Healthy Eating Guideline No. 5 Limit Salt, Alcohol and Caffeine  Limit Salt Salt is a major source of sodium, a mineral linked to high blood pressure in some people. There is also some evidence linking very high intakes of salt with stomach cancer. However, this finding relates mostly to people who eat a lot of salt preserved foods such as salted cod or port. It is unlikely that the typical slat intake of the average Canadian is a risk factor for stomach cancer. For all round good health consider these tips for keeping your slat intake in check: use pepper , hot pepper sauces, flavored vinegars, herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of reaching for the slat shaker. (Salt substitutes aren't necessary and shouldn't be used with your doctor's knowledge) remove the salt shaker from the table but leave the pepper handy for a touch of last-minute flavor. either cut out or halve the amount of salt called for in recipes cook from scratch as much as possible. Convenience items... casserole and dinner helper mixes, rice mixes, many frozen meals and entrees are typically high in salt avoid eating a lot of salty snack foods an crackers with salted tops avoid eating frequently at fast food restaurants. The food is notoriously high in salt, even the items that are fat and calorie reduced Limit Alcohol Most people know that alcohol in excess is not good for heath. Alcohol is know to damage the liver, lead to problems of the nervous system, promote high blood pressure and increase the risk of developing certain cancers. Of all the dietary factors linked to an increased risk of cancer, the evidence is strongest for alcohol. Alcohol, in large amounts increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat and esophagus. The risks are even greater if a person smokes cigarettes. Being Sensible about Alcohol If you choose to drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Moderation is considered to be no more than 1-2 drinks a day. A drink is: 350ml/12oz. or 1 bottle of beer (5% alcohol) 150ml/5oz. wine (12% alcohol) 45ml/1.5oz. spirits (40% alcohol) Limit Caffeine Caffeine may bring on anxiety, irritability and keep you up all night but there is no evidence that it causes serious harm in the amounts currently consumed. No links between caffeine consumption and cancer of any type have been found. What about Decaffeinated Coffee and Tea? Methylene chloride, a solvent commonly used to remove the caffeine from coffee and tea has been the subject of ongoing safety concerns. Only small traces of methylene chloride, if any at all, are detected in decaffeinated beverages. These trace levels are considered harmless. A process to remove caffeine using water is growing in popularity. Products decaffeinated in this way are widely available.    Info obtained from the Healthy Eating Guidelines

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