The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook: Hundreds of Favorite Recipes Created to Combat Congestive Heart Failure and Dangerous Hypertension

by Donald A. Gazzaniga

Book Overview

Donald Gazzaniga, diagnosed with congestive heart failure, was headed for a heart transplant - the only effective medical treatment. Urged by his doctor to keep his sodium intake "under 1,500-2000 mg. a day," Don headed for the kitchen and went to work. Aware that cutting out table salt is the barest beginning of a true low-sodium diet, Don devised recipes for delicious low-sodium dishes that added up to less than 500 mg. daily, 70% lower than...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312291647
• ISBN13: 9780312291648
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

If you require a low-sodium diet, buy this book!!

After being diagnosed with Meniere's Syndrome, I was told to drastically cut the sodium in my diet. Being an avid cook, I immediately started the search for a low-sodium cookbook. I tried several, but this book is, by far, the BEST low-sodium cookbook I've ever seen. Not only are Don's recipes wonderful, but his book is a fabulous resource, particularly if a low-sodium diet change is new. I recommend trying first the Incredible Chicken recipe. It's easy, flavorful - incredible! You won't believe you're eating low sodium. Even my husband found that eating low sodium with me with these recipes was not just "doable" but enjoyable! This book is a MUST HAVE for those on low-sodium diets.

Excellent guide to low sodium eating

I bought this book because my husband is currently battling very high blood pressure. Within 4 days his blood pressure dropped 10-15 points, and that was only following the diet moderately. He's now 30-35 points down, eating 700 mg of sodium a day, and this book shows you how to cut the sodium even a little more.I like this book for several reasons:1. The recipes are ones that are palatable and that people want to eat. You cook things that you used to cook on a normal diet, just with low sodium. The recipes are for dishes that everybody would want to eat, not some weird vegan dish that only people with heart problems would eat because they have no other choice.2. You get building block recipes as well as full dishes. Don shows you how to make different sauces that you can combine with raw ingredients such as meat and vegetables. There's also full entrees.3. Recipes are not hard to make. You don't spent the entire day in the kitchen.4. You get hard to find recipes. Salt free bread. Relish. Soy sauce substitute.5. You know exactly what the nutritional value is. Don has it broken down to every last mg of sodium. Other values such as calories and cholesterol are also listed. Don also warns you about some traps like watching out for some maple syrups which have sodium.6. Informative front sections tell you about spices, sodium value of some raw ingredients, and other basic information.7. Active website. You can e-mail the author (...). I wrote him once and received a reply within 10 minutes. Other e-mail was answered within a day.Things I didn't like:1. Book contains typos/errors. Author has published an errata page on his website.2. Author uses some substitute items which have potassium salts. Some people watching sodium intake also can't have large amounts of potassium, so I felt it would have been better to call this out more prominently, perhaps somewhere in the front sections. The recipes which use potassium salts, however, are a small minority. I wouldn't let this prevent me from buying the book; just be aware of what ingredients you're using.-----The author has doubtless spent many hours experimenting in his kitchen and testing the results. He's already blazed a trail for you. Why not benefit from what he's already discovered?

No Salt - Just Flavor!!!

A great cookbook for anyone!!! Yes, I have high blood pressure & have been diagnosed as 'salt sensitive,' and my husband has had open heart surgery, so we have to be careful, but I have lost 50 pounds without giving up pizza, sticky buns, and chocolate brownies!!! This cookbook enabled me to change my lifestyle without having to redesign my cooking. The recipes in here are easy to make, taste great, and keep you in the mainstream of the food chain even though you are dealing with serious health issues. Don recommends buying a bread machine - who knew store- bought bread had so much sodium!! Anyway, I bought a bread machine , and recipes for the pitas, the breads, the pizza dough - all superb! So many of the heart healthy books do not understand that is not just the fat...many of us have to watch the salt as well. This cookbook guarantees that we do not have to give up the flavor and the fun of food.

A Valuable No-Salt Diet Cookbook

One of the most difficult diet obstacles is cooking no-salt or low-salt meals. But it can be done, and the dishes can be tasty and delicious. For author Donald A. Gazzaniga, a no-salt diet was literally a matter of life or death. Faced with a heart problem that could necessitate a heart transplant, he was told by his doctors that he had to drastically control the salt in his diet. He did just that and not only has his heart condition improved dramatically to the point he will not need a transplant, he has put his tasty recipes into a book that should be in the library of every cook who is interested in a healthy diet. The hundreds of recipes range from crock-pot stew to ratatouille, from scampi in wine to eggplant relish -- all delicious and with little or no salt. Gazzaniga includes a 28-day menu planning guide which lists each day's salt intake which proves invaluable in keeping a close and accurate eye on salt intake. A definite must-have cookbook.