very serious sodium restricted diet. any tips on eating in Italy and Bavaria.
I'm new to this forum stuff so pardon my lack of etiquette.

No doubt you know the basics already of following a sodium-restricted diet at home. Seeking out lots of fruits, veggies and other minimally processed foods on your trip will help. Try to avoid tourist-trap restaurants, which are more likely to use highly processed ingredients (with more sodium) in their foods than some other restaurants.

Get some help in having a statement like "I am on a very serious sodium-restricted diet for my health. I need to eat foods low in sodium." translated into Italian and German (although many Germans are likely to understand you if you speak in English).

Where are you going in Italy?

Around the area of le Cinque Terre, and heading north all the way along the Med coast the French border, the food is EXTREMELY salty. You will really need to go out of your way to avoid breads and pasta dishes made with lots of added salt. In addition, the basic cuisine is centered on incorporating olives, or salted anchovies.

In Tuscany, breads have no salt but meat is generally salt cured, and the salt-cured mean is used as the primary fat in many pasta sauces.

If you are spending most of your time in the north (Lombardy, the Veneto, the Lakes look up on line classic recipes for the region (risotto, polenta, duck and fish dishes, braised meats, gnocchi) and see how you feel about what you are reading. .

I recommend that you take your itinerary, whatever it is, and do Google searches for the classic recipes of the places you are going. Every region of Italy has classic dishes that they proudly serve to visitors. If you read the classsic recipe and know that it is OK for you to eat, then go to restaurants that specialize in the classic cuisine and order that dish.

There is an excellent comprehensive restaurant guide to the classic food of Italy. It is called "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler" by Fred Plotkin. Despite the word "gourmet", the book is not about "expensive." It recommends classic Italian food and restaurants in all price ranges, from one end of the country to the other. You can get it from Amazon.

It is also an excellent suggestion to carry with you a card that says in Italian what your health needs are.

One of the great features of many Italian restaurants is their flexibility when it comes to dietary needs or even asking for something not on the menu - most are prepared to prepare a pasta in bianco or riso in bianco i.e. plain pasta or rice without any sauce or flavouring.

I suggest you have a note from your doctor (so it looks official) which states:

"Name" deve seguire una dieta iposodica (povera di sale).

Show this and they will ensure that your dietary requirements are followed.