Thanksgiving is a Sodium Death Trap

We have all heard that the average American eats over 3000 calories on Thanksgiving (makes me want to vomit just thinking about it!!) But, Thanksgiving isn't just wreaking havoc on your calorie totals, it is completely throwing your body out of wack by all the SODIUM that is hidden in traditional American dishes.

I was in Target today, and picked up a box of Kraft Stove Top stuffing.  You may think this is nuts, but I have only had stuffing twice in my whole life. Yes. Twice. My family is Spanish (read my "about me" section!) and we never had stuffing at Thanksgiving. So, anways, I read the nutrition label and the first thing that stuck out to me was the insane amount of sodium.  A serving, which is 1/2 cup prepared, equates to 390 mg of sodium, or 20% of your daily value. Now, keep in mind, that is for someone eating 2000 calories a day.  I eat between 1250-1500 per day, so that percentage is even higher. 

And that is just ONE serving of a side dish served...

But why do I care about sodium in the first place? Well, not only does your body retain a ton of fluids to flush it out, sodium is linked to TONS of health problems including heart disease and high blood pressure. Since your body is retaining water to flush out the excess sodium in your blood stream, the increased volume running through your veins can cause elevated blood pressure and heart attacks.

 SO this peaked my interest....I continued on down the aisle looking for other items that may be served at Thanksgiving, which brought me to the end cap containing green bean casserole ingredients (which I also have never eaten!).  The shelves contained French's Fried Onions and canned green beans. Now, don't get me wrong, I could EASILY chug a container of french fried onions if I didn't have any respect for myself. BUT, because I give a shit and I don't want to be a fat slob...I read labels.

For the fried onions, 1 serving is 2 tbsp, containing 45 calories and 60 mg or 3% of your daily value. And lets be serious, 1 tbsp is not that much, so lets just multiply that by 4...(there are 24 servings in the small plastic container)...and you have just added 240 mg to your Thanksgiving plate. Add a 1/2 cup serving of the green beans and you have added another 380 mg, or 16% of your sodium. 

If you are keeping score with me...just these two side dishes, green bean casserole and stuffing (totalling about 1 cup of food) has just racked up 1,010 mg of sodium. For an adult, that is 48% of your daily recommended amount of sodium. 

The gross part is, we haven't added in any of these items...

1. the turkey (which is probably basted)

2. the gravy (which is made with some form of stock also containing insane amounts of sodium)

3. any appetizers or party trays...pigs in a blanket anybody? (a whopping 22% of your DV of sodium)

4. dessert (see below)

5. croissants, dinner rolls, butter

6. mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes...

I could continue on...but I think you get where I'm going with this...

In one sitting, you could EASILY triple your recommended amount of sodium for one day.  Ever eaten alot of Chinese food and your face is puffy the next morning? That is from all the extra salt! Your body reacts to excess sodium by retaining water. You could EASILY pack on 5-10 pounds in water weight from two rounds of Thanksgiving meals. 

SO...what are you supposed to do? My biggest and most effective suggestion for any dish you have the control of making, use FRESH ingredients.  Although it is tempting to just grab a bunch of cans and boxes of crap at the store and throw it together at home, you will be saving your waistline, and your body by dramatically cutting back on sodium by making your dishes from scratch. AND, if you need to use pre made goods, read the labels and look for lower sodium alternatives.

Don't think either that desserts, just because they are sweet, don't contain this tummy bloating ingredient. Sara Lee premade pumpkin pie contains 400 mg, or 17% of DV of sodium, in 1/8 slice of pie (besides the 270 calories, 10 grams of fat and 4 grams of saturated fat).

I found a lovely little article on Livestrong that goes into detail of the recommended amounts of sodium for your health.  Like anything else, you need sodium in moderation like you need fats, calories, protein etc. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, water retension, and heart disease.  But, too little sodium in your diet can cause damage to your kidneys.  Click here for more info!

Hope that this has opened your eyes a little bit more when it comes to pigging out on Thanksgiving. Bottom line: be smart, use your brain, read labels, don't be a lazy idiot. Cook your dishes using the cleanest form of ingredients as humanly possible.  Processed food has the highest amount of sodium in anything you can buy in the grocery store, because it is used as a preservative. Unless you plan on preserving your Thanksgiving dinner til March 2014, I don't suggest buying boxed anything. I will be thankful that my pants fit come Black Friday morning. :)

Happy Holidays!

xo, Victoria

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