New Adventures in Low Sodium Living: First Vacation with the Sodium Restriction

Sunday, July 31, 2011

First Vacation with the Sodium Restriction

Not sure how well it will go, but if we can't find healthy restaurant food in the Pacific Northwest, we might as well give up all hope now. Normally on vacation, we eat fruit and trail mix for breakfast and lunch (not a sodium problem), hike all day, then go out and have a great dinner. I'll let you know how it works out in practice.

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So, what do you have against sodium?

Nothing! In fact, I love sodium, but it does not love me. I was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease in June 2011. The symptoms are not much fun: tinnitus, hearing loss, a strange feeling of fullness in the affected ear, plus dizziness and/or vertigo with nausea. Mild attacks are merely uncomfortable and annoying. Severe attacks are debilitating.

There is no cure, but the first line of defense against the symptoms of Meniere's is a very low sodium diet (less than 2000mg per day, which is just under one teaspoon of salt). Talk about difficult! It isn't just avoiding the salt shaker, but avoiding foods that are naturally (or unnaturally) high in sodium. Once I started reading nutritional labels, it was pretty shocking how high the sodium content of nearly all my dearest and most loved foods are.

This blog follows the story of how I adjust to the new restrictions, find creative new ways to prepare my favorite foods, maybe discover some new foods to love, and once in a while just a space to bitch and moan about not getting to eat that BLT or bacon double cheeseburger with extra large fries.