Get the Salt Out (11 page)

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Don’t forget that synthetic MSG is a source of unhealthy sodium,
and its consumption has doubled every decade since the late 1940s. Although common table salt is the number-one source of unhealthy sodium in our diet, MSG is an increasingly common—and perhaps more harmful—source. To steer clear of harmful synthetic MSG, eat as many natural foods as possible. For more tips, see the Supermarket Savvy section in this chapter and Getting What You Want and Menu Savvy in
chapter 9
.

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Commercial sea salt
is better to use than common table salt because it doesn’t contain the aluminum, and sugar that table salt normally contains. It does, however, have many drawbacks. Like table salt, commercial sea salt is heated at high
temperatures and refined to remove all naturally occurring minerals besides sodium and chloride. It also is treated with anti-caking agents, but the anticaking agents used are generally less toxic than those used in table salt. When buying prepared foods, choose those that contain sea salt over those that contain salt or, better yet, buy unsalted products and season them yourself with the healthier salts listed below.

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Unrefined sea salt
is a naturally occurring salt made from evaporated seawater. To distinguish unrefined sea salt from commercial sea salt, look for a brand that is not oven dried, that contains no chemical additives, that contains naturally occurring iodine, and that has trace amounts of other minerals in addition to sodium and chloride. Unrefined sea salt also is usually slightly gray in color, and many people think it tastes saltier than table salt.

BONUS TIP:
Because seawater around the world has become increasingly polluted, many health-conscious consumers have voiced concern over whether toxic chemicals may be in unrefined sea salt. I think this is a legitimate concern. For this reason, be sure to use a brand that can verify its purity.

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Unrefined rock salt, sold under the brand name Real Salt,
is a pollutant-free salt extracted from an ancient seabed in Utah. It is not altered with any coloring, additives, or bleaching, and it is not kiln dried. It also has a full complement of trace minerals, including iodine. For all of these reasons, Real Salt is the brand of salt I recommend most often. Look for Real Salt in natural food stores throughout the country, or see the Resources section for ordering information.

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Put the salt you now use to a test to determine its metabolic acceptability:
add a spoonful to a glass of plain water, stir it several times, and let it stand overnight. If the salt collects in a thick layer on the bottom of the glass, your salt has failed the test: it is heavily processed and not very usable by the
body. To give your body salt it can use, switch instead to an unrefined natural salt that will dissolve in a glass of water as well as in bodily fluids. This experiment gives you a visual example of what refined salt can do to your system: collect in body organs and clog up the circulatory system.

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Remember that unrefined sea or rock salt still contains 2,000 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon
—the same as common table salt. Even when the salt you use is unrefined, it should not be used with abandon. Whereas small amounts of natural salt can contribute noticeably to improved digestion, circulation, and better general well-being, too much of any salt can cause an overload of sodium in the body, increasing the likelihood of conditions like hypertension and osteoporosis. Keep this concept in mind when you begin using a healthier salt in place of table salt. Feel free to use unrefined salt; just do so in moderation.

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Sesame salt,
also known as gomasio, is a combination of sea salt and ground sesame seeds that is often used in macrobiotic and Oriental cooking. Since sesame seeds are good sources of important minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, sesame salt is richer in minerals than unrefined sea salt by itself. It also is lower in sodium. Try some in place of salt in dishes such as bean-and-rice combinations and Chinese stir-fries.

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Herbal salts
are combinations of salt or sea salt and an array of tasty herbs and dehydrated vegetables. They give you a salty taste with more flavor than salt alone, and they also contain potassium and other balancing minerals that table salt simply does not have. Herbal salts are great substitutes for salt in moderate amounts, but be careful to avoid brands that contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), autolyzed yeast, and other forms of synthetic MSG (See tip 90 for a complete list of MSG’s other names.) Two good, MSG-free herbal salts are Bioforce Herbamare and Trocomare, which can be found in
health food stores. Although they contain a little more sodium than salt, they are made by curing unrefined sea salt with savory herbs and dehydrated vegetables. This process produces such a naturally flavorful herbal salt that most people who use Herbamare or Trocomare use less of it than they would salt.