It's National Salt Awareness Day on Friday, so why not have a think about how much salt you consume.

Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is the main cause of strokes and a major cause of heart attacks.

Other adverse effects of too much salt include osteoporosis and asthma and it has also been linked to stomach cancer.

Government recommendations say we shouldn't have more than 6g of salt a day, although we can survive on as little as 3g.

However, most of us get through far in excess of 6g and risk our health in the process.

Even if you don't add salt to your food at the table, many foods are already loaded with salt.

Obvious high-salt products include anchovies and salted nuts, but packaged soups, sauces, breads, cereals and ready meals are also major culprits.

Products vary from brand to brand, so you should always check the labels carefully.

Some foods list salt as salt, others as sodium. To work out the salt level in a food, you multiply the sodium amount by 2.5. Low salt is 0.1g of sodium, 0.2-0.4g is medium and anything with 0.5g or more is high.

Cooking, table, rock, sea and garlic salt are all identical, so don't get tricked into thinking posher versions are healthier.

Things you could use instead of salt while you're cooking include:

Spices - like curry powders
Mustard powder
Lemon or lime juice
Red or white wine, cider or beer
Onions, garlic, shallots, ginger, chillies etc

Salt substitutes such as LoSalt contain potassium instead of sodium. After three to four weeks of eating less salts, your taste buds will adapt and you'll have adjusted and will probably dislike the taste of salty food. Stick with it, it'll be worth it in the long run!