Don’t let the recent media tizzy linking diet soda to stroke distract you from an even bigger threat to your brain: salt. The amount of sodium most of us eat every day doubles your stroke risk. That’s why we’re 100 percent with the federal government and the American Heart Association. Both now say that most adults should consume no more than 1,500 mg a day of sodium (that’s 3/4 teaspoon of salt) — not the 2,300 mg recommended in 2005, and definitely NOT the 4,300 mg most of us get from eating restaurant meals, canned/processed foods and even healthy-sounding stuff like rye bread.
Why? Simple. Cutting back on sodium can save you from a heart or brain attack (aka stroke). It’s as important as eating more (many more) fruits and veggies. But it ain’t easy to go low in a high-sodium world. Here’s how to do it the way they do it at Dr. Mike’s Cleveland Clinic, where the Lifestyle 180 chef-nutritionists have become seasoning experts. You can learn to make food taste great too, without ever eating a bland meal. We promise!
