Hypertension, Salty Trail Food - Problems?

[Rocketman]

I may have developed hypertension (High blood pressure) from the high sodium levels in convenience foods such as Lipton's Side Dishes and Sausage or Pouch Meats, and other trail food sodium sources.

Has anyone else experience with the problem?

I am laid over at a hostel while getting medical attention, and the problem is resolving.

My goal is to find or create some lower sodium substitutes for the salty portions of my former trail diet - Lipton sides and preserved meat products.

Quite a lof of the freeze dried foods are high in sodium as well, but certainly better than Lipton Sides.

"3-Day"

[workboot]

Unfortunatly most processed food (Liptons/ramen/freeze dried etc) is high in sodium.A few that are not come to mind .Oatmeal, poptarts,unsalted peanuts,gits, cream of wheat are just a few that are low sodium,also when making ramen only use a part of the seasoning pack and you`ll cut the sodium way down.Pasta with olive oil and parmesan and tortilla shells filled with peanut butter and raisins are pretty good as well and low in sodium. Good luck.

[Appalachian Tater]

Woah! Parmesan cheese is extemely high in sodium, even compared to other cheeses. Peanut butter can also be, depending on the brand. You have to read the label and be knowledgeable about unprocessed food that won't have a label.

http://oto.wustl.edu/men/sodium.htm

Most all fast food restaurants and chains have brochures about nutrition content of their menu if you ask for it.

[mudhead]

Cous Cous.

Rice.

Beans.

Peanut butter.

Bland tastes better after you get used to less salt.

Google survivalist, and you will find scads of bulk dried foods, from places like "Wilton Feeds." ?

You will be amazed where sodium hides in processed foods. Read your labels.

[sarbar]

I think we talked via email about this? Just wanted to make sure!

For me, simply put, I make the majority of my trail food to stay on a low sodium diet, and when I do add salt it is usually in cheese.

For those who don't know it, quite a bit of sodium is hidden in bread and bread products. Flour tortillas are NOT low in sodium (most corn ones are though!) For cheese, the only lower sodium one you can readily find is Swiss.
On the other hand, if you can find Boars Head brand they make low sodium cheese and meats.
Any processed or deli meats is a no.

So what do I eat?
Pasta
Rice
Couscous
Canned dried beans
freeze dried and dried vegetables and druits
olive oil
unsalted butter
Swiss cheese
high fiber/no sodium cereal
soy milk
natural unsalted PB
home dried hamburger
homemade hummus
low sodium whole wheat crackers
unsalted potato chips (I have to have potassium!)

and lots more! Basically I eat a wide diet at home and on the trail. What I don't eat is items like Mountain House and Liptons anymore. Some times I do eat stuff that is somewhat processed, but I blend it into a carb that isn't salty. (ie..black beans by Fantastic Foods over rice with salsa).

I dry most of my foods these days and then fill it in with items that pass my test.

For the most part, once I got used to it, it wasn't much harder to do it than my old ways!

[fiddlehead]

just carry pasta and then things to liven it up like: powdered coconut milk with indian curry powder, or tuna and real cheese with some sun dried tomatoes thrown in. (some of that stuff may be a bit difficult to find in the south but not so hard in northern cities or even online these days)
I usually have some favorite ingredients like that along with potato flakes and cous cous just in case i want to give a meal some punch or as a back up meal. If you dry your own food, it's a lot easier also.

[Outlaw]

Roocketman,

You may want to check out Adventure Foods, who claim they do not add salt to their meals. Their website says they will also accomodate those with other food-related health concerns with specialty items. Here's their website: http://www.adventurefoods.com/brochure.pdf

Hope you recoup quickly and can get back on the trail soon. :)

[Fiddleback]

Getting rid of the salt is a good place to start but salt-derived sodium does not necessarily cause hypertension. In fact, nearly all hypertension cases have no known cause. None the less, the regulation of salt is a common way of controlling/reducing high blood pressure. So too is the restricion of tobacco, alcohol, and fats. Also, daily excercise, maintaining recommended body weight, increasing fruits, vegies, and low-fat dairy products, and controlling stress are all mandated lifestyle changes.

Some medications, including cold remedies, decongestants, and pain killers, will cause a spike in blood pressure. The painkillers found to cause higher blood pressure include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin. One study found a much higher risk of hypertension in men who took pain relievers daily or 15 or more pills per week. Such regular use of painkillers, something that is probably pretty common on thru hikes, is thought to cause a significant increase of risk of hypertension.

Make sure you do a medical follow-up when you get home. Best wishes.

FB

[sarbar]

Fiddleback is very right on that sodium is only one part of lowering blood pressure. One thing I have to do is walk daily. I had severe health issues 2 years ago, and one thing I did was lose 30 lbs off the top. That helped a lot as well.

Another company with good meals is Mary Janes Organics. The backpacking meals are usually under 600 Mg for the bag, which is very good overall for a dinner.

[Fiddleback]

How much off the bottom, Sarbar?:D

[Rocketman]

I think we talked via email about this? Just wanted to make sure!

For me, simply put, I make the majority of my trail food to stay on a low sodium diet, and when I do add salt it is usually in cheese.

For those who don't know it, quite a bit of sodium is hidden in bread and bread products. Flour tortillas are NOT low in sodium (most corn ones are though!) For cheese, the only lower sodium one you can readily find is Swiss.
On the other hand, if you can find Boars Head brand they make low sodium cheese and meats.
Any processed or deli meats is a no.

So what do I eat?
Pasta
Rice
Couscous
Canned dried beans
freeze dried and dried vegetables and druits
olive oil
unsalted butter
Swiss cheese
high fiber/no sodium cereal
soy milk
natural unsalted PB
home dried hamburger
homemade hummus
low sodium whole wheat crackers
unsalted potato chips (I have to have potassium!)

and lots more! Basically I eat a wide diet at home and on the trail. What I don't eat is items like Mountain House and Liptons anymore. Some times I do eat stuff that is somewhat processed, but I blend it into a carb that isn't salty. (ie..black beans by Fantastic Foods over rice with salsa).

I dry most of my foods these days and then fill it in with items that pass my test.



I have read your website and made a list of the basic low sodium things to eat.

TRAIL AVAILABILITY

I visited the food stores in Erwin, TN, a well known AP trail town, to determine the ease of getting these foods on the trail.

ZERO SODIUM AVAILABLE FOODS
Instant Brown Rice
Instant White Rice
Couscous (unflavored)
Quaker Quick Barley
Sodium Free Bullion - Chichen and Beef
Fifty 50 Peanut Butter, sodium free
Corn Tortillas
Mrs Dash Salt Free Seasonings.
Lemon Crystals
Lime Crystals
Orange Crystals
Misc Fresh and Dried Fruits

VERY LOW SODIUM
1/4 lb beef patty 40mg
Chinese Noodles 55 mg
Nutella Hazelnut Spreaad 15 mg
Hungry Jack Natural Potatos (unflavored) 20 mg
Misc Fresh and Dried Fruits

OTHERS
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Swiss Cheese
Various Power/Protein bars 160 - 250 mg
Low Salt Nuts and Trail Mixes

Your email evidently didn't get through my spam filters somehow. I really thank you for your interest, and of course, I thank you for the website.

You are entirely correct. It looks as if it is possible for one to go low sodium hiking on the AT trail, and perhaps be able to buy everything one needs at trail towns. Without having to send packages.

Of course, if one sends packages of home dehydrated foods and other supplies, then it is certain that one can escape the high salt diet.

I appreciate the other concerns about "essential hypertension", which means hypertension with unknown cause - the most common diagnosis.

My hypertension is rapdily resolving to near normal - with medication - and I will be back on the trail pretty soon.

By that time, I will have figured out flavorings for the bulk zero carb carbohydrate basic foods and end up again with a pretty low sodium diet, or at least a pretty normal type diet.

"3-Day"

[1n the Sun]

my problem with the salts it that's usually MSG, which is a migraine trigger for me. I rarely eat rice-A-RONI or other instant sides. the MSG builds, and suddenly even 2 dorito chips with nacho flavoring send me running to a dark room and swilling OTC's like aspiring and liquid kiddie tylenol...yes the liquid works faster on the "side" headache...anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[sarbar]

Well dang, I sent you a really good email. I am sorry it got eaten. It came from my FBC email account. If you want, I can resend it to you, via PM here :)
But it sounds like you did your research! And I'll add something...top ramen is only salty if you add the "flavor" packet! Plain it is a great base.

[Rocketman]

Well dang, I sent you a really good email. I am sorry it got eaten. It came from my FBC email account. If you want, I can resend it to you, via PM here :)
But it sounds like you did your research! And I'll add something...top ramen is only salty if you add the "flavor" packet! Plain it is a great base.

Sure, PM it to me here.

Thanks for your site and help. I am looking forward to the new book, which I hope will have low sodium and other special case healthy FBC foods and information.

Thanks,

"3-Day"