Feeling tired and bloated? You could be eating too much salt

What’s next? We’re supposed to cut fat, sugar and now salt from our food?

But before you think this is just another scare story, look at the facts and think again.

Salt is a big deal and could be responsible for tiredness, a bloated stomach and puffy ankles.

Reducing your intake could improve your mood and help you shed as much as 7lb of retained water – as Natalie Sullivan and husband Mike found out when they put my theory to the test.

“We’d always been pretty healthy and used fresh ingredients,” says Natalie, 28. But their good intentions lapsed when their son Will was born two years ago.

“Ready meals slowly crept into our diet,” Natalie admits.

The couple agreed to keep a week’s food diary, confident they’d both consume less than the Food Standards Agency guidelines of 6g of salt a day.

But on two days Natalie’s salt intake shot to 8.4g, while Mike’s was high throughout.
“I was shocked,” says Natalie, who’s 8st. “I felt tired and bloated, but I thought it was work-related.

“I’ve cut down on salt – I have unsalted butter and less bread. I feel energised, less waterlogged and I’ve lost 1st.”

Low-down on salt

 Salt is sodium chloride – it’s the sodium that’s bad for you. Look out for monosodium glutamate and sodium bicarbonate too.

 An adult should have no more than 6g of salt a day. Kids between four and six can have 3g, seven to 10 year olds can have 5g. Most food labels list sodium – to calculate salt, multiply it by 2.5.

 It’s easy to cut down on salt by choosing unsalted versions of your favourite foods and making meals from scratch.