Salt and Salt Cravings

[Guest guest]

Great info on salt, thanks Andrew!

 

Just a reminder -- if you're going to use salt, it's best to choose

a " healthy " high quality salt from a natural source. " Ordinary

table salt " has anti-caking agents and several other ingredients in

addition to salt.

 

Hain, the salt we most often consider a healthier alternative, has

those same anti-caking agents. It comes from the San Fransisco bay,

which I can't imagine is very clean.

 

Consider " Real Salt " from an ancient sea bed in Utah. It's full of

naturally occurring minerals, etc. Or, a number of the Celtic Sea

Salts available in natural markets.

 

You'll notice that your food tastes so much better, and your health

will improve by simply choosing a " clean " , mineral rich salt.

 

All the best,

Michelle

[Guest guest]

Cravings for salt are actually one of the symptoms that a homeopath

will look for, to help determine the best indicated remedy....

Other comments?

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Salt and Salt Cravings

 

Salt or sodium, is an electrolyte that your body needs. Electrolytes

are minerals that dissolve in water and can carry electrical

charges. Pure water does not conduct electricity, but water

containing salt does.

 

The three major electrolytes are sodium, potassium and chloride.

Other body electrolytes are magnesium, calcium, zinc, and many

others in very small amounts (called trace minerals). They are

electrically charged so they can carry nutrients into and out of

your cells. They also carry messages along your nerves and help

control your heartbeat.

 

Since your body is made mostly of water, these minerals can be found

everywhere in your body. They are inside your cells, in the spaces

between your cells, in your blood, your lymph, and everywhere else.

Since they have an electrical charge they can move through you cell

membranes and thus carry other nutrients with them into the cells

and waste products and excess water out of the cells.

 

Potassium & sodium

 

Potassium and sodium are very closely linked. To keep your body

healthy, your cells need to have a lot of potassium inside and a lot

of sodium in the fluid outside. To keep the balance, potassium and

sodium constantly move back and forth through the cell membrane.

 

The correct balance

 

Cells need the correct balance of potassium and salt. The ratio that

your body maintains is about three parts potassium and one part

sodium. Therefore, the problem of too much sodium (salt) cannot be

overstated. If the body becomes oversupplied with sodium, the body

excretes more sodium. If the kidneys cannot secrete it, it causes

the vascular system to constrict, then the body dilutes the

extracellular sodium in the body by increasing the fluid volume in

the body. Thus, you get fluid retention.

 

The solution is to increase the potassium intake and decrease the

sodium.

 

How much salt?

 

Although some sodium is essential for survival, inadequate sodium

intake is a rare problem. We need less than 500 milligrams of sodium

a day to stay healthy. This is enough to accomplish all the vital

functions that sodium performs in the body - helping maintain normal

fluid levels, healthy muscle function, stomach & nerve function and

proper acidity (called pH) of the blood. Excessive sodium intake can

cause fluid to be retained in the tissues, which can lead to

hypertension (high blood pressure) and can aggravate many medical

disorders, including congestive heart failure, certain forms of

kidney disease, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

 

Diruetics

 

Taking diuretics, however, may lead to a salt deficiency. Symptoms

of sodium deficiency can include abdominal cramps, anorexia,

confusion, dehydration, depression, dizziness, fatigue, flatulence,

hallucinations, headache, heart palpitations, and impaired sense of

taste, lethargy, low blood pressure, memory impairment, muscular

weakness, nausea and vomiting, poor coordination, recurrent

infections, seizures and weight loss. Excessive sodium intake can

result in edema (swelling of tissues), high blood pressure,

potassium deficiency, and liver and kidney disease.

 

Losing Salt?

 

When you sweat a lot, it is sometimes thought that you need to take

extra salt, however, most of us get plenty of salt in our diet.

When you are excessively sweating due to exercise and hot weather,

you are using a lot of electrolytes, These can be replaced by Cell

Salts.

 

Loss of electrolytes

 

Diarrhea or vomiting can also cause you to quickly lose electrolytes

(especially potassium) with the fluid. You need to replace the

fluids and electrolytes quickly.

 

A good way to do this is to make an 8 ounces glass of a mixture of

apple, orange and other fruit juices with half a teaspoon of honey

and a pinch of ordinary table salt. In another glass, combine 8

ounces of water and a pinch of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

Take a few sips from one glass and then a few sips form the other

until you've drunk them both. The fruit juice contains the potassium

you need, while the salt and baking soda provide sodium. The sugar

from the juice and honey helps your absorb electrolytes.

 

Do we eat too much salt?

 

The average American consumes 15 lbs. of salt per year - the weight

of an average bowling ball. Most authorities agree that salt should

be limited and that it plays an role in cases of hypertension. The

sodium found in salt may also be detrimental to your bones.

Consuming more than 2500 mg of sodium per day will increase your

calcium excretion in your urine, leading to further bone loss. One

study found that cutting sodium intake in half was as beneficial as

getting an extra 891 mg of calcium per day.

 

Craving salt.

 

A craving for salty foods may be a symptom of adrenal exhaustion,

especially in people who live fast-paced, stressful lives. If this

is the case, it is recommended that eating food high in vitamin C is

helpful (citrus, pepper and broccoli) and potassium (parsley,

garlic, spinach and carrot). Salt cravings can also be a symptom of

serious conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and sickle

cell anemia, so if you crave a lot of salt, you should really see

your doctor and get a complete physical. A small amount of salt can

be part of a healthy diet, but too much has negative health

consequences. Homeopathic Natrum Muriaticum, taken once a day for 7

days, can moderate a strong desire for salt.

 

Salting your food

 

If you taste your food and find it needs something - remember most

food has enough naturally occurring salt to make it palatable - try

adding spices, seasonings and herbs to your food in place of table

salt. You might also want to try potassium salt as opposed to the

more common sodium salt.

 

Salt in Processed Foods

 

It is not only the salting of foods that increases your salt intake,

but the amount of salt that is present in processed foods. Take a

look at the packaging of the canned goods, frozen foods, ketchup,

soy sauce, baked goods, etc. Luncheon meats and snack foods are also

high in sodium content. Get a hold of the nutritional guides from

your local fast food restaurant. The salt content is extremely

high. Even sodium free or salt-free labels can have up to 5 mg of

salt per serving. The labels mean roughly as follows:

 

Unsalted, no salt added, without added salt - No salt has been added

during processing, even though salt is normally added to that food.

Reduced or less sodium - At least 25 percent less sodium per serving

than the food normally has.

 

Lightly salted - At least 50% less sodium per serving than the food

normally has.

 

Light in sodium - At least 50% less sodium per serving than the food

normall has.

 

Low sodium - 140 mg or less per serving.

 

Very low sodium - 35 mg or less per serving.

Sodium free or salt-free - Less than 5 mg per serving.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac.

Peacefulmind.com

Therapies for healing

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