Thu, January 21, 2010 - 4:13:02

Worth its Salt

Think the little things don’t add up?  Well, for those of you who are trying to get fit and stay healthy in 2010, you might want to take heed.  According to a report in Tuesday’s New York Times, the little things we do now can have drastic effects on our health and wellness for years to come.

Sure, we all know that taking care of the big things like quitting smoking and exercising daily play an important role in the ways in which we age, but contrary to what you might expect, making the tiniest of changes to our daily diets can have an equally profound effect.

Don’t believe us?  Perhaps scientists at Stanford University Medical Center, The University of California San Francisco, and Columbia University Medical Center can change your mind.  In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, they conclude that if everyone consumed just half a teaspoon less of salt per day, “there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year and between 44,000 and 92,000 fewer deaths” overall.  And moreover, simply by making this tiny reduction in salt intake, people could reduce their risks of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes (the nation’s first- and third-ranked killers) as much as they could by making more complex changes such as quitting smoking, overcoming obesity, and reducing cholesterol levels.

Of course, this new research doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tackle those bigger health challenges, but it just goes to show you that you truly can transform your life, one little step at a time… and that by “thinking small” you can surmount even the biggest obstacles. 

So, if you’re trying to shape up and get healthy, why not start today and put that first foot forward by making just one small change at a time?  With simple and subtle modifications to your everyday behavior, like setting down the salt shaker, replacing your afternoon vanilla latte with a sugar free version, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator once a day, you can begin your journey toward a healthier and happier way of life.

Posted by Linda and Robin