By Lindsay Edwards

Aside from watching food labels for sodium content, try these simple tips for controlling your sodium intake:

• Dietitians teach that if a food has twice as much sodium as it does calories, then it's probably too much sodium.

• Don't trust your taste buds. Many foods with a high sodium content do not, in fact, taste salty.

• "Unlearn" your taste buds for sodium. Focus on enjoying the other flavors in foods.

• Take a break from the salt shaker. Just one-fourth teaspoon of salt contains a whopping 600 milligrams of sodium.

• Rinse off canned vegetables before eating them. You can cut sodium intake by 40 percent.

• Limit other condiments that are high in sodium, like soy sauce, mustard, ketchup, and tartar sauce.

• Some over-the-counter medications contain sodium, such as laxatives, headache pills, and alkalizers. Your doctor can better inform you, especially if you have salt-related high blood pressure.