Get the Salt Out (18 page)

116
Remember that while avoiding table salt is important for good health,
it is not the
only
thing that promotes health. By all means, try to get the salt out of your diet, but not to the point of obsession. Be sure to keep salt reduction in perspective with other factors that contribute to a healthy quality of life: avoidance of unhealthy trans-fats, refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, and chemicals; regular exercise; a positive self-image; and meaningful work and personal relationships.

W
ater. The only liquid that by itself is a nutrient to humans. This indispensable fluid comprises almost two-thirds of the body’s mass and hydrates every living cell. Water also transports nutrients into vital organs like the heart and carries away waste material. Water is so important to human health that we can go a week or more without food but only three to five days without water.

Unfortunately, most of us have taken water for granted. For decades, we’ve used water carelessly for our own convenience, without realizing that we’ve been contaminating one of the most important substances that nourishes us. Our use of water softeners is a perfect example of our neglectful use of water. By removing beneficial calcium and magnesium from hard water and replacing these minerals with excessive amounts of sodium, we have altered water so that it may help soaps lather up better, but we also have altered it so that it is a health hazard for ourselves and an environmental hazard for our planet.

Humans can’t survive long on salty water. Shipwrecked sailors throughout history are a testament to this fact: many have died trying to quench their thirst with salty seawater. If you remember that drinking seawater is harmful and eventually
lethal to humans, then it’s easy to understand why drinking salt-contaminated water also is dangerous.

Drinking is not the only way we absorb salt from water. Our digestive systems also absorb salt from foods that are cooked in salted water, and our skin topically picks up salt from water we bathe in. My experience counseling clients for more than twenty years has shown that drinking water, cooking water, and bathing water often are overlooked keys to excess sodium levels.

The tips in this chapter provide rarely covered information about water. They will give you the incentive and the know-how to get the salt out of your water as well as your food.

117
Never drink salt-softened water in place of hard water.
Many studies have shown that people who drink hard water have lower rates of heart disease than people who drink softened water. This is because hard water is rich in hard-to-find minerals that are protective against heart disease. Hard waters mineral content is so impressive that it can rival that found in mineral-rich foods. One liter of hard drinking water, for example, can provide up to 375 milligrams of calcium. By comparison, one of the best sources of calcium, a three-ounce can of sardines, contains 372 milligrams, but it also contains undesirably high amounts of sodium.

118
If you have high blood pressure or high-sodium levels,
find out the sodium content of your tap water through your local water department or health department. Your drinking water sometimes can sabotage a healthful, low-sodium diet
by contributing as much as 3,750 milligrams of sodium in ten eight-ounce glasses! People who live in snowy areas where road salt is used or those who live in coastal communities frequently have saltier water than individuals who live in other areas. If you are on a sodium-restricted diet and your tap waters sodium content is more than 80 parts per million, the American Heart Association recommends that you switch to sodium-free bottled water.
One Salt Shaker.

119
Know that all bottled waters are not low in sodium.
Some, in fact, contain more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium in every liter! That’s more than 250 milligrams per cup! The following are particularly high-sodium brands you should avoid: Kaiser Friedrich Quelle, Laoshan, Saint Yorre, San Narciso, Uberkinger, Vichy Catalan, Vichy Celestins, and Vichy Springs.

120
Drink bottled water that is low in sodium
and that contains more heart-healthy calcium and magnesium than sodium. Brands of bottled water that meet these criteria are: Arrowhead, Evian, Golden Eagle, La Croix, Vichy Novella, and Vittel Grande.
One Salt Shaker.

121
Read the labels on other brands of bottled water
and look for water that is low in sodium (containing 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving), very low in sodium (containing 35 milligrams of sodium or less per serving), or sodium-free. Although it’s a good idea to drink a bottled water rich in both calcium and magnesium when it’s available, your second-best choice is any water that is low in sodium, such as popular brands like Calistoga, Crystal Geyser, Perrier, and Poland Spring.
One Salt Shaker.

122
Try to drink at least eight glasses of low-sodium water each day.
Despite what many people believe, drinking more water does not cause bloating and water retention. Quite the contrary; it is a simple way of flushing unnecesary salt out of
the body and of reducing bloating. Just be sure the water you drink is low in sodium.
One Salt Shaker.