Why low sodium menus?

Almost a year ago, my oldest son was diagnosed with something that sounded like an incantation from "Harry Potter": membranous glomerulonephritis. Usually a secondary illness to other life-threatening diseases, his case was deemed to be "idiopathic"--"no known cause". But the illness is very serious, causing his kidneys to not function normally, and with no "cure", we have had to find ways to manage the illness and hope that it will go away someday.

As a result, he is on cholesterol and blood-pressure medications, is not supposed to have red meat or alcohol, and must LIMIT HIS SODIUM INTAKE TO 2000MG PER DAY. Otherwise, he is a healthy, physically-fit 24-yr-old, without an ounce of fat...go figure how he got this?!

If you talk to doctors and nutritionists (I'm neither one, by the way, just a mom!) sodium/salt is killing more people than tobacco, and we should ALL be limiting our sodium to less than 2500mg per day. Many people say that they don't use table salt anymore, but it's not just the table salt. Go read the nutrition label on any loaf of bread and see how much is in one slice. Then add some mayo, lunchmeat, cheese, lettuce, and total it up. You'll be surprised how high it can be, but we've found ways to cut the sodium and still eat yummy things, and want to share with you.

One of our favorite things used to be a veggie burrito from a "fresh-mex" chain--flour tortilla with black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa and rice--sooooooo good but sooooooo bad!! That thing has 3500mg of sodium!! We're not even counting the fat or cholesterol, which is also something to monitor. But if you get a corn tortilla instead, cut the beans in half and add more fresh salsa (pico de gallo--that's chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro), you can drop the sodium count down to about1500mg or less. Still too much for one meal, BUT IT'S BETTER THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ORDERED!!

So here's what this website is for: to help you lower your sodium intake without sacrificing taste.
I'll share what we have learned including how to make delicious, EASY meals, shopping and finding the best ingredients, and healthy but tasty ways to season your food. Once you start eating this way you'll never go back!! Your taste buds will no longer be numbed by salt, and you'll rediscover the true flavor of the food you eat. Kind of like when smokers quit--they seem to get a heightened sense of smell. It's really easy...I promise!!