If You Are Going to Eat a ROCK-Make it One of The Sea Salt’s

If You Are Going to Eat a ROCK-Go Ahead and Make it One of The Sea Salt’s

There are lots of pros’s and con’s about Salt’s. Should we eat it? Should we stay away from it. So, lets talk about some of those myths or mysteries.

Through the ages there are stories about salt…in the Bible someone turned around and was turned in to a pillar of salt…there are expressions…”not worth his weight in salt.” But where does it come in about our health and body?

Know facts about the human body and all it’s salt’s

Each of us contain about 4 to 8 ounces of salt’s. Salt helps maintain the normal volume of blood in the body and helps keep the proper amount of water in and around the cells and tissues. It is also necessary for the formation and proper function of nerve fibers, which carry impulses to and from the brain and plays an important part in the digestion of food. It is essential in making the heart beat properly.

Why is iodine added to salt, making it iodized salt?

The health of our Thyroid gland is dependent upon iodine which occurs naturally in our foods via the soil foods are grown in. Back in the 1920′s there was a region of the U.S. referred to as the “goiter” belt. This was an area around the Great Lakes and in the Northwestern U.S. It was named that due to the high incidence of “goiter” the Thyroid disease caused by the lack of iodine in peoples diet. These regions were far from the ocean and natural iodine was depleted from the farming soil. It was decided to add iodine to table salt to solve the problem (a commonly used food additive).

Are sea salt’s any better for my health than other table salt’s?

All salt that reaches our table (whether it is mined or comes directly from the sea) is produced in the same way, which is evaporation. Many of the sea salt’s available even use the same anti caking additives as the standard table salt. Grey Salt from Brittany, France is the least processed and most “natural” product. Some say that there may be trace minerals in sea salt that are not found in mined table salt but they are not in large enough quantities to justify any additional cost.

I only use kosher sea salt, from South Utah from a little town called Redmond. I do not have a goiter problem, so, I do not need iodized salt. I prefer to use a more natural salt, when I do use salt. But face it…even I, can not eat liver or an egg with out my kosher sea salt.

Is too much salt bad for our health?

Too much of almost anything may be bad for our health. People who have high blood pressure must avoid salt in their diets. Three quarters of the salt most Americans eat in a day is from “processed foods”. Eating more fresh foods and fewer processed foods, will make a significant decrease in your daily salt intake.

Some critics and medical professionals argue that only some people are sensitive to salt and that these are the people, along with anyone with heart problems, liver disease or kidney disease, who need to watch their salt intake. For everyone else, salt is an important part of good food.

Such ideas are disputed by health bodies who argue there is a clear health risk in eating salt, not just for blood pressure but also because of links to osteoporosis, stomach cancer and other health problems. Since it is difficult to measure salt sensitivity and much of the salt in our diet is unnecessary, they say the best advice is to cut down and save lives.

The medical profession also links sodium as a high risk the older we get…high blood pressure, osteoporosis, water retention, stomach cancer and other health problems are aliments many face. The theory…why add salt to it.

How much salt should I have in a day?

There is no recommended daily allowance for salt because it is overly plentiful in natural food sources. The recommended daily maximum amount of salt for an “ordinarily healthy person is 2400 mg.” Well, that leaves out most of us and medical staffs say that half of that is all you should be taking in because we really do not NEED any salt. We have just become accustom to it.

A quarter of a teaspoon is almost 600 mg. So, two teaspoons is all you get all day.  Salt occurs naturally in most fruits and vegetables and in alarming quantities in most processed foods. You can obtain sufficient amounts of salts in a normal healthy diet without ever adding a grain of salt to your food. Cereals even put it on their flakes, to make you like it more. Read the labels. What to do?  Don’t eat processed foods.

Other Salt Uses…more than I can mention. Egyptians used salt to preserve their mummies with it…so that ought to tell you it isn’t good for the human body. There are countless uses for salt-food, tanning leather, beauty supplies, using on wounds and even gargling [which I will give you a recipe for]. But here is probably America’s most know…salt solution

America’s favorite Salt Solutions
Here are a couple…
The first salt solution is after a hard day at the office or your in-laws.

Cocktail Glass Salt
Cocktails such as Margaritas and Bloody Mary’s are traditionally served in a glass with a salted rim.
Sprinkle Kosher salt on a plate.
Moisten the rim of the glass with lime or lemon and dip the glass rim into the salt using a slight twisting motion.
Lightly shake off excess salt.

How about a salt solution for a scratchy throat?

Salt Water As A Gargle Solution
A saltwater gargle is 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water
The Mayo Clinic says it can temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat. A great cost saver, verses those high priced items at your pharmacy. It is a home remedy for sore scratchy throats.

Advise For heart Healthy Living

If you agree or disagree with the connection between high blood pressure and salt’s. Let’s just say that  eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and seeds, plus doing exercise, not becoming overweight, drinking too much alcohol or smoking, are other factors important in preventing high blood pressure. Replacing salty processed foods with fresh foods is likely to be beneficial for reasons other than just salt. It is overall diet and lifestyle that matter, not just one component.

What I do to stay away from salt’s…
I use garlic, onion and other spices instead. Sage is a good one to substitute with. Any kind of herb to give more flavor. A lot of people find that Mrs. Dash is good. I don’t care for it. I just add spices from my spice rack and I have a mixture that I have that works for me…I would give you that recipe but, it depends on what is in my kitchen at the time.

After a few weeks your palates will change as you decrease your regular processed foods and salt intake.

Bon Appetit and Good Health
~The Baby Boomer Queen~