Diet

12 Sneaky Sodium Traps Sabotaging Your Looks

Erase under-eye bags and shrink your belly by avoiding these surprisingly salty offenders

by Erica Smith | 1 COMMENT

PHOTO 0/13

Salt is so in right now -- as in, in everything you eat. As any healthcare professional will tell you, our sodium intake is out of control. Both the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Americans are swilling as much as 3,600 milligrams of the stuff a day -- more than double the recommended intake of 1,500 milligrams max. We all might as well be walking around with our own personal salt licks. And surprise, surprise: all that salt is not doing your looks any favors.

Besides contributing to heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity, to name a few, OD-ing on salt dehydrates skin, which means more wrinkles, puffy eyes and dark circles. It also can make you bloated, which -- we don't have to tell you -- will not help you squeeze into those skinny jeans.

Cutting back on your salt intake isn't as easy as putting down the salt shaker, or avoiding the obvious culprits, like pretzels and chips. Salt is sneakier than you'd think, and it's hiding in many of the foods you'd least expect (grilled chicken, anyone?). To shrink your salt consumption, as well as the bags under your eyes, steer clear of these surprising sodium traps.

SEE NEXT PAGE: California Roll

EDITORS' BEST OF

12 Best Acne Products for Your Clearest Skin Yet

11 Best Tinted Moisturizers for Easy, On-the-Go Coverage