Get the Salt Out (76 page)

490
Start feeding your children unsalted foods when they’re babies
. You’ll give them a healthier start and prevent them from developing a potentially dangerous desire for excessive salt, which would cause problems later on in life. Don’t think keeping salt away from children isn’t helpful for their health: studies with animals suggest that babies are less capable of excreting excess salt than adults. In addition, high-sodium intakes early in life may predispose babies to developing hypertension as adults.

BONUS TIP:
As further proof that low-sodium nutrition is best for babies, consider that human milk, the ideal food for infants, naturally contains a low amount of sodium, regardless of how much salt the mother eats. By comparison, cow’s milk, which is ideal for calves, contains 600 percent more salt

491
The best way to guarantee that a child won’t become addicted to salt
is for that child to have a parent who isn’t. Get the salt out of your diet and let your child learn by example.

492
Don’t give your child salty snacks as rewards
, and ask the same of day care providers, teachers, and relatives. Remember, a liking for excessive salt is a learned behavior, so it’s important not only to encourage them in their efforts but also to
discourage
your children from indulging in salt.

493
Be creative when packing your children’s school lunches
by providing low-sodium, nutritious foods that their friends would want, too. One snack food that certainly fits that description is unsalted blue or red tortilla chips. If you pack fun, novel, tasty foods like these, you certainly will encourage your children to eat low-salt foods, and you may unknowingly influence your children’s friends as well!

494
Add spice to life by planning fun times with interesting people.
If you find yourself wanting the taste excitement of salt, consider whether you don’t really want emotional or mental stimulation instead.

495
Don’t get discouraged. Persevere,
even when it seems like everyone around you is eating too much salt. You have to understand that you now know a secret that many others have yet to learn: maintaining discipline over your intake of salt and unhealthy sodium is an important key to long-lasting health. Continue to remind yourself of this.

496
Reinforce your commitment to eat healthfully
as much as you need to in order to ensure success. One technique that works well is to post on your refrigerator positive affirmations as well as a list of the many reasons you want to avoid salt. Then every time you begin to open the refrigerator door, you receive helpful reminders about why you want to keep the salt out.

497
Envision yourself easily being in control of the salt you consume
and having a healthy attitude about food in general. Positive mental images often translate into positive results.

498
Concentrate on improving yourself,
even when others close to you are not interested in doing the same. If others see how helpful reducing salt is for you, they might follow your lead. Even if they don’t, you need to do what’s right for you. Your primary responsibility in life is to be the best person (physically, mentally, and spiritually) that you can be.