So, you’ve been told over and over that salt is bad for you and you decided to take salt out of your diet. But what if I told you that salt is needed to regulate our cells and that it can be dangerous to have low salt levels?
Now, this is not the green light to go out and eat bags of chips! There are different types of salt, and the salt you find in most processed foods and on your hot chips/fries is actually a refined food containing additives and not at all healthy.
How is table salt made?
Raw salt contains up to eighty two trace mineral and essential nutrients. The salt is then heated to 1,200 degrees and all these minerals are destroyed. What you are left with is sodium chloride. Then an anti-caking agent is added to stop it from going lumpy (because salt absorbs water from the atmosphere) and you are left with a very unhealthy product.
High intakes of sodium chloride can be linked to muscle weakness and depletion of your calcium stores, which may lead to osteoporosis. It may also cause high blood pressure and kidney stones.
Now the good news is that you can still have salt, because as I said earlier we need salt, but what salt can you have?
Firstly, ditch any white refined table salt you have and replace it with something more natural. There are so many different types of salt out there but these are the most common ones you will find either in the supermarket or in health food stores, or you can order them online (see below for link)
- Celtic sea salt
- Himalayan pink salt
- Murray River (if you live in Australia, not easy to find in stores)
Secondly, salt does not contain iodine which is a mineral essential for your health (especially the Thyroid). The best sources of iodine are seaweeds like kelp, dulse and nori. Add the salt to finely chopped seaweed, or put it in your blender and mix them together, this will ensure you are getting a good supply of iodine and other essential minerals.
You can buy them already mixed from Changing Habits.
You will find dulse and kelp at your local health food store and you can buy it already chopped up.
Now, I would love to hear from you! What salt are you currently using? Leave me a comment below, or you can come and join the conversation over on my Facebook page
Want to know more about how to gain more energy, lose weight or just feel better? Then come and join in the conversation in my private Facebook group. We are all about Food, Mindset, Connection and Support. We are waiting to welcome you!
Did you enjoy this post? Please share it with a friend.
Until next time. Happy swapping!