Well, if that didn’t get your attention, nothing will. After all, haven’t we all heard the evils of using the table salt? And how about all the “low sodium” products available?
Table salt, a.k.a. Sodium Chloride, is terrible for you. The round container with the girl and the umbrella should have a skull and crossbones on it. But that is only half the story.
Real salt, naturally occurring salt, that hasn’t been bleached, chemically processed, MSG added, and otherwise ruined has many benefits and trace minerals your body needs and even craves.
Here is my story about how I discovered the difference real salt can make.
One Saturday morning I was perusing the goods and wares at the Lynchburg Community Market and walked by a table that had odd-shaped pink blocks of all sizes. I was looking at the jams and jellies at the adjacent table and could hear the owner of the pink rocks talking to an interested customer. I heard enough that I was very intrigued and waited my turn to find out more.
Turns out the pink rocks were Himalayan salt mined from the interior of the Himalayan mountains where the salt had been carefully preserved and sheltered from the usual contaminants and pollutants for centuries. I desperately wish I could find this lady’s business card to see if she still has a website because it was very informative, but it’s MIA.
However, a casual search about the benefits of Himalayan salt on Google will net you thousands of options, so go for it.
Where table salt causes fluid retention, real salt will assist your body in proper hydration and actually allow tissue to shed unnecessary fluid. The studies that show salt is bad for the heart only measures the reactions of table salt in the body. The real issues that seem to be emerging in other studies show that calcium and magnesium deficiencies are the real culprit for hypertension. High-quality supplements are important, but the more you get from whole foods with higher content of calcium and magnesium the better.
Himalayan salt contains 84 trace minerals, macrominerals, and elements your body needs for proper balanced functioning. It actually helps regulate blood pressure, cell and nerve function, and many other benefits.
Wellness Mama has a great article on all the details of the benefits of dumping your table salt and replacing it with a good-quality Himalayan salt. She also details ways to use it for maximum health benefits.
So I initially bought a small bag of finely ground Himalayan salt from the nice lady at the market and brought it home. I was very excited about what I had learned and attempted to share it with my family. I got a lot of ribbing about how I would probably buy swamp land from a convincing person.
After learning how the salt was formed in the mountains from the Great Flood in the Old Testament, I finally in desperation to make a point said, “It’s God Salt! How can it be bad for you?”
That is how our Himalayan salt got the term “God Salt”.
I got the last laugh when the benefits of completely replacing all salt in the house with the Himalayan salt became very apparent in just a couple of days and most noticeably in a few weeks.
Apparently we had quite a bit of excess fluid from using regular salt because the first few days it felt like we had taken big doses of diuretics. Not especially pleasant when there is only one bathroom in the house.
It was even more telling when we would eat something that was high in regular table salt. We could feel the difference and even taste the difference.
I never looked back. I still have some plain table salt in my cabinet, but the only thing I will use it for is to sprinkle on the steps on an icy morning.
Try the difference for yourself. Mountain Rose Herbs has quality Himalayan salt and I’ve purchased it from Amazon before. I even found it in Ross recently complete with a grinder. However, if you prefer to use a salt grinder and you want to switch to Himalayan salt, you will want a grinder with ceramic mechanisms for longevity.
One additional note: Various kinds of sea salt have more beneficial properties than table salt. However, you run the risk of adding other impurities from polluted waters. If you cannot get Himalayan salt right now, definitely switch to a quality sea salt in the meantime. At least you will be using a better salt.
So go ahead and buy low-sodium products; you’ll have more opportunity to eliminate the table salt and add your own nourishing and delicious Himalayan salt.
‘Til next time, stay healthy!
Healthy and Frugal in Virginia 