Pickles

According to the CDC, about 33% of adults have high blood pressure, and incidence increases with age.  Since high-sodium foods can raise blood pressure even further (for salt-sensitive people), it’s especially important to maintain a low-sodium diet in your 50s, when your risk for heart disease and stroke are already elevated.  This usually means avoiding foods that are pickled, cured, or highly processed.  On average, one pickle contains 1180 mg of sodium – almost an entire day’s allotment for an adult with high blood pressure!