To salt or not to salt, that is the question!

[HoneyBadger]

Hey all,
I'm on the fence about salt. I've noticed that when I have any salt (outside of natural salty seaweed or seafood) that I retain water like crazy! I'm pretty thin so I feel I can notice it right away and the bloat from the salt seems to last a day or two after ingesting it which is really annoying. I feel I do better without any salt in my diet but I find that about once a week I'll get intense cravings for chips! Although it's not the actual chips themselves that I'm craving I've realized, but rather the salt on them! Which then leads to the cycle of retaining water and feeling bloated for a few days after guiltily giving in to the cravings. I'm confused because I feel my body is giving me mixed signals; I'll get cravings for salt but then when I indulge (I won't even ingest that much when I do!), my body hates me for like two days after by retaining a lot of fluid! Ugh!!! What's the deal? Anyone else experience this or have any ideas as to what's going on? It seems to happen with all kinds of salt-sea salt, table salt, himalayan salt....except in the case of seafood or seaweed, then seem to be fine. But I'm not able to always consume quality seafood or seaweed every week as it's very pricey here for both so I don't know what to do?

[TylerDurden]

Well, there are natural salts such as found in raw blood. I find it easy to avoid salt as it causes a toxis reaction in my mouth if I eat even a small amount of it. Natural salts are fine for me, though. Well, I suppose others will have more useful data to provide...

[dariorpl]

I haven't eaten salt in over a year and a half. People keep telling me I'm gonna have all of these terrible reactions due to lack of salt but I don't. I will admit that if I taste anything that's salty, it will taste good. But just because something tastes good, doesn't mean it's good for you. In my view.

Salt also gives me headaches.

Maybe there are other ways to satisfy your cravings without having to have salt. Any animal products naturally contain more sodium than plants do. And among the plants, things like tomatoes and celery juice are good.

Also, you may be drinking too much water, that could lead to a mineral deficiency that may leave you craving salt.

[eveheart]

I've noticed that when I have any salt (outside of natural salty seaweed or seafood) that I retain water like crazy!

What different kinds of salt have you tried? (Don't forget that commercial salt very likely has corn derivatives, so don't count that kind, because you may simply be inflaming due to the corn derivative.)

On edit: this is what I'm talking about https://cornallergygirl.com/2013/05/07/corn-tamination-series-salt/

[jessica]

What kind of chips do you crave?  If it's corn chips try eating raw liver next time.  Plenty of minerals plus iron which may be what you are craving.  You might also need to diversify your die.

[dariorpl]

If it's corn chips try eating raw liver next time. 

Or raw corn on the cob.

[LePatron7]

I say yay to salt lol

To each their own though

[sabertooth]

A.V. advised against consuming sodium, saying that its explosive. I personally avoid using salt, and have a strong aversion to salty foods in general. I think that salt may be even harmful in excess, especially for people on Low Carb.

I have a theory that Carbs tend to leach sodium from the body, this is why cooked starches tend to be served with liberal amounts of salt, many carb foods also have high potassium and so more salt is needed to balance it out. The sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels are closely connected, and when one is imbalanced it usually effects the others.

I believe sodium serves a vital function, but its best obtained within whole foods as part of a complete mineral matrix that is properly balanced with potassium, magnesium, and the other trace minerals. I will often sweat heavily and deplete my body salts, but even in my depleted state I will avoid using straight salt to replenish my sodium levels. I prefer to use foods.... Blood is my go to and as long as I have enough sheep blood I do not need any other form of salt....when Im out of blood I will use seaweed, or drink lemon water with raw eggs.

In extreme cases of dehydration, mineral depletion or muscle cramping I will eat raw clams, making sure to save and drink the juice.

[HoneyBadger]

Eveheart: I've tried them all---Pink Himalayan Salt, Sea Salt, and regular table salt. They all seem to have the same effect on me.

Jessica: I crave corn chips so maybe I will just try to eat some raw liver next time I get the cravings!

Dariorpl: I'm definitely not drinking too much water...if anything my water intake is probably too little vs. too much, don't know if this could be producing the craving for salt or not. I also like the idea of eating raw corn on the cob...never thought of that!

SB: Great advice as usual. I do feel like tge cravings come on stronger than usual after a higher carb day. I'm not at the point of drinking raw blood yet so I think I'll just stick to seaweed and raw eggs for now!

[dariorpl]

Dariorpl: I'm definitely not drinking too much water...if anything my water intake is probably too little vs. too much, don't know if this could be producing the craving for salt or not. I also like the idea of eating raw corn on the cob...never thought of that!

Well I went from drinking 6 liters (1.5 gal) of water a day in the summer and 4 liters in the winter, to 1 liter in the summer and half a cup in the winter. I used to be constantly dehydrated before, whereas now I very rarely am. I'm a big guy so 6 liters, while it was a lot, isn't as much as it sounds. I now look at plain water as a solvent, and something that generally promotes dehydration and leeches minerals and other nutrients from the body, especially in large quantities. Normally I will only drink more than just a little water if I'm sweating a lot or if I have to fast for most of the day because it's inconvenient to eat on the go. I also try to sip rather than gulp, which is what I used to do. Sipping gives my body more time to adjust to this solvent and utilize it to it's full potential (in dissolving and eliminating toxins), while minimizing nutrient leeching.

Raw corn on the cob can be tricky. Depending on the variety and ripening point, it can either be delicious or barely edible. I suggest you try one before buying more. I've heard that some corn turns more starchy and less sweet as it ripens more. I'm not entirely sure if that is true or not, but it could be. I know something similar to that happens with legumes such as fresh peas. When unripe they will taste fine, but as they ripen, they release a nasty chemical that doesn't taste good at all when raw. I've found that raw dry peanuts have the same flavor. I've never noticed something like that happening to corn, but I've had it several times and depending on the type and ripening point, the taste has varied quite a bit.

I've only ever tried organic raw corn on the cob, as conventional is not only heavily sprayed, but is also always genetically modified. If you buy quite a few whole ones and don't find worms in them, it's probably not organic, even if they say it is. Although conventional ones could contain worms also, just much less so, in general.

[svrn]

Table salt is a catalyst in the development of all diseases in most
people. Mineral salts are plant-food, not food for humans. If they were
food for humans, we could live on dirt. The vegetable kingdom makes
wonderful use of mineral salts, in balanced ratios, to grow healthfully
and strong. After they make the salts into bio-actively available
substances, we can juice their leaves, stalks and roots to obtain
concentrations of those salts. In our bodies, mineral salts that are not
naturally present in food, imbalance our systems, causing many
diseases, including cellular dehydration, edema, and bone diseases and
malformations.- Aajonus, we want to live

salt makes me feel absolutely terrible, i avoidit in my diet completely. It is however often necessary on a cooked food diet.

[political atheist]

when somebody has hear attack, doctors give salt IV bu tat the same time they tell us salt is bad for health, how do u explain that?

according to my research sodium should be more than potassium in the body for optimal functioning, if you look around  potassium is everywhere(fruits, veggies, milk, grains, legumes, tubers) but sodium can be only found in salt(sea salt or table salt or bicarb soda) isnt it interesting? Only raw eggs have 1:1 ratio of sodium-potassium... so how do you correct this ''imbalance''

sea water was used to cure all kinds of diseases, they even injected in veins in place of blood... how do you explain that? http://oceanplasma.org/documents/tribute.html

what about athletes who sweat 3- 5 litres of fluids full of sodium during ONE training, how do they replenish their sodium levels without using salt?

[Iguana]

We get salt from shellfish, seaweeds, sea water. 

[Iguana]

I will admit that if I taste anything that's salty, it will taste good. But just because something tastes good, doesn't mean it's good for you. In my view.

What you wrote is right with processed, cooked and mixed stuff, but false with raw, unprocessed and unmixed "paleo" stuff, aka things that have been around in our environment ever since millions of years. Otherwise our predecessors in our evolutionary lineage would have all died from poisoning themselves by toxic stuff that tasted good to them, and we wouldn't be here!

[dariorpl]

What you wrote is right with processed, cooked and mixed stuff, but false with raw, unprocessed and unmixed "paleo" stuff, aka things that have been around in our environment ever since millions of years. Otherwise our predecessors in our evolutionary lineage would have all died from poisoning themselves by toxic stuff that tasted good to them, and we wouldn't be here!

But salt is a processed and cooked stuff

That said, I should correct what I said before. Salt on meat is not particularly appealing. However, salt on freshly sliced tomatoes tastes amazing.

Also, if I just take a tiny flaxseed-sized crystal of salt and slowly dissolve it in my mouth like candy, it tastes really good.

[Iguana]

But salt is a processed and cooked stuff

I wrote:

We get salt from shellfish, seaweeds, sea water. 

Maybe I wasn't clear: I meant "we get salt when we eat shellfish and seaweeds or by drinking sea water".

[political atheist]

A.V. advised against consuming sodium, saying that its explosive. I personally avoid using salt, and have a strong aversion to salty foods in general. I think that salt may be even harmful in excess, especially for people on Low Carb.

I have a theory that Carbs tend to leach sodium from the body, this is why cooked starches tend to be served with liberal amounts of salt, many carb foods also have high potassium and so more salt is needed to balance it out. The sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels are closely connected, and when one is imbalanced it usually effects the others.

I believe sodium serves a vital function, but its best obtained within whole foods as part of a complete mineral matrix that is properly balanced with potassium, magnesium, and the other trace minerals. I will often sweat heavily and deplete my body salts, but even in my depleted state I will avoid using straight salt to replenish my sodium levels. I prefer to use foods.... Blood is my go to and as long as I have enough sheep blood I do not need any other form of salt....when Im out of blood I will use seaweed, or drink lemon water with raw eggs.

In extreme cases of dehydration, mineral depletion or muscle cramping I will eat raw clams, making sure to save and drink the juice.

carbs retain sodium

[political atheist]

Hey all,
I'm on the fence about salt. I've noticed that when I have any salt (outside of natural salty seaweed or seafood) that I retain water like crazy! I'm pretty thin so I feel I can notice it right away and the bloat from the salt seems to last a day or two after ingesting it which is really annoying. I feel I do better without any salt in my diet but I find that about once a week I'll get intense cravings for chips! Although it's not the actual chips themselves that I'm craving I've realized, but rather the salt on them! Which then leads to the cycle of retaining water and feeling bloated for a few days after guiltily giving in to the cravings. I'm confused because I feel my body is giving me mixed signals; I'll get cravings for salt but then when I indulge (I won't even ingest that much when I do!), my body hates me for like two days after by retaining a lot of fluid! Ugh!!! What's the deal? Anyone else experience this or have any ideas as to what's going on? It seems to happen with all kinds of salt-sea salt, table salt, himalayan salt....except in the case of seafood or seaweed, then seem to be fine. But I'm not able to always consume quality seafood or seaweed every week as it's very pricey here for both so I don't know what to do?

you could be low on potassium and/or magnesium