Scared to eat

[Striving]

I don't know if anyone can enlighten me but here it goes. I have been going through extreme anxiety and depression for the last 1 or 2 months. I think it kicked in when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It's being controlled with pills and diuretics but somewhere along the line my mind got stuck in eliminating salt completely from my diet and eating less even when I have never been a big eater. My doctor was a little upset when I told her I was dieting. She said she never told me to diet and that I have to eat otherwise I could get sick. Chow time is so depressing to me because food doesn't taste the same anymore but I go wacko just thinking about consuming salt or anything that has to do with sodium. This makes extremely anxious, among other things. Does anybody here also has hbp, if so, how do you eat and what do you eat? Everybody tells me to continue eating as normal. To just lower my salt and sodium intake but just thinking about eating normal (mashed potatoes, meat loaf, hamburger which I love) makes me go paranoid. Help? Anybody?

[misslove]

I think it would benefit you to do some research on high blood pressure and find out more about it. Also im sure your dr can help you come up with a food plan. im not a big salt eater either,but a little bit isn't bad for you. Im not positive on this but I think a little is good for you. Not eating is the worst thing to do, make a few changes to just be healthier but keep eating!

[mnaha]

Ah come on...you can eat whatever you want ,use salt substitute ..yep it in the grocery and seasonings like ms dash.. but if you aren't careful you will mess up like me..i have been on a no salt thing for years and every few years it screws up my electrolytes and causes me to become dehydrated and have tachycardia and go in the hospital and have a sodium drip and also whatever electrolytes that i have knocked out of balanced replaced..so well ...i would eat my hamburger and potatoes and forget the freaking out and repelling salt..your body needs a certain amount of sodium and also food.. hey if your doctor is screaming at you about dieting then you are doing a bad thing... eat.. and forget the salt thing..besides there are thousands and thousands of articles about salt usage on the internet half of them says low sodium quit using salt and the others say .. oops we screwed up telling you to quit salt.. so who is correct? Hey do what your body ask...you can tell if you need the salt.. also they are always going back and forth saying that coffee will kill you then the next week it will save you from every major disease.. thats crazy they say that everything can kill you .. or make you ill and probably can if you eat or breathe or smoke to much of it.. or absorb too much of anything but medium amounts of anything isnt going to do to much to you ...secret to life..everything in moderation... and you will be fine.. come on and live a little before you get too old and you really do have to lower or quit everything.. have fun and good luck..

---------- Post added at 02:57 ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 ----------

I assure you that my blood pressure is way higher than yours im talking major numbers and its being controlled with meds.. did they ever tell me to quit salt.. nope..not at all and eat what i wanted.. watch your weight stay within your range and eat what you like.. as long as you stay within your normal weight for you and the salt..well that debate is still out to lunch..but as i said there are many salt subs.. to switch too..I don't blame your doctor I would scream at you too lol

[Striving]

Thank you so much guys...I'm guessing then that little salt wouldn't hurt to much. I will go ahead and try adding a little to my food and see what happens. Depression and anxiety make you see things in very negative and screwed up ways, not for what they really are, so maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I should, but as my username says...I am striving to get better and overcome all this craziness, complicated thoughts and fears and all this has brought upon me.

[Fishmanpa]

I have heart disease and have basically been no/low salt for years. When I mean no/low salt, it means I'm very careful with what I eat and avoid processed, fast and other foods that are high in sodium.

By doing so, I've become sensitive to salt in that I can taste it even it a little is in the food. That being said, I still use it but so sparingly that it won't affect my well being.

Once you get used to cooking and eating no/low salt you'll see what I mean. I use Mrs. Dash products for seasoning (they're no salt) as well as other natural seasonings and don't miss the salt at all.

Just be sensible and enjoy your food :)

Positive thoughts