You attempt to eat healthy as much as you can. You’re aware that diet drastically impacts your blood pressure level. And you know that sodium plays a major role.

BUT… then you have the greedy food manufacturing companies advertising their delicious foods as “heart healthy,” “lower cholesterol,” “lower blood pressure.”

And some of these foods are good for you. But many types of foods that are generally considered hearth healthy are nothing more than stepping stones to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

In today’s article, we’re going to reveal 10 of those misleading “health foods.”

Most doctors and dieticians agree that it’s important to get a little sodium in the diet, but a problem arises when people’s intake blows way past ‘recommended.’ A healthy amount for most people is 2,000 mg or less of sodium per day.

Some hypertensive patients are told to reduce to less than even that amoun- closer to 1,500 mg. But eating healthy can be really difficult, especially when some foods that are billed as good-for-you are loaded with sodium. Here’s the list of “healthy” foods that actually pack too much sodium, each with a typical serving size that carries an average of 900 mg. Given that many people eat far more than a single recommended serving, the cumulative effects in the day can be really damaging:

Packaged cereals- Especially the low-fat or low-sugar varieties, cereals have to add back in something to make it flavorful. This is a common trick of the packaged food industry. Flakes, squares, Os and granolas can contain an entire day’s worth of sodium in one bowlful.

Pickles, banana peppers and olives- because the process of pickling and canning involves so much salt, these zero- or low-calorie foods are very damaging if your blood pressure is sensitive to sodium.

Salsa- Anyone who has ever made delicious homemade salsa can tell you that a common ingredient is salt. However, commercial salsa that comes in a jar can be very, very high in salt. Read the labels and look for salsas that are salt-free or have less than 200 mg per serving.

Salad dressings- this category of food seems to wind up on the “bad food” list of most every diet. Between the added sugar, inherent fat content because of the oil, and excessive amounts of salt, dressings need to be limited to fresh lemon juice or a little plain oil and vinegar.

Packaged dough- whether it’s a roll of refrigerated biscuits or frozen bread dough, pre-packaged dough is loaded with excess salt. This is another food that is on the bad food list, too, simply because the bleached, refined, processed wheat is almost completely devoid of nutritive value.

Breakfast sandwiches- even if a convenience breakfast has the word “lite” in its name, that doesn’t make it healthy. Any fast food breakfast sandwich that has a chunk of ham, bacon, or sausage in it is a sodium bomb. A simple duet of scrambled eggs and a bowl of fruit is a much better way to go.

Canned soup- a certain soup company that is Mmm-mmm good is on the receiving end of a class action lawsuit because of the fact that even though its “heart healthy” soups are lower in sodium than the traditional canned soups, the sodium content is still excessive and not the kind of food a person should ever eat if he or she is trying to eliminate sodium. Again- read the labels…not just the endorsements on the front of the can.

Shellfish- Alaskan King Crab has an enormous amount or sodium in it, even before the seasoning and butter are added. Save your money and go instead for the halibut, sole, or salmon.

Sport drinks- Unless you are an athlete and you work out excessively, you should never be drinking sports drinks. The added salt in these drinks is intended to replenish what an athlete loses by working the body and sweating.

As well, sodas are packed with sodium and in high enough consumption can completely block the body’s absorption of water. Opt instead for water. We don’t drink enough water, anyway, and other beverages only dehydrate.

But lowering salt intake may not do the trick to lower blood pressure. Discover instead how these 3 easy exercises drop blood pressure below 120/80 as soon as today…