Salt of the Earth

As soon as my eyes opened this morning I was thinking of salt. Of course I had my Salt Water Flush first thing on my to do list -- perhaps that was part of why it was on my mind. But, also, I really do like salt - the taste, what it does to food and the fact that it's a natural ingredient.

The salt I use is sea salt - it is actually grey or dark in colour, quite coarse and gritty. It is made in France directly on the sea shore by a process of simply... who cares, right?

One of the reasons why I wanted to mention salt is because it so often gets a bad rap. I have seen advertisements and briefings about research studies telling people to stay away from it, cut down on salt and then there are all of these highly processed, packaged foods, low in sodium.

Thank goodness for that!! (not)

When sodium has been taken out or reduced in these processed foods, you can be certain something even more sinister has been added in it's place. More sugar, other preservatives or some other ingredients we cannot pronounce. 

So, low salt packaged foods are definitely not the answer. Actually, any prepared food is likely to contain far too much salt because it balances the taste of added sugars. And it makes the food 'keep' a little longer.

Salt can be found in breads, cereals, sauces and soups - all foods that you should be making for yourself. (It is that easy) The names used by manufacturers are - monosodium glutamate, sea salt, disodium phosphate, baking soda, sodium citrate amongst many others. 

This type of salt, along with eating a diet of packaged, processed and prepared foods is the stuff which causes health problems. Salt on it's own; as part of a balanced diet, active lifestyle with real food and clean water -- does not cause these problems. 

Salt is actually great for cleaning (as in a detox), removing debris (bathing in salty water), scouring pots and pans, preserving foods, enhancing flavour and is a known antidote to all of the radiation we are exposed to. But, I am not talking about table salt - and not in any significant quantities (too much salt is still a problem).

I have long thought this was the main reason we are all craving so much of it - too much electromagnetic radiation needs to be counter balanced and therefore we crave salt. What you really need to do here is reduce the radiation exposure -- get rid of television, don't hold a cell phone near your head and do not sleep with a radio near your bed. 

All sensible things to do to clear the clutter and reduce the 'waves' around you. 

Getting back to using sea salt in food and cooking - I use it and really enjoy it. Of course I don't use a lot - most people would add extra salt to my food. However, we can taste it - perhaps because we have been eating a clean diet for so long. 

And I enjoy salted organic popcorn. Salt, there is nothing like it! 

April