#Middlebury #Seniors
It’s time to read food labels again. If you’ve grabbed the same cans off the grocery shelves over the years, there’s every possibility the ingredients have changed. You won’t know what you’re actually getting unless you look.
I’m a fine example of this. I’m a big label reader when I’m picking out food. Once something passes my scrutiny (low sodium is my big one), I feel confident in continuing to buy that food.
Today I decided to compare two flavors of the same brand of baked beans. Imagine my horror when I discovered that the kind I usually eat has a whopping 1,080 grams of sodium per serving. That’s a significant part of the sodium limit for a whole day. There’s no way I would have chosen that one so long ago. So it’s changed over the years, and I never even knew. I’m back to scrutinizing every label now, and you should too, at least until you’re confident you know what you’re getting.
Hot weather, as well as what we eat, can bring on high levels of sodium in the blood. It’s called hypernatremia, and it occurs when we don’t have enough water in our blood to balance the electrolytes. Sodium is one of those. When we drink too little, are taking certain medications, urinate too often or are sweating excessively, everything can get out of balance.
Hypernatremia can be extremely serious, even deadly. Symptoms include extreme thirst, fatigue and confusion. It can sneak up on you. Run this by your doctor and ask for advice on the amount of water you should drink in a day. This will vary based on your medications.
Meanwhile, check your food labels and be sure you know what you’re getting. And remember, “low sodium” on the label isn’t necessarily true. Read the fine print.
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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