Does anyone have any concerns about the salt content in sardines or tuna or deviled ham? Any problems with excess water retention? Or stalls? They are all 0 carbs I believe.

hi Dalene,

Salt (sodium) is one of those YMMV things (your mileage may vary) ... I think in general, if your kidneys are healthy, and no other medical reasons to restrict salt .. then salt and salty foods in moderation should be perfectly fine. Drinking lots of water will help keep the kidneys flushed too.

The need for sodium is about 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day, or about 1 to 1.5 tsp (5 to 7 ml) of salt.

Eating a balance of real whole foods - fresh (or frozen) unprocessed meats, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables and lowcarb fruits ... with saltier processed foods such as canned fish, vegetables, cheese, peanut butter, pickles, sauces and condiments, and ensuring a high water intake should be fine. Make sure to take extra potassium as well, since that is important for sodium balance too.

Watch out for the devilled ham products ... they often have added sugar or starch .... ham, corned beef, pastrami, etc .. use sugar in the curing process. Generally it's a small amount, 1 or 2 g, but you need to be aware that it's there, and account for the carbs.

hope this helps,

Doreen

Dalene, I used to retain alot of water, especially in my fingers, feet and ankles. Since being on Atkins I've lost all that water. I do eat a fair amount of salt, though not excessive. Usually just on my eggs and a bit on my veggies. But I haven't had any more problems with water retention yet.

P.S. Doreen, finally got my NoSalt today!!! So I'll be using that now instead of regular salt (or maybe I'll make a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture). That way I get my potassium too.

Wendy