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Salt: Friend or Foe?
By: Debra Meszaros
Body Performance Coach- ClubMX
www.Clubmx-SC.com
www.MxSportsNutrition.com
Out of all the myths surrounding diet, there is no one statement more misleading then “salt is bad for you”.
Did you know salt is essential for life; meaning you cannot live without it?
There are forms of salt that are damaging, and forms that are healing.
Which one is on your plate?
There are two main categories of salt, processed and natural. Processed salts are regular table salt and salts found in processed foods. The sodium you see listed on that canned vegetable or soup is the damaging salt. Processed salt is 98% sodium chloride and 2% man-made chemicals. This is not the salt your body relies on for function. Instead, pure, hand-mined, minimally processed sea salt is the category of salt the body utilizes for its biological processes. All natural sea salt contains 85% natural sodium chloride and 15% naturally occurring trace minerals. I advise you to check your ingredient labels to make sure anti-caking agents have not been added to your natural sea salt.
The balancing act:
Sodium is a major component of your blood and lymph fluid. It maintains and regulates blood pressure, transports nutrients in and out of your cells, helps with creative thinking and long term planning. The focus of building and maintaining health is balance, and the synergistic workings of the human body rely on proper ratios of nutrients. Overusing sodium can disturb the balance of potassium and sodium. Most processed foods are low in potassium and high in sodium, so whole natural foods are a better choice for balancing.
Potassium, sodium’s partner, is primarily found inside your cells while sodium is primarily found outside the cell. This balance is essential for proper nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heart function. Too much sodium can result in inadequate amounts of potassium which can than lead to excess urinary excretion of calcium. The adequate intake for potassium is 4700 mg for an adult, but if the diet is not balanced, this number may not suffice. The recommended ratio of potassium to sodium is 2:1.
Mineral balances are very important to the body, and if you lead an active lifestyle or are an athlete, choosing the proper foods to replenish the minerals you loose through sweating is vital to achieving balance. Drink plenty of mineral water, eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and avoid diuretics. If your appetite is low, than explore options like mineral supplementation.
So be aware of what’s inside that salt shaker before you use it!
©2013 Debra Meszaros MXSportsNutrition.com. All rights reserved; no duplication without permission.
DISCLAIMER: When you read through the diet and lifestyle information, you must know that everything within it is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. I am making no attempt to prescribe any medical treatment. You should not use the information here for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. The products and the claims made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Confirm the safety of any supplements with your M.D., N.D. or pharmacist (healthcare professional). Some information given is solely an opinion, thought and or conclusion based on experiences, trials, tests, assessments or other available sources of information. I do not make any guarantees or promises with regard to results. I may discuss substances that have not been subject to double blind clinical studies or FDA approval or regulation. You assume the responsibility for the decision to take any natural remedy.
You and only you are responsible if you choose to do anything with the information you have read. You do so at your own risk. I encourage you to make your own health decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional
Salt: Friend or Foe?
June 10 2013
Salt: Friend or Foe?By: Debra Meszaros
Body Performance Coach- ClubMX
www.Clubmx-SC.com
www.MxSportsNutrition.com
Out of all the myths surrounding diet, there is no one statement more misleading then “salt is bad for you”.
Did you know salt is essential for life; meaning you cannot live without it?
There are forms of salt that are damaging, and forms that are healing.
Which one is on your plate?
There are two main categories of salt, processed and natural. Processed salts are regular table salt and salts found in processed foods. The sodium you see listed on that canned vegetable or soup is the damaging salt. Processed salt is 98% sodium chloride and 2% man-made chemicals. This is not the salt your body relies on for function. Instead, pure, hand-mined, minimally processed sea salt is the category of salt the body utilizes for its biological processes. All natural sea salt contains 85% natural sodium chloride and 15% naturally occurring trace minerals. I advise you to check your ingredient labels to make sure anti-caking agents have not been added to your natural sea salt.
The balancing act:
Sodium is a major component of your blood and lymph fluid. It maintains and regulates blood pressure, transports nutrients in and out of your cells, helps with creative thinking and long term planning. The focus of building and maintaining health is balance, and the synergistic workings of the human body rely on proper ratios of nutrients. Overusing sodium can disturb the balance of potassium and sodium. Most processed foods are low in potassium and high in sodium, so whole natural foods are a better choice for balancing.
Potassium, sodium’s partner, is primarily found inside your cells while sodium is primarily found outside the cell. This balance is essential for proper nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and heart function. Too much sodium can result in inadequate amounts of potassium which can than lead to excess urinary excretion of calcium. The adequate intake for potassium is 4700 mg for an adult, but if the diet is not balanced, this number may not suffice. The recommended ratio of potassium to sodium is 2:1.
Mineral balances are very important to the body, and if you lead an active lifestyle or are an athlete, choosing the proper foods to replenish the minerals you loose through sweating is vital to achieving balance. Drink plenty of mineral water, eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and avoid diuretics. If your appetite is low, than explore options like mineral supplementation.
So be aware of what’s inside that salt shaker before you use it!
©2013 Debra Meszaros MXSportsNutrition.com. All rights reserved; no duplication without permission.
DISCLAIMER: When you read through the diet and lifestyle information, you must know that everything within it is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. I am making no attempt to prescribe any medical treatment. You should not use the information here for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. The products and the claims made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Confirm the safety of any supplements with your M.D., N.D. or pharmacist (healthcare professional). Some information given is solely an opinion, thought and or conclusion based on experiences, trials, tests, assessments or other available sources of information. I do not make any guarantees or promises with regard to results. I may discuss substances that have not been subject to double blind clinical studies or FDA approval or regulation. You assume the responsibility for the decision to take any natural remedy.
You and only you are responsible if you choose to do anything with the information you have read. You do so at your own risk. I encourage you to make your own health decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional
