Question

Case Study: Sodium Intake

Bill is a 45-year-old bachelor who eats a grab-and-go breakfast, all of his lunches out, and has take-out or something easy for dinner. Bill’s doctor is concerned that his blood pressure is progressively rising with every office visit and has advised him to “cut out the salt” to lower his sodium intake. Bill rarely uses a saltshaker for salt and is unsure what else he can do to lower his sodium intake. A typical day’s intake is as follows:

Breakfast: Black coffee, 2 jelly doughnuts

Midmorning snack: Black coffee, cookies

Lunch: 2 fast-food tacos with tortilla chips and salsa or a 6-inch cold cut submarine sandwich with potato chips and a cola

Midafternoon snack: candy bar

Dinner: if take-out, then Chinese food or pizza, if “something easy” then boxed macaroni and cheese with a couple of hot dogs, canned soup with a cold cut sandwich or frozen TV dinner

Dessert: Instant pudding or ice cream or candy bar

Evening snack: Cereal with milk or potato chips and dip

After reviewing Bill’s meals from yesterday answer the following questions:

a. What foods may be contributing to high sodium levels in his diet?

b. What patient-centered suggestions would you make for better food choices for him when eating out or cooking something quick at home?

c. Knowing that potassium may help blunt the effect of high sodium intake on blood pressure, what foods would you recommend he add to his diet that would increase his potassium intake?

Answer 1

a. A diet high in sodium can result in high blood pressure.
Some of the foods that are responsible for high sodium intake in Bill are potato chips, submarine sandwich, cheese with a couple of hot dogs, canned soup and tacos with tortilla chips and salsa.
Potato chips have a high level pf sodium in it. Similarly canned food and fast food such as tacos, soup, submarine sandwich, cheese and hot dog also contains high sodium.
b. Due to busy schedules and demanding jobs it becomes difficult to cook a proper meal at home and end up eating outside or canned food.
By following some simple steps we can avoid high sodium intake even while eating out. Whenever you eat out, always order for freshly cooked food. Avoid fried and oily foods at restaurant. Choose more of green leafy vegetables. Avoid preserved meag as it contains high level of sodium.
When cooking at home avoid canned or cold food. If you want some quick recipes go for freshly prepared salads, cereals with milk such as oats, fresh fruits and freshly made sandwich with lots of vegetables in it.
c. Potassium is essential for over health. Some of the important and rich sources of potassium are coconut water, bananas, apricots, beans and lentils, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, dairy products such as milk and yogurt, dried fruits such as raisins.