I often laugh when I recall a dinner party (Sunday Roast) I held for a number of my friends and their partners many years ago when I was single. in my early twenties.
I had prepared Roast Lamb with Veggies and Gravy and had an Apple Pie in the oven, a few beers and a good bottle of REd. Everything was going to plan until someone asked for the salt? Now I had never kept salt in the house and never added it to any of my food (still don’t), so I was quite surprised by the UPROAR from all those attending when I told them there wasn’t any in the house and they would have to eat their meal without adding salt.
Almost thirty years later salt (Sodium) is still a concern when it comes to nutrition and health. There is a lot of misinformation floating around when it comes to what salt’s nutritional purpose is and how much of it we should consume, so today I want to clear that up.
Dietary salt is essential for all animal life in small quantities, yet consuming too much salt as most of us do, can increase the risk of contracting an array of health issues including but not limited to stroke, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), osteoporosis and heartburn.
Salt And Cardiovascular Disease
- Diets high in salt increase blood pressure, a leading risk factor for Cardiovascular disease.
- The average Australians intake is two and a half times the recommended amount.
- Cardiovascular Disease kills one Australian nearly every 10 minutes.
- Affects more than 3.4 million Australians.
- Prevents 1.4 million people from living a full life because of disability caused by the disease.
- Affects one in five Australians, and affects two out of three families.
- Claims the lives of almost 50,000 Australians (35% of all deaths) – deaths that are largely preventable.
Tips for Reducing Salt (Sodium) in Your Diet
- Buy fresh, plain frozen, or canned “with no salt added” vegetables.
- Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types.
- Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.
- Cook rice, pasta, and hot cereals without salt. Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
- Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium.
- When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.
- Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium
A recent study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, confirms that people who reduced their salt intake by 25-30% had an equal reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease of 25-30%.
So if you think you fall into the category of consuming too much salt, set yourself a goal of reducing your salt intake (and risk of cardiovascular disease) by 30% over the coming weeks.
Which Salt is good for you?
Refined salt is the main reason salt has such a bad reputation. It’s the same terrible stuff you find in processed foods. Our bodies actually need salt, but most research has revolved around refined table salt – and the results have shown that this stuff is not good for you.
In many parts of the world, it is well-accepted that salt itself is NOT the problem … it’s the kind of salt that’s causing problems.
Refined table salt is pretty scary, actually. It often contains harmful anti-caking agents, some of which have been linked to heavy metal toxicity and kidney problems. A common preservative in these refined salts, sodium acetate, may cause elevated blood pressure and kidney disturbances.
So what should you use instead?
The truth is that unrefined sea salt is actually good for you. It helps to balance your blood sugar, helps keep your bones strong, regulates your metabolism, boosts your immune system and more. Natural, unrefined sea salt provides a number of nutrients and minerals, in a way that the body recognises and knows how to use, so look for this on the shelf the next time you are shopping.
“Knowledge is not power; the implementation of knowledge is power”