Salt

Salt

God, I love salt...Lord, I really love salt! I use to put salt on everything! I remember as a child, going out to my grandpa's garden and he would put salt on the tomatoes that he pulled off the vine. Hell, I can recall eating "Pigs feet"(it's a southern thang) and adding salt! Nothing I ate could ever have enough salt. My mother (the world class cook she is) all ways seasoned our food very well but, I always added salt! As a grown man, before I got sick, she would tell me, "you don't need the salt, Kermit! It's already been added!"...I'd still sneak alil salt. You hear all the time about how salt affects the body...about how salt isn't good for people of color like myself but, I guess sometimes we don't take it seriously until it's serious. Now that I have Non compaction cardiomyopathy, I run around pointing out sodium content to friends and family...I probably irritate the hell out of them...sorry bout that. You would be surprised at where you will find salt. You will be surprised at the delicate balance that must be maintained with salt...our body needs it. My whole life, I've been athletic, from high school sports, college basketball to military training to CrossFit, etc,etc,etc...I know intimately that coating of dried, salty sweat that appears when you workout, I just never thought much of it. Salt is in everything we eat! It's more complexed than I ever thought! I spend time researching different ways to prepare meals that are low sodium, retraining my taste buds...I do the best that can. These days I'm on a low sodium diet (no more than 2000mg/day) and some days it's very hard to stay under. What I try to do is focus on the big picture...LIFE. I found a article that helped me shed some light on sodium, maybe it can help you. Check it out, it's a quick read, below.

Peace


Salt and athletes: Shake it or leave it?
Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D. | For Active.com

Some athletes sweat so much they end up crusted with salt; they wonder if they need to eat extra salt to replace what was lost in sweat. Other athletes avoid salt like the plague; they see no need to add it to their food because the typical American diet already contains way too much.
And then there are marathoners and triathletes who read about their peers who have died of hyponatremia (low blood sodium). They wonder if they should start eating salty foods as a part of their daily sports diet.
Perhaps you too have wondered about the role of salt, or more correctly, sodium (the part of salt associated with high blood pressure) in your diet. This article can help you figure out if you should shake it or leave it.

Salt: What it is and does-
Salt is made up of two electrically charged particles: sodium and chloride -- also called electrolytes. In your body, sodium helps keep the right amount of water inside and outside your cells and in your blood.
During exercise, if excessive water intake dilutes the sodium outside the cells, too much water seeps into cells and they swell -- including brain cells. The symptoms progressively appear and the athlete feels weak, groggy, nauseous, incoherent, and then may experience stumbling, seizures, coma and death.
Athletes at risk of developing hyponatremia include slow marathoners, triathletes and others who exercise for more than four hours and are highly vigilant about hydration, to the extent they drink more fluid than they lose in sweat. Over time, they accumulate a large enough intake of water to dilute the blood sodium.
Consuming sodium-containing sports drinks helps, but it doesn't protect against hyponatremia because sports drinks offer far more water than sodium. The typical sports drink may have only 1/5 the concentration of normal blood serum.
While dehydration is a far more common concern than overhydration, all athletes can avoid either problem by knowing their sweat rates. To learn your sweat rate, weigh yourself naked before and after exercise. A one-pound drop equates to losing 16 ounces of sweat and means you should target drinking 16 ounces of fluid during similar exercise bouts. Knowing your sweat rate takes the guesswork out of drinking during exercise, and reduces the risk of health problems associated with consuming too much or too little water.

Sodium in sweat-
The average male's body contains about 75,000 milligrams of sodium, the equivalent of 11 tablespoons of salt. When you exercise, you lose some sodium via sweat. The amount you lose depends on:
1. How much salt you sweat. Some athletes have saltier sweat than others. Salty sweaters tend to develop a crust of salt on their skin after a hard workout. Other athletes, in comparison, have a low sodium content in their sweat -- and no white salt stains on their skin or exercise clothing.
2. How much you sweat. Athletes who sweat heavily lose more sodium than light sweaters. The amount of sodium in sweat averages about 500 mg sodium/lb sweat (and ranges from 220 to 1,100 mg) If you lose two pounds of sweat per hour for four hours of intense biking, tennis, football practices, etc., your sodium losses become significant (4,000 mg). You should eat salty foods to replace the losses.
3. How much you exercise in the heat. If you aren't used to exercising in heat, you may lose 1,100 mg sodium/lb of sweat. But if you're acclimatized, you may lose only 300 mg. This means if you are training in the winter for a marathon that happens on an exceptionally warm spring day, you might need extra sodium during the marathon (such as Gatorade's Endurance Formula).
Salt and blood pressure

The kidneys regulate sodium balance. That is, if you overconsume 200 mg sodium, your body will get rid of those 200 mg through urine -- unless you have salt-sensitive high blood pressure. In that case, the body retains too much salt; which means extra fluid is retained in the blood and blood pressure rises.
As you age, your sensitivity to sodium increases, as does blood pressure and the associated risks of stroke, heart and kidney disease. An estimated two to five percent of people aged 25 to 34 have high blood pressure, as do 31 to 36 percent of 55- to 65-year-olds. Of these, about 1/3 to 1/2 are salt-sensitive.
To reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, you should not only eat a low-sodium diet, but boost your intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium --three minerals that help counter the negative effects of sodium.
Instead of simply subtracting salty foods, you should also:
Consume extra fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods for potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Exercise (and lose weight if you have weight to lose).
Limit your intake of alcohol and fatty meats.
Moderate your salt intake by eating less processed food.
Having parents with low blood pressure also helps ...

How much salt does an athlete actually need?

For non-athletes, the body only needs 500 mg sodium and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 2,400 mg sodium/day. Most Americans easily consume 3,000 to 5,000 mg daily, mostly through processed foods (ramen noodles: 1,700 mg/package, spaghetti sauce: 600 mg/half-cup, cold cereal: 250-350 mg/serving). Sodium enhances flavor and helps prevent spoilage.
Most active people consume adequate sodium, even without adding salt to their food. For example, you get sodium from bread (150 mg/slice), cheese (220 mg/oz), eggs (60 mg each), and yogurt (125 mg/8 oz). Athletes who are extreme sweaters probably need more sodium, but generally consume more, particularly if they eat fast foods. Just two slices of cheese pizza (1,200 mg) or a Whopper (1,400 mg) can easily replace sodium losses; no sweat!

The Number

The Number

I arrive at "Ready Care Clinic" after a night of horror. I didn't sleep all night and I hadn't eaten for several hours. I was a wake all night, tossing and turning and coughing. It took a doctor from the "The Ready Care Clinic" to actually alert me to a problem...(yes, I have insurance and I have a PCP)
The drive to the hospital was a stupid choice on my part...I had no energy! I just couldn't understand what was going on with me! The walk from my car to the ER doors was truly "The Longest Walk of My Life"! I was exhausted as I stumbled through the ER doors. I was terrified! For the first time in my adult life, I actually felt physically helpless...I had no energy and couldn't breathe. My girl friend kept a journal of some of my testing...my heart was operating at 15%-20% EF...that is no fun. Now I'm at 30%-34%, this is still dangerous because I'm still "Sudden Death Syndrome"...but, it's getting better! I sometimes drive by the place I parked my truck and look at the distance it was from my truck to the ER doors...it was only about 100yrds...That, was the longest yard ever. I decided to share some information about what I'm learning in regards to cardiomyopathy..."The Number" is important.

Ejection Fraction - Explanation of Normal and Abnormal Range

Ejection Fraction (EF) is one of the measurements used by physicians to assess how well a patient's heart is functioning. "Ejection" refers to the amount of blood that is pumped out of the heart's main pumping chamber during each heartbeat. "Fraction" refers to the fact that, even in a healthy heart, some blood always remains within this chamber after each heartbeat. Therefore an ejection fraction is a percentage of the blood within the chamber that is pumped out with every heartbeat. Knowing your ejection fraction can save your life - because there are numerous treatment options.


Do You Know Your Ejection Fraction?

Heart failure occurs when one of the heart's pumping chambers is not pumping well enough to meet the body's needs.

Ejection fraction is an important tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of the heart and certain types of cardiomyopathies. Cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened or stiffened.

An EF of 55 to 75 percent is considered normal. A higher than normal ejection fraction could indicate the presence of certain heart conditions, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

A low ejection fraction could be a sign that the heart is weakened. A low ejection fraction may result from some kind of cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart is abnormally enlarged, thickened or stiffened. Low EF is an important risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD), a condition that occurs when the heart stops abruptly (cardiac arrest). Patients with a low EF are significantly more likely to suffer sudden cardiac death within two years than patients with a normal ejection fraction.

Normal Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure

While an ejection fraction is a tool to diagnose systolic heart failure, or heart failure that occurs during the pumping phase of the heart beat, it is possible for a person to have heart failure without having an abnormal ejection fraction.

There are two phases to the heart's pumping motion. First is the filling phase (diastole) in which the heart chamber fills with blood. Second is the emptying phase (systole) in which the blood is pumped out of the chamber to the body. An ejection fraction is a measurement of the amount of blood pumped out during this second, emptying stage.

Heart failure may be caused by problems with the heart's emptying phase, its filling phase or with both phases. Therefore, a person whose heart failure is caused by a problem with the filling phase (diastolic heart failure) could have a normal ejection fraction. Diastolic heart failure is the most common form of heart failure.

An ejection fraction of less than 40 may indicate heat failure, a chronic condition in which at least one heart chamber is not pumping well enough to meet the body's needs. Heart failure leads to congestion of blood vessels and fluid backup and swelling in the lungs, legs and ankles, shortness of breath and fatigue. An ejection fraction lower than 40 percent may indicate damage to the heart muscle (e.g., from a prior heart attack). Typically, this EF level alone is not low enough to lead to heart failure.

How to Measure Your EF

An ejection fraction is most commonly measured during an echocardiogram. This painless and noninvasive test uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to get a picture of the four heart chambers and the four heart valves.

Ejection fraction can also be measured as part of other diagnostic testing, such as:

MUGA Scan: A type of radionuclide imaging test that provides clear pictures of blood flow through the heart's chambers and blood vessels.

Cardiac Catheterization: A test in which a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel and guided all the way to the heart in order to obtain information about the heart and the coronary arteries, increasingly, this test is being replaced by noninvasive methods to measure ejection fraction.

Nuclear Stress Test: An exercise stress test performed before and after the administration of a radionuclide tracer. It creates images of the heart before, during and after physical exertion. Therefore, an ejection fraction may be obtained at both rest and during exercise. This approach offers a very sensitive way to identify heart pump function.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A test that uses powerful magnets to visualize the heart's structure. This test has very good resolution, but the patient is required to hold their breath during the test, a feat that may be difficult for patients with heart failure Also, because this is newly adapted technology to measuring ejection fraction, it remains an expensive test that requires specialized training.


Signs and Symptoms of Low EF

Knowing the signs and symptoms of your EF is important, as low EF can be an indication of impending heart failure. Those symptoms include:

Shortness of breath or inability to exercise
Swelling (edema) of the feet and lower legs
Fatigue and weakness
Rapid, forceful, uncomfortable or obviously irregular heartbeat (palpitation)
Abdominal discomfort such as swelling, pain or nausea
Mental confusion
Some patients have a very low EF (less or equal to 30) and still show minimal or even no symptoms.

Other signs of heart failure or cardiomyopathy may also accompany a low ejection fraction. These include:

An abnormal heart murmur (due to a heart valve disorder)
A crackling sound of fluid in the lungs (rates) due to pulmonary congestion
A rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) or other abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia)
Hypertrophy or enlargement of the heart
Liver malfunction
Congestion of the lungs
Swollen neck veins due to fluid retention with accompanying weight gain and ankle swelling

The change...

This is my first attempt at "Blogging". I felt it best that I attempt to share my expierences. I feel that maybe, just maybe, if I share...maybe some one will read this blog and improve their personal health situation. I guess I will start from the begining, back when I was first diagnosed. I sent out a mass text to friends and family explaining my situation. It took a lot for me to do this because I had to face the fact that I was sick and I was scared, very scared. The following was my first correspondence...(the edited version)

A month ago I took Cathy (my girl) to Philly for a getaway, we had a great time. We ate at awesome Restaurants and hung out at awesome lounges. On Sunday before we left, we decided to have a cheese steak from "Campo's"...it was delicious! The following week, I felt horrible. I went to my dr, he said I was fine, I told him that I know my body and I'm not fine so, I went to an urgent care. The dr there did an EKG and told me I have something going on with my heart. He made me go straight to the ER. When I got there, I was out of breath and could barely walk. It was determined that I was going thruogh Congestive Heart Failure. If I had not come in that day, I would've had a massive heart attack the next day. I was diagnosed with Non Compaction Cardiomyopathy, aka Spoongy heart. Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis died from it. The cheese steak was so high in sodium that my body could no longer compensate and sent me in to CHF. I was in hospital for 4 1/2 days and urinated out 7 to 8 liters of fluid. I feel a lot better, out side of the side affects of all these meds which they say I will be taking for the rest of my life. This heart disease is very rare...they refer to it as "the new heart disease". It usually occurs in infants. 1 out of 2000 adults may have it. They want to put an ICD in me (defribullator) but I said no, not yet. So my Philly docs have me wearing a "life vest". This vest will shock me if my heart falls out of rhythm or if it stops. I'm wht they call "sudden death syndrome" because my heart can stop at any time but I do feel pretty good! I feel like all I need to do is hit the gym and get my strength up and I will be all good. They don't want me lifting, stressing or running. It works in 3rds...1/3 get better 1/3 get worse and 1/3 stay the same. If I get worse, I will need a heart transplant...there is a good chance I can get better because the rest of my body is in awesome shape they say. My EF is 20-24%...the normal person is 50-70%...EF means ejection fracture...this is the rate tht your heart pushes the blood through your body...mine, is very weak. I need to get it up to 35% to not be considered "sudden death syndrome." I haven't told many folks yet. I'm still deciding how I want to word things and how I want to approach it all. Im working on a foundation of sorts...it has always been therapeutic for me when I'm doing something to help others. So, that cheese steak kinda saved my life by making me so sick that I had to respond. I will do whatever it takes to live. Any positive vibes you all can send my way, would be much appreciated.