If you have Medicare, you may be wondering what the “Salty Six” are. The Salty Six are six common foods that are high in sodium and can increase your risk for health problems like high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
What Is The Salty Six Infographic In Medicare?
While some sodium is necessary for good health, most Americans consume far more than they need. The average American eats about 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. That’s more than double the amount recommended by the American Heart Association (1,500 mg per day for most adults).
The Salty Six Infographic can help you identify which foods are highest in sodium so you can make better choices for your health. For example, did you know that just one slice of bread can have as much as 230 mg of sodium? And a single serving of soup can have upwards of 1,000 mg!
So what are the Salty Six? Here they are:
Bread and rolls
Pizza
Cold cuts and cured meats
Soup
Burritos and tacos
Chicken
By making small changes to your diet and reducing your intake of the Salty Six, you can significantly lower your risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
What are the Salty Six?
The Salty Six are six common foods that are high in sodium. They are: bread, cheese, lunch meats, pizza, poultry, and soup. These foods make up the majority of the sodium in the American diet.
If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease, you should limit your intake of these foods. Even if you don’t have any of these conditions, you should be aware of how much sodium you’re consuming from these foods.
Here are some tips for reducing your intake of the Salty Six:
-Read nutrition labels and choose products with lower sodium content.
-When eating out, request that your food be prepared without salt or with less salt.
-Limit your portion sizes of these foods.
-Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. These are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium, which can help reduce blood pressure.
Effects of Sodium on Health
Sodium is an essential mineral for human health, but too much sodium can have negative effects on health. Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Too much sodium can also cause kidney damage and other problems.
How to Reduce Sodium Intake
The Salty Six are common foods that contribute to high sodium intake. By making simple changes in your diet, you can reduce your sodium intake and improve your health.
Here are some tips for reducing sodium in your diet:
- Limit processed foods. Processed foods are often high in sodium. Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables instead.
- Read food labels. When shopping, check the nutrition facts label for the sodium content of foods. Choose foods with lower sodium content.
- Cook at home. When you cook at home, you can control the amount of sodium in your food. Use herbs and spices to flavor food instead of salt.
- Limit restaurant meals. Restaurant meals are often high in sodium. If you eat out, choose restaurants that offer healthy options and read the menu carefully to make sure you know what you’re ordering.
What is Medicare Doing to Help?
There’s no question that the Salty Six are a problem for Medicare. That’s why we’re taking action to help curb their impact. We’re working with doctors and hospitals to promote best practices for preventing and treating these conditions. And, we’re giving patients the tools they need to make healthy choices and stay on track.
We know that making changes can be hard. But, together, we can lower your risk of developing the Salty Six and improve your overall health.
Tips for Monitoring and Reducing Sodium Intake
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the “Salty Six” infographic to help raise awareness about the six foods that contribute the most sodium to the American diet. Here are some tips for monitoring and reducing your sodium intake:
1.Read food labels carefully and choose products with lower sodium content.
2.Limit your intake of processed and packaged foods, which are often high in sodium.
3.If you eat out, ask for nutrition information and make choices based on sodium content.
4.Use herbs, spices, and other flavorings to add flavor to food without adding salt.
5.Cook more meals at home using fresh ingredients.
6.Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
Conclusion
The Salty Six Infographic in Medicare is a great resource for those who want to learn about how much sodium is in their food choices. It highlights the most common foods that are high in sodium and provides information on how to reduce your intake of these items. Knowing which foods contain more salt can help you make healthier dietary choices, leading to better overall health outcomes. This infographic makes it easy to identify which foods have too much salt and helps people take control of their own health by making better decisions when it comes to what they eat.