There are so many products on the shelves these days promising to help combat a bloated body. Some come in tablet form, others come in fortifications added to foods such as yoghurts and other dairy based products, and some even come in drinkable food products.

There is a direct link between having a diet high in sodium (salt), and feeling bloated in both your face and body. Straight forward thinking would be to remove salt from the diet, however it is thought that almost all of the salt we consume actually comes in the form of sodium, which is found in processed foods to aid with flavour and shelf life, as opposed to the salt we add onto our meals.

Now I am one for being practicle, and I certainly am not suggesting that everyone cuts out all packaged foods, however given that so many people are complaining of feeling bloated, and most would access a supermarket at least once in a week, choosing “low salt” products would be the first step to reducing your sodium intake and combating the bloat.

A low sodium food is one that has less than 120mg/100g of sodium. Anything with above 450mg/100g is classified as a high sodium food and should be put back onto the shelf and a healthier alternative be selected.

The most commonly consumed high sodium foods that ideally should be replaced in the diet are:

1. Processed meats (no matter if they are 98% fat free, or not, this does not affect the large amount of sodium in the food).
2. Packaged soups- even if per 100mls they have less than 450mg, typically you would consume around 200-250mls in the one sitting (one small cup), and therefore would get double the amount of sodium in one hit.
3. Asian based stir fry sauces- yes even oyster sauce or a salt reduced soy is still extremely high in sodium.
4. Bread- similar to the packaged soups, typically someone would consume 2 slices in the one sitting, therefore you would be consuming anywhere between 80-100g of bread.
5. Canned meats and fish- even 98% fat free tuna, can still be high in sodium, check the label as you will be surprised that you may have 2 favourite flavours, with one being a far better choice in relation to sodium reduction.
6. Flavoured rice crackers and chips- rice crackers promote that they are low in fat, however they are still often covered in a salt based flavouring, if you consume 1 row (25g) this may not pose a problem, however if you are over indulging, thinking they are a “healthy” snack, you could be consuming well above the recommended intake.

So how much sodium should you be having a day?

Adults should be aiming to have no more than 2,300mg a day, and ideally as a heart protective/blood pressure reducing strategy, be having no more than 1,600mg a day.

Go on, check your bread, tuna or stir fry sauce when you get home, you may be pleasantly, or unpleasantly surprised, either way, from there you will be able to work towards beating the bloat!