The diet solution program: Yes, I carry SALT in my purse.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Yes, I carry SALT in my purse.

People are always so shocked when I break out my salt shaker from my purse (like Mary Poppins and her umbrella and coat rack). You see, I absolutely love salt and I put it on everything, so I make sure to have it on hand all the time.

Before you start lecturing me about high blood pressure and how unhealthy salting my food is, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Salt is good for you! Woohoo, salt it up baby!

People freak out on me when they see how much salt I use and then freak out even more when I tell them they MUST have salt as part of their healthy eating plan.

Here are the real facts (not to mention good news for saltaholics everywhere).

The human body cannot survive without salt (which is why you get a saline drip when you are in the hospital). Sodium is an essential nutrient that your body can't manufacture on its own, therefore it must be consumed.

Here's the problem. Most people are eating the wrong kind of salt. The only way to receive all the benefits of salt is to eat unrefined sea salt, NOT processed table salt.

The reason why salt has gotten such a bad reputation is because 99% of the world's salt research has been done on commercial table salt, the only salt most people know about (which is bad, bad, bad). Some of the best scientific research on the healthy properties of unrefined sea salt are written in French, German and Portuguese and many Americans have not been exposed to them (until now, right?).

Well, not anymore. Unrefined sea salt has worked its magic in hundreds of my clients, and, not to mention, ME.

When you consider that sea salt aids in balancing blood sugar levels, is needed for the absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract, can help prevent muscle cramps, is needed to make bones strong, regulates and normalizes blood pressure, increases energy levels, helps regulate the metabolism, helps maintain proper electrolyte balance, and supports the immune system, how could you not use it?

What salt should you buy?

Look for unprocessed, unrefined sea salt. My favorite brands are Celtic Sea Salt, Redmond's Real Salt and Himalayan Sea Salt (but any unprocessed, unrefined brand is great - be careful though, if it doesn't mention unprocessed & unrefined, assume it is not).

These salts can be found on these great websites:

www.celticseas.com (Look for Mineral Rich Salts)

Oh, and of course, avoid refined white table salt at all costs (unless you want high blood pressure for some reason). This is the kind of salt we want to avoid like the plague.

So the next time someone tells you to take it easy on the salt, tell them "Salt it up, baby. It's good for you and you're really missing out."

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of The Diet Solution Program
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com

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