Ok…so I know that most people try to reduce the salt intake they have, but I don’t have that luxury. I have low blood pressure. Not deathly low, but I have been known to get dizzy when I don’t get enough salt & water. I have also had purple toes. Yeah, that may seem weird (I thought so) but when the blood pools in your feet, it makes sense. Anyways…here are my tips on Adding Salt (do the opposite if you are eliminating/decreasing)…by the way I’m not a big fan of salt. Or its taste.
-Eat canned soup (and not the reduced-sodium kind). Lots of them have tons of salt without the salty taste.
-Use salted butter, not unsalted. A simple switch.
-Drink Gatorade. While it doesn’t have lots of sodium (compared to soup), it does have electrolytes, which are said to be good.
-Season your food (meat and cooked veggies) with salt whenever possible.
-Eat chips. While not the healthiest option, if you are growing and don’t eat too much, it’s not a bad snack food. Salted crackers work just as well.
-Snack on salted nuts. While these have more of a salt taste, they’re not that bad once you get used to them.
-Use condiments when possible (ketchup, soy/tamari sauce, mayo, or whatever you like).
-When reading the labels (you have to anyways for gluten), choose products with more sodium per serving (make sure the serving sizes are equal, or you have to do more math).
-Always buy the regular versions of foods…Never the reduced-sodium kind.
-Basically…eat anything processed (not uber-processed though, you still want it to be healthy)
Hope these tips help for any other people with this annoying issue. Just keep in mind that people with lower blood pressure, (not necessarily low blood pressure, but lower than normal) tend to live longer. So at least there is one big upside to purple toes…
Good Luck,
Lauren
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Did someone tell you to eat more salt for your low blood pressure? I’m a bit concerned about it, as it’s not really a good way to treat low blood pressure and you could end up overloading your kidneys and causing odema.
In my experience (as a homeopath and previous sufferer of low blood pressure) the best way to raise your pressure is to take regular exercise and take the herb Ginko Biloba, which increases circulation naturally.
You may also have laxity in your veins and arteries – the opposite of hardened or narrowed arteries. To improve this you can try eating buckwheat (not gluten containing) as it contains rutin – a vein wall strengthener. Make sure you are getting adequate omega 3 fatty acids and take a supplement if needed, to provide the building blocks your tissue needs to regenerate.
Hope that’s helpful?
x x x