salt

fuhrmeister

This is my first post in this group. I am new to primal, my husband and I have begun by cutting grains, hydroginated oils and most procesed foods, We haven't had any legumes since we started but I am still reading about them. The only dairy I eat is butter and cheese and my husband will never give up milk but will use almond and coconut milk.

But my real question is about salt, I am craving salt. I think it is b/c of lack of processed foods. Will this craving go away. I know some salt is necessary what are good ways to add salt if necessary.

Thanks

beccarockslife

I gave up salt generally because it's terrible for you but I did crave it for a while, the only salt I have now is in bacon. Try maybe eating a little and wean yourself off?

Like anything eventually you'll stop craving it but everyone should have a little in their diet.

twinmom01

I add a wee bit of salt to my dishes (sea salt that I put in a grinder) when I am cooking

If you are eating a clean diet adding a bit of salt here and there to things shouldn't be a big deal at all...

If you dont' already track sodium on your diary I would suggest you do that and see where you are at - most days I am below 2000 and RDA is about 2300....which if you are eating a lot of processed foods that amount goes through the roof...(or in my case today when I splurged and had Paleo no-no Pho for lunch - holy sodium...I am now on my 13 glass of water )

For most people - even eating a clean healthy diet you are going to see a sodium level of about 1200-2000 because fruits, veggies, meat all have natural sodium in it

fuhrmeister

Thanks, I have been doing a lot of reading on salt and I should be ok. On my reports I am still over 1000mg. I Just know salt is essential for our bodys and getting to little can actually be worse than getting too much. Healthy kidneys can regulate too much but can't create more.

twinmom01

Thanks, I have been doing a lot of reading on salt and I should be ok. On my reports I am still over 1000mg. I Just know salt is essential for our bodys and getting to little can actually be worse than getting too much. Healthy kidneys can regulate too much but can't create more.

As long as the majority of sodium is coming from whole foods and you have adequate liquid intake I wouldn't worry to much about sodium intake...

Dr.'s harp a lot about sodium because of the average person looked at what their sodium levels are on a daily basis a lot of people would be off the charts - which leads to hypertension, high blood pressure, water retention (which water retenetion can lead to a whole host of other things)...some people do care and others (like my boss) just don't care and have the attitude of "I'll eat what I want and let medicine regulate" {slap my forehead and shake my head}

monkeydharma

Keep in mind that sodium is poisionous to the body - but it is needed for proper functioning. When the body takes in more sodium than is safe, it retains water in order to dilute it to appropriate levels, and eventually excretes the excess. So...

- you get sodium when you eat meat: it is a component of the blood and the tissues;
- primitive man did not eat their veggies with salt; only when they ran across a salt lick would they have excess to use for culinary purposes;
- if you are having any water retention - you're eating too much sodium;

And a note: salt is just one form of sodium; nitrates, bicarbonate, and anything else with the word 'sodium' fits into this discussion.

Cut back on the salt - everything will taste poorly for a couple of weeks until you adjust. Then when you have a regularly-salted meal, you'll be surprised at how salty it is. Taste buds have to adjust!