cabbage, carrots, green beans, grapes and strawberries; and b) Avoid products with added salt. Lower the amount of sodium you eat each day by avoiding products with added salt, including many convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, canned soups and fast foods. Other foods with added salt include salty snack foods, canned vegetables, and processed meats and cheeses.
As your kidneys recover, you may no longer need to eat a special diet.
NOTE: I have also found that boxed mixes in the store, such as as well as items with baking powder, such as biscuit dough, are generally higher in sodium as well. Start by reading labels of the foods you eat and then look for a lower sodium version. Usually, eating plain meats, vegetables and fruits are the best diet to consume when you are limiting your sodium; but watch out for the added "injected brines" in many of your fresh and frozen meats, especially poultry, which we all think is the healthiest protein.
Have a great week, and I'll have more next week!