I usually get more than the recommended amount of vegetables a day, so don't need it. Also, like previous posters, I avoid drinking my calories and avoid any food with that much salt.

About Sodium Consumption: Even though my blood pressure is currently very good, I agree with those who suggest low salt consumption to help it stay that way (e.g. Nutrition Action Newsletter). I'm aware that some others see no need to restrict salt intake until high blood pressure is a problem.

About Potassium Consumption: Can't bring myself to feel excited about (over) consumption of potassium as a substitute for (over) consumption of sodium. Even thought I have no idea where a single can of low sodium V-8 juice stands in the spectrum of too little and too much potassium, it's not for me. YMMV

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

I was curious about the sodium thing, so I did some comparison. (using Fitday values, rounded to the nearest five)

Tomato juice (875 per cup) has more than V-8 juice (650), but the v-8 is comparable to a cup of pretzel sticks (680), and only a little more than 3 slices of cheddar cheese (525). Even stewed tomatoes, made from fresh tomatoes rather than canned, have a lot of sodium (700), as does salsa (1075)

For me, getting more tomato into my diet, and more vegetable goodness, and cutting back on sweeter drinks, is worth a little extra sodium. Especially if I'm usually "eating clean" the rest of the day.

RL Knudsen makes a really good veggie blend and there are several other brands on the market, most of which offer low sodium as well and tend to taste less processed than V8.

There are a few who do not consume a lot of sodium and do this as a precautionary measure.

I have a friend who grew up in a house where her parents were low sodium people due to blood pressure. She would faint, feel weak, etc. all the time. They tried to figure out what the issue was for years and years... Until they did the test to check her sodium levels and tied it to her low blood pressure.

Be careful when cutting things out as a "preventative" measure. Please... PLEASE talk to your Doctor about your actual needs with regards to things like sodium intake.

Don't get me wrong... I am not saying to get wild with it. I am just saying to be careful on limiting it heavily if it is not a health issue for you.

Personally,
I see no reason to ingest lots of sodium, our bodies don't need as much sodium as the average american ingests. I have low blood pressure and I cut out most added sodium no problem but I do get the sodium that naturally occurs in foods.

I also hate V8. Couldn't drink it even if you paid me to.

Every morning though I do make spinach smoothies which I really love. I put about 3-4 cups of loosely packed spinach, 1/2 cup of berries, 1/2 banana, a bit of flax seed meal and some water in a blender cup and blend it well. It tastes really good

I love the stuff. I drink a can of the low sodium variety every day!

I think the trend here is that there is no trend.

Some people love it, some people hate it. Some people are bothered by the sodium, some aren't.

If you feel like it helps you to supplement your veggies with V8, then go for it, I say. Just make sure you account for the sodium and aren't going overboard with it, if that's an issue for you.

Another Southbeacher here! Yep, I drink the low sodium variety at breakfast. I cant eat eggs, so I have trouble meeting my veggie requirement at breakfast.(no yummy omelets for me!) I had to get used to the taste. I still don't love it, but I tolerate it.

Tomato juice is the way I go; I don't like V-8. I drink it to "fill" myself up, so I don't go on a snack binge. The single-serving can of Heinz juice is 30 calories, and 480 mg of sodium (20%) It's almost tasty if I add some pepper to it!

My aunt makes her own version of V8 at home in the blender with fresh veggies. She just throws in tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, some onion and garlic, carrots, and celery, thins it with a little water as needed, and voila. A lot less sodium, I would guess, and she swears it's tasty.

If V8 helps, I say go for it. A lot of our choices are tradeoffs, and we have to weigh the pros and cons and decide which is best *for us.* What will aid us to stay OP and reach our goals, and what will not be helpful, is different for everyone.

I don't restrict my sodium intake. My BP was 110/78 last week. There are a lot of conflicting opinions about whether it is necessary for everyone to watch their sodium, or just those with a predisposition to hypertension. In my case, I feel that there are other things I need to pay closer attention to at the moment. Others may feel differently about their current situations.

As to sodium, not everyone is sensitive to it, even people with high blood pressure. My family has very rarely used salt at the table, and even in cooking, if the recipe calls for salt, we usually omit it, or if it's needed (for example in baked bread to rise properly) we usually use 1/4 to 1/2 of what is called for. My dad even found a potato chip brand without added salt and that was the brand that was usually in the house.

My mom and I both have high blood pressure, but our sodium levels are very low, sometimes too low. Both of us have been told by doctors to go out of our way to eat a little salt. Mom actually had water poisoning because drinking too much water depleted her sodium levels to a dangerous level. And I had to take sodium supplements before surgery once to prevent a heart attack on the table.

That being said, my body is sensitive to sodium and I gain water weight. It doesn't affect my blood pressure, but it's annoying to step on the scale and see that temporary gain. Drinking extra water with high sodium foods helps alot.

As for the potassium chloride, my understanding is that not everyone experiences the metallic taste, but for those who do, it's extremely unpleasant, and there's nothing you can really do to mask the taste. I made a huge pot of soup with the stuff, and kept trying to add seasonings to try to counterbalance the aftertaste, and I just ended up throwing the whole mess a way.

I am curious about something some folks have posted here, about not wanting to drink their calories - does that mean only water to drink? I stay away from "empty" calories in sugary things like sodas, sweet tea, and fruit juice, but sometimes when I'm hungry a glass of skim milk is just the thing. This has calories, but also vitamins, protein, calcium, etc. V8 too has calories, but not many and lots of other good stuff. I love soup or broth when it's cold out too. Why are people avoiding these types of things?

I posted that I tend not to "drink my calories," yet I thoroughly enjoy skim milk. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches just wouldn't be the same without it.

So yes, not drinking my calories to me means avoiding sugar drinks, sugar in my coffee, and sugar in my tea (hot and cold).

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Completed Beck Program-day 12. 30 to go. Keep going!

I'm with Colleen--I tend to hold water, and extra sodium just aggravates the condition. But I don't totally eliminate it!