Wellness Wednesday: Quiz - Which of These Foods Typically Has More Sodium Per Serving?

This is the first post in a new feature I am adding to my blog, Wellness Wednesdays.  What does wellness have to do with money and finance?  Quite a lot actually.  Your health determines how much you will pay for life insurance, health insurance, and other things that directly impact your finances.  Not to mention that when you are healthy, you are more productive.

Plus you'll just plain feel better.  Nothing wrong with that.  Right?

Last summer, my doc put me on beta-blockers because my blood pressure was a little high.  Diet, stress, and of course one nasty habit I haven't managed to kick have all played a role.  The first thing I did was start reading nutrition labels and trying to reduce my sodium intake.  In March 2009, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, concluded that if Americans cut just 40 milligrams of sodium per day, about 250,000 fewer cases of heart disease would occur over the next decade.  That's a significant reduction in heart disease for what I would consider a very insignificant reduction in sodium intake.  The average American should probably be slashing anywhere from 500-1500 milligrams per day.  More on that later though.

I now shop primarily in the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh food is...meat, fruits, and vegetables, etc.  Why?  The primary culprit is prepared and processed foods.

Here's a quick quiz to see if you can spot the foods that are higher in sodium content.  Pick the one from each pair that you believe has the higher sodium content and enter your answers in the comment section.  I'll post the answers next Wednesday.

1. a. 1 cup tomato juice or b. 10 potato chips
2. a. 1 slice cheddar or Swiss cheese or b. 1/2 cup cottage cheese
3. a. 10 tortilla chips or b. 2 Tbsp. salsa
4. a. 1 cup canned chicken noodle soup or b. 20 pretzels.

After nearly a year of paying attention to nutrition labels, I was able to ace this quiz without thinking.  You can too with a little practice.  Is it worth it?  My blood pressure is 20 points lower than it was last summer and I haven't taken beta-blockers in months.

Disclaimer: Please don't take anything I say on Wellness Wednesday as actual medical advice.  Remember, I'm a financial planner, not a doctor, nutritionist, or anything else.  Consult your doctor before you stop taking any medications.

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