In Search of a Salt Free
World
I
feel like an explorer when I am in the marketplace. Sodium lurks in every aisle
and around every corner. Gone are the days when you could just walk into a
market, wander up and down the aisles picking up whatever you desire. Well, it
is gone once you choose to be healthy. I have heard that health is wealth and I
truly believe that. Without our health we have nothing. Sure money can buy you
quality healthcare and all the best doctors, but they can only do so much.
Bad
foods equal bad health. Your bones become brittle, your muscles weak, your
teeth decay, your eyesight becomes dimmer, you have digestion problems,
heartburn, your skin become dry and dull, and your hair and nails become
brittle. This can and often is a sign of what we refer to as “old age” but many
older people who have taken great care of their bodies look great. Even more
importantly they feel great.
Sodium,
commonly called salt, is essential to our bodies. We need salt to live. Our
sweat is salty, our tears are salty and even our blood consists of some sodium
content. The problem is a little goes a long way. Less is more. Years ago when
salt became an additive it was a wonderful thing. Our ancestors did not consume
nor did that have as many food choices as we have today. Vegetables were
harvested from the garden, bread was baked in the kitchen, and butter was
churned. In most cultures, especially in America, this is a life that does not
exist except in the history books. Why go through all that trouble when you can
just pluck these items and more off supermarket shelves.
So
salt is not evil, it is the excess of salt that does our bodies harm and raises
our blood pressure to abnormal levels. There really is no need for salt
shakers…they are obsolete. The salt is already there, waiting. Everything from
soda (pop), to cereal contains sodium and much of it is disproportionate to our
daily needs. This is multiplied if your idea of cooking dinner is boxed pasta
or those helper meals, salty snacks, and fast food. As a nation we are addicted
to sugary, salty, and processed foods, an unhealthy and often deadly
combination.
So
as I continue my exploration for excessive amounts of added salt, I do adhere
to the guidelines of daily salt requirements recommended for a healthy balanced
diet. According to The Salt Institute the healthy range of salt intake is
between 1,150- 5,750 mg/day which is termed the “hygienic safety range” of
sodium intake by renowned Swedish hypertension expert Dr. Bjorn Folkow This
varies per individual so consult your doctor before cutting salt too much. If
like me, you have hypertension, stick closer to the lower part of the scale.
Remember…while
we need to be conscious of our salt consumption, if we really did have a SALT
FREE WORLD…we would all die.
To
read more about the health benefits of salt and the recommended requirements http://www.saltinstitute.org/Issues-in-focus/Food-salt-health/Human-salt-requirements and http://www.saltinstitute.org/Uses-benefits/Salt-in-Food/Essential-nutrient
© Amira Richardson 2012
Funny how I wrote this blog today and then a 11 Alive
news was talking about salt intake. Kodos for Boston Market for cutting back on
some of the salt that they add to their food!
