News Feature                             For Immediate Release

                                                                                                                      July 30, 2010

Hold the Sodium!

The Grey Bruce Health Unit applauds the release of the Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada. The suggestions provide a roadmap to promote health by focusing on a major public health issue – high sodium intake. We all need sodium but much less than we are currently consuming. The interim target recommended in the Reduction Strategy is to reduce everyone’s average sodium intake to 2300 mg by 2016. The ultimate goal is to lower sodium intake for as many people as possible below 2300 mg per day.

Sodium is an essential mineral that your body needs – in small amounts- to balance fluid levels in the blood and around body cells. Sodium is also needed for nerve and muscle function and to keep the acid level in the body normal. It is currently estimated that the average sodium intake is 3,400 mg per person per day from all sources. The majority of sodium comes from processed foods (77 per cent) and adding salt while preparing our meals (6 per cent at the table and 5 per cent during cooking).

“Our goal is a healthy community, where healthy choices are the easiest. We all benefit by choosing to reduce our intake of sodium.” says Grey Bruce Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hazel Lynn. “We could see a 6-9 per cent decrease in cardiovascular events, a significant issue in Grey Bruce, and a 3 per cent decrease in deaths simply by reducing sodium intake.”

Public Health programs support the Sodium Reduction Strategy in a variety of ways:

• The Safe Food Handlers course educates restaurant staff on how to provide tasty lower sodium food choices for their patrons.
• The Eat Smart recognition program supports healthy eating choices in schools and workplace cafeterias
• Implementation of the School Food and Beverage Policy with both the Bluewater and Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board (Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum 150).
• Working with municipalities to support the adoption of healthy food choices in recreation areas.
• Conducting supermarket tours in local communities.

Although most of us are aware of sodium as a health issue we tend to think that it is someone else’s problem not ours. Here are the top seven things you can do to limit your sodium intake:

• Use less processed foods- choose fresh foods, prepared without salt or salty seasonings most of the time.
• Cook more meals from scratch- check out the cookbook section in your local library. 
• Hide the salt shaker- flavour foods with lemon, vinegar, garlic, onion (not garlic or onion salt), herbs and spices.
• Read the label on everything you buy- look for products with less than 300 mg sodium per serving.
• Ask for the nutrition information at restaurants where you eat regularly- choose the lower sodium entrees.
• Look for unsalted nuts, popcorn, crackers and pretzels, if you choose these for snacks.
• Try the sodium-reduced alternative to your usual products when available.

For further information, call Public Health at 519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 or visit our website at www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca.

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For more information:

Lynda Bumstead

Manager, Health Promotion

Grey Bruce Health Unit

519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext. 1463