However, as someone with dysautonomia, you’re probably dealing with the opposite – blood pressure that is too low. Low blood pressure can cause a high heart rate, dizziness, headaches, and even fainting. Therefore, a salt-rich diet is key to managing your blood pressure.  However, just because you need to consume more salt doesn’t mean that you can simply add excess salt to your daily meals. Well, you can. But we’re pretty sure that too much salt will make even your favorite meal extremely hard to consume.  Additionally, doing so is not a solution when you’re going out and need an easy way to keep your salt levels up. Instead, it’s best to have a portable, lightweight snack you can carry around and consume quickly when required.

At the same time, people who suffer from chronic fatigue – including patients with dysautonomia – don’t often have the energy to make repeat trips to the grocery store. So, the ideal salty snack shouldn’t just be portable and easily consumed, it should also have a long enough shelf life that you can stock up on it. 

Some options that cover these contingencies include:

1. Soy Sauce 

Okay, so this isn’t necessarily a snack so much as it is a condiment. However, having a bottle of soy sauce on hand is the perfect way to keep your salt levels up when you leave the house. 

A single tablespoon of tamari soy sauce can have over 1000mg of sodium. If you’re going out for a meal and worried about your salt intake, a single splash of soy sauce should solve your worries without affecting the taste of your dish too much. 

Additionally, the shelf life of tamari soy sauce is as much as two years if stored properly, so you don’t need to worry about it going bad anytime soon. That said, keep in mind that the flavor starts to deteriorate three months after opening the bottle. If you’re only carrying soy sauce around to boost your sodium levels, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. However, if you also like its taste, make sure you keep this in mind when consuming).

2. Potato Chips

Potato chips are the go-to snack no matter whether you’re living with dysautonomia, need an easy on-the-go snack to pop into your purse, or simply need to increase your salt intake. The amount of sodium per serving depends on the brand of chips you buy, as well as your preferred flavor of potato chips. 

However, classic salted chips clock in at about 180mg of sodium per serving. The best part about depending on potato chips for a salt boost is the variety of flavors they are available in – so if you get bored of one, there are a million other options available for you to try! Additionally, unopened packets of potato chips have a shelf life of about 2-3 months, so you don’t have to worry about buying too many and having to get rid of a bunch of expired bags! 

3. Popcorn

 If you’ve only recently developed dysautonomia, you probably remember someone telling you to cut down on the popcorn in the movie theatre. After all, while it’s easy to eat a couple of bags of popcorn at once, the high salt content means that it isn’t healthy to eat more than a little.

However, if you’re someone who needs to boost their salt intake, popcorn is one of the best foods you can buy. The amount of sodium per serving depends on the popcorn flavor and brand, like with potato chips. However, in general, a serving of popcorn can contain anywhere between 75-200mg of sodium, and even more if you’ve bought a packet of salted popcorn or popcorn with sea salt. 

The shelf life of popped popcorn is about 2-4 weeks, as long as the packet is unopened. However, if you’re looking to stock up for the long term, consider buying unpopped kernels instead. These are also available in various flavors and can have a shelf life of 6-8 months. If you cannot find unpopped kernels that have high sodium, you can always drizzle some additional salt or sea salt over the popcorn once you make it without ruining the flavor. 

4. Pretzel Rods

Another easily portable snack that is high in sodium is a packet of pretzel rods. As with popcorn and potato chips, sodium content is highly dependent on the brand you buy from and the flavor you prefer. 

In general, however, each serving (about 3 rods) contains between 300-500mg of sodium. Pretzel rods have a shelf life of about three months, though you should still be good to eat them for as long as 6 to 9 months after they were packaged – you won’t get sick, the only difference is that the pretzel rods won’t be as crisp as they would before expiry. 

5. Jerky

If you’re looking for something a little healthier to add salt to your diet, meat jerkies are the way to go. As with several of the other items on this list, sodium content depends on brand and flavor.  

However, in general, they pack a punch when it comes to salt. One serving can provide you with anything from 250-700 mg of sodium, especially if you’re opting for beef jerky. If you’re not a meat-eater, you can also find vegan jerkies that are similarly full of sodium, with some brands offering up to 500mg of sodium per serving. 

Jerkies also have one of the longest shelf life of any snacks. Most meat jerkies can last between 1-2 years, while vegan jerky has a shelf life of between 5 to 12 months.  

6. Klaralyte Salt Capsules

Occasionally, you need a salt boost even when you’re not hungry – or when you’re simply not hungry for salty food. In such situations, having a package of Klaralyte Salt Capsules on hand can come in handy. 

Each capsule provides 250mg of sodium, and you just need to take them with a swig of water. These tablets are the ultimate on-the-go salt boost. Additionally, Klaralyte has a long shelf life, so you can stock up on it without worry about expiry. 

Other Sources:

http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=145

https://livingthechronicillnesslife.com/2018/08/16/salty-foods-for-pots/

https://betterbythebeat.com/high-salt-diet-for-pots-treatment/

https://chronicallysalty.com/2018/08/20/top-5-high-sodium-foods-to-boost-your-blood-pressure/