There’s not much in modern society that can be considered “black and white.” Much of our culture revolves around issues that can only be accurately described as “gray…ish.” However, there are a couple distinctly black and white’s that are about as commonplace and ordinary as it gets. They usually hold a place at the center of the table, a prominent spot in your spice rack, and they can occasionally be adorned with delicateness, as if they were a wedding present perhaps.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about salt and pepper-black and white. They are unequivocally the most popular condiments and can be found in even the most modest of kitchens. However, with popularity often comes indulgence; and with indulgence, the very real “black and white” dangers of too much sodium in your diet becomes apparent and dangerous.

Sodium and salt are terms that are often mistakenly interchanged. Very little of our daily sodium intake actually comes from table salt, which is only 40 percent sodium. The overwhelming majority comes from processed foods (basically all the food we know isn’t good for us but which we regularly consume anyway). The easiest way to avoid over-consuming sodium is to eat as much fresh food as possible. The fresher the food is the less preservatives (sodium) it likely has.

The one ironic aspect is that many of our body’s functions rely on a certain amount of sodium. Basic physiological functions such as nutrient transport, nerve impulse transmission, and even muscle contractions require sodium. The biggest health risk comes when too much sodium triggers the kidneys to release more water into the bloodstream leading to higher blood volume, which puts added strain on the circulatory system. The heart already exerts a large amount of energy under normal conditions. When more blood travels in and out, the heart must work that much harder to circulate blood throughout the body.

The morale of the sodium story is to watch what you eat. Read food labels and eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Avoid fast foods, processed foods, preserved and frozen foods. Even frozen or processed vegetables may surprise you with how much sodium they contain. A good piece of advice: trade one taste for another, in other words instead of salty or sweet choose spicy. Be proactive, it might end up saving your heart a lot of extra work.