Oops, I meant to tweet this. Probably a 'more inside' is in order.

But why should you do those things – does it reduce nicotine withdrawal cravings?

Oh, I quit smoking long ago (with a few relapses), after my bypass. Since then, my health has deteriorated and the most recent recommendation was to cut my sodium intake to the minimum. I chose to pursue quantity of life over quality. I am fairly adaptable to life changes and love a challenge, but I am also a junk food junkie. Salt-free potato chips are like decaf coffee; why bother? Perhaps my first published book will be a no-salt cookbook.

Substitute spices, they say.

I got used to salt-free nuts for snacks. It's amazing how jaded most people's taste buds are. If something's good, it still tastes good without all that salt, cheese and so forth. Appreciate the subtlety.

Truely, your taste buds will come back. As long as you are sacrificing, cut the fried foods too. :)

Okay, I totally misread your post. (I was befuddled.)

I imagine your sense of taste will adjust after you've been at it long enough.

Yes, the taste buds will return. The problem lies in that many foods in their natural state contain fairly high levels of sodium when the limit is 500 mg. They say that if you can live a certain lifestyle for 21 days, it will stick, and in the past that has applied to me as well. Good thing I love making my own smoothies since almost all fruits have levels that are insignificant. But bye-bye to olives and pickles.

Bye-bye to olives and pickles? No thanks, I'd rather die.