I'm doing the daily plate and I've figured out that I consume WAY too much sodium. I eat lean cuisines a lot because I am a college student and it's easy, and well.. it works for me, they've pretty muc been a lifesaver so that is not something I'm willing to cut out of my diet. I also eat the packaged turkey, it has a lot of sodium too and I'm just going to try to cut back all together. But here is my question, what exactly does sodium do? Do you gain weight, does it hinder you from losing fat. I know it makes you retain water, but I've also heard that if you drink a lot of water then you can have more sodium. Can anyone tell me the truth behind sodium!?!

Casey, I am just a lay person, but many of the health magazines have really come out lately with alot of information about how damaging sodium is to the body........basically, it makes your arteries less pliable...it "hardens" them.....that increases blood pressure and all the stuff that results from that is not good.

I understand that the AMA is trying to get the FDA to make it mandatory for warning labels for sodium....saying it is more harmful than many other things the FDA does warn about. You are obviously very young, and I did not worry about it at all even into my 40s, but now my 20 year old son is very careful about it.....does not add salt to anything.......that is not to say he doesn't get way too much anyway.

Another thing to really get mad about with processed food, be it Lean Quisine or is the insidious addition of sugar to salty foods and salt to sweet foods....it is a purposeful way to appeal to our appetites for both salty and sweet..just watch for it on labels..

It is a conspiracy!