Another Dash of Salt

 In my previous post, I wrote about the 920-calorie bacon cheeseburger from Five Guys. No, I didn't eat it; a friend did. But I've had plenty of food from restaurants, and I'm sure you have, too. It's difficult to make a healthy choice without the information about what you're eating. Here are some of the "healthy" options I've chosen in the past:The Quesadilla Explosion Salad from Chili's has 850 calories, 45g of fat (21g saturated), 2,230mg of sodium, and 60g of carbs.  Oh, and their Guiltless Grilled Chicken Pita has just 550 calories and 9g of fat, but 2,110mg of sodium.Panera's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (my favorite) is 470 calories, 25g of fat (4g saturated), 560mg of sodium, and 31g of carbs. It's a salad! High in salt and carbs for a salad. And no longer will I order the Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup: 310 calories, 1,470mg of sodium, 29g carbs.I'm not a big fan of the Cheesecake Factory, but I know a lot of my friends are.  Watch out for the Spicy Cashew Chicken. Your dish has 1,810 calories and 4,450mg of sodium. In one serving.According to the Mayo Clinic, the biggest risk of a high-sodium diet is the effect it has on blood pressure and heart health. Hypertension/high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney failure are some of the long-term effects that can result from long-term, high-sodium intake. In the body, sodium is processed by the kidneys. However,  when a person eats too much sodium, the kidneys cannot process all of it. The excess sodium ends up in the bloodstream. Because the mineral retains water, the volume of blood in the body increases. As a result, the circulatory system has to work harder to pump the blood. Over time, this added strain on the system can result in heart disease and kidney failure.Since February is Heart Health month, this is good information - not to scare you (well, maybe a little), but just to let you know that knowing what goes into your body is important. I'm learning, too - and as much as I like to go out to eat, I'm going to be much more prudent about my choices.