Salt Cravings and Sodium Facts

Do you have salt cravings? It's no wonder as there are so many foods high in sodium. The more you eat a type of food that you crave, the more you crave it. 

If you are an Adrenal type a.k.a. apple shaped Oregon head type a.k.a. Pear-shaped, it's normal that you crave salt, that's because of your body type.

However, not all salt is bad for you! 

There are different types of salt. The natural organic salt found in vegetables is very healthy and actually helps hypertension, so does naturally sun dried sea salt. 

High blood pressure and salt, what's the correlation and how does salt affect blood pressure? When our sodium intake is too high the kidneys can not handle all of the sodium and the excess enters the bloods stream. As salt attracts water, more water enters the blood, increasing pressure on the arteries and raising blood pressure.

The Salty Body Types

High blood pressure and salt, what's the correlation and how does salt affect blood pressure? When our sodium intake is too high the kidneys can not handle all of the sodium and the excess enters the bloods stream. As salt attracts water, more water enters the blood, increasing pressure on the arteries and raising blood pressure.

The fact of the matter is that all foods contain some sodium. Your goal is to eat those foods that contain natural sodium like fruits and vegetables. Avoid foods high in bad quality sodium, all packaged and processed foods which are high in unhealthy refined table salt.

If you want to eat a no salt diet or chose only low salt foods, eat foods in their most natural state possible.

Ketchup contains 190 mg per tablespoon, packaged cereals, 200 to 300 mg per cup, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 400 mg.

Salt cravings or salt addiction can also be caused by a lack of potassium.

Increasing potassium can help. A proper balance of sodium and potassium is necessary. Most people consume too much sodium so they are potassium deficient. An imbalance can lead to heart disease. ¹

Foods that are high in potassium: Apricots Wheat bran Raisins Figs Baked potato with skin Parsley Spinach Lentils Bananas

The recommended daily sodium intake or rda sodium is from 800mg to 1500mg To give you an idea, 1500mg is 1/2 teaspoon, so it's really a small amount. On average an American consumes 3500 mg of sodium per day

Benefits of salt

• Salt helps maintain the correct amount of fluids in the body
• Nourishes the digestive system
• Nourishes the joints
• Neutralizes acidity in the body
• It is important in the functioning of the muscles and nervous system

Sodium content in foods -  Good sources of sodium:

• Parsley
• Spinach
• Dandelion
• Sea weed
• Watercress
• Celery
• Carrots
• Oats
• Cucumber
• Beets
• Turnips
• Alfalfa
• Strawberries
• Figs
• Sun dried sea salt

To manage your cravings for salt eat as healthy a diet as possible, increase foods that contain potassium and try to obtain your sodium from the natural foods listed above rather an unhealthy snack.

References:
1. Balch, A. Phyllis. CNC Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fourth Edition (New York: Penguin Group, 2006) 39.

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