Salt

[Guest guest]

I would be very interested in hearing peoples personal thoughts and

experience on the use of salt in the raw/living food lifestyle.

Unfortunately I was only able to last about a month or so the two

attempts I have had at going 100% raw. I am currently readying my self

to go at it again in two weeks time. When I took salt it was usually in

the form of seaweeds or miso and I felt that it improved my mental

focus. It seems to me that the body requires salt for its basic

funcioning especially for the health of the nervous system. I look

forward to your responses no matter how qualified you think you are!!

 

Thank you,

 

Orrin (London)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 05/15/2007 9:15:55 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

thisgeneration writes:

 

Since doing this, the cramps have stopped; this could be coincidental

of course, ie down to something else, but..they have stopped.

 

 

If you've seen the Paul Benhaim " Not The Cooking Show " which is a raw foods

DVD, you might have seen on the extras [dvd extra features] that high

potassium foods (which many fruits are, take note, esp you mono-banana heads)

--

high potassium foods need to be balanced out with foods from the other side of

the spectrum -- this does mean add salt (which will help stop those cramps) IN

THE FORM OF celery, kale, turnip, beet green, watercress (and there are

others).

 

I've heard that if you use table salt, it's a mistake (although it should

also actually accomplish the balancing you do want). Table salt is PURE,

CRYSTALLINE salt, NOT in an organic form as is the salt in celery, kale, etc.

Adding that pure, harsh chemical into the bloodstream does a lot more than just

balance out potassium, but that's a whole other subject. Imagine putting

salt crystals onto an open wound or onto live foods -- it's harsh, destructive.

Best, they say, to get that necessary salt out of a veggie instead of

caustic crystals.

 

I enjoyed the " Not The Cooking Show " DVD -- and I do use the balancing chart

that Sapoty Brook developed. (Sapoty Brook is an interviewee on one of the

special features on the DVD.) He has nearly every food on a large chart --

the foods are balanced out according acid/alkaline AND sodium/potassium. Of

course it's best to read the book he wrote (out of print, unfortunately) --

but you find out about the chart and get a copy at various places online.

 

I don't mean to promote the dvd here, lol. I am just joining this

site. I also had an experience with cramps a few years ago when i got my Vita

Mix. Of course, I'd always heard about the core of the cabbage being packed

with nutrients -- well, we raw people get plenty with out worrying about that

one, it turns out.

 

I didn't know about raw then -- but using cabbage cores and apple skins and

pineapple and such -- I began getting severe cramps in just a few days. I

didn't understand what this was back then. I just cut back on my use of what I

thought were nutrient rich offending foods in the Vita Mix.

 

Now I know about the celery, kale, and other sodium, i.e., salt foods

solving this " cramps " problem.

 

Jerry in Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

rawfood , " orrin_leeb " <orrin_leeb wrote:

>

> I would be very interested in hearing peoples personal thoughts and

> experience on the use of salt in the raw/living food lifestyle.

 

Hi, Orrin

 

I'm only three months into raw (currently around 80%) but I empathise

with your post. In the first few weeks of raw, I didn't have any

cravings for cooked food, sugar etc, but I did have a craving for

salt. I developed a passion for olives soaked in brine and celery,

but in general ate very little salt, and didn't add any to raw meals.

 

At around this time, I started to develop cramps in my calves at

night - something I hadn't experienced for 10+ years. The

conventional answer (although I'll be interested in other answers

too!) to this problem usually cites lack of salt as a contributory

factor.

 

A few weeks ago I bought some Celtic sea salt. At present, I add a

pinch of salt to flax crackers, which I make once or twice a week. I

am also eating mixed sea vegetables with salads once or twice a week

(and I'm mainly doing that for the salty taste!).

 

Since doing this, the cramps have stopped; this could be coincidental

of course, ie down to something else, but..they have stopped. Also,

I've no longer any desire to raid the olives jar - my body seems to

be satisfied with the amount it's getting.

 

(just as an aside - I have upped by raw percentage by substituting

cooked wholemeal bread with Essene bread. If anyone hasn't tried it,

it really is lovely. I know most cooked-bread eaters probably

wouldn't like it, but it grows on you, and has quite a sweet taste).

 

Love

 

Debbie Took, Reading, UK

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 05/15/2007 2:48:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

mowthpeece writes:

 

Clever body! (Luckily, I

> haven't had any cravings for cooked food at all in three

> months...surprising really).

>

 

 

It is an interesting chart. Sodium/Potassium is left to right on the chart.

And Calcium/Phosphorous is the top to bottom determinant.

 

When I first got serious about raw, I learned dehydrating and I did have the

Vita Mix. Since November, I've learned more and more : juicing, food

combining, dehydrated snacks, cookies, crackers, this Sapoty Brooks chart, all

kinds of things, books, recipes.

 

But I've really only been doing the Vita Mix and totally winging the rest of

it. Even though I worked in plenty of restaurants, city and country,

gourmet and family style -- I haven't really made any " raw recipes " yet. I

read a

lotta raw cook books and all -- but I've just been grrrooovvinnnn on plain

foods and many variations of green smoothies.

 

THE BODY IS SMART, as you said. Once I understood the chart -- I realized

that my smart body was often automatically choosing foods that balanced in

acid/alkaline and sodium/potassium. Amazing. Glad to hear you do the same.

 

I would never have been able to notice this a year ago before going raw --

but there are certain ways of eating off the Sapoty Brooks chart for certain

things you might notice happening -- like nervousness, then you eat more of

this or that direction on the chart. Another one is hot and cold -- salty

foods are hot weather foods, they'll make you cold. Potassiums are the

opposite.

I tried this the other morning. I thought it was a bit chilly. So I ate

like four bananas and went back to bed for a half hour. Sure enough, that

banana meal made me feel warmer. It takes about a half hour to notice the

changes that Sapoty Brooks says these foods make happen. I have to pay more

attention to the chart and learn about my own body.

 

Anyhow, thx for the reply. It's amazing once you go raw. Your whole

responds to the foods you eat. It's like hearing a new age tape playing. You

walk

into a store and you look around and all of a sudden you think " what's this

music playing here " and this happens in your body, almost, it seem to me.

It's one of the wonderful things being raw, is finding a new a wonderful body

for yourself.

 

I know why they call them " food gurus " -- I'd like to let everyone know

about the many plusses you'll experience once you've got 6 or 8 months of raw

eating in.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jer

 

 

 

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Jerry.

 

That's interesting - the need to take sodium to balance potassium.

Certainly I had been eating lots more fruit than previously, so

perhaps that explains the salt cravings. Clever body! (Luckily, I

haven't had any cravings for cooked food at all in three

months...surprising really).

 

I've not only been eating sea veg a little, and popping a bit of salt

(sea salt) in the flax crackers, but, following the forum discussion

on candida, had in the last few days reduced fruit. So, following

both those changes, it makes sense that I'm having no more cramps.

 

There again, I've just upped fruit again (but only in the morning).

I'll see what happens tonight!

 

Love

 

Debbie Took, Reading, UK

 

 

>

> Since doing this, the cramps have stopped; this could be

coincidental

> of course, ie down to something else, but..they have stopped.

>

>

> If you've seen the Paul Benhaim " Not The Cooking Show " which is a

raw foods

> DVD, you might have seen on the extras [dvd extra features] that

high

> potassium foods (which many fruits are, take note, esp you mono-

banana heads) --

> high potassium foods need to be balanced out with foods from the

other side of

> the spectrum -- this does mean add salt (which will help stop

those cramps) IN

> THE FORM OF celery, kale, turnip, beet green, watercress (and

there are

> others).

[Guest guest]

i personally couldnt live without salt.

 

i put it on avocados, and it was in my viniagrettes..

 

i wasnt using celery though, that might have helped stave off the

craving for salty...but its amazing how much water i pass when

i use less salt..im a bigtime bloater..

 

peace

anna

 

 

On 5/15/07, deborah164951 <thisgeneration wrote:

>

>

> Thanks, Jerry.

>

> That's interesting - the need to take sodium to balance potassium.

> Certainly I had been eating lots more fruit than previously, so

> perhaps that explains the salt cravings. Clever body! (Luckily, I

> haven't had any cravings for cooked food at all in three

> months...surprising really).

>

> I've not only been eating sea veg a little, and popping a bit of salt

> (sea salt) in the flax crackers, but, following the forum discussion

> on candida, had in the last few days reduced fruit. So, following

> both those changes, it makes sense that I'm having no more cramps.

>

> There again, I've just upped fruit again (but only in the morning).

> I'll see what happens tonight!

>

> Love

>

> Debbie Took, Reading, UK

>

>

> >

> > Since doing this, the cramps have stopped; this could be

> coincidental

> > of course, ie down to something else, but..they have stopped.

> >

> >

> > If you've seen the Paul Benhaim " Not The Cooking Show " which is a

> raw foods

> > DVD, you might have seen on the extras [dvd extra features] that

> high

> > potassium foods (which many fruits are, take note, esp you mono-

> banana heads) --

> > high potassium foods need to be balanced out with foods from the

> other side of

> > the spectrum -- this does mean add salt (which will help stop

> those cramps) IN

> > THE FORM OF celery, kale, turnip, beet green, watercress (and

> there are

> > others).

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I use Celtic or Himalayan salt when I feel that my body needs it -

especially on my more active days when I drink a lot of water.

 

carla

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I use Himalayan salt, and I've noticed I'm more sensitive (thirsty,

downish-feeling) after eating to other salt now.

 

http://www.mercola.com/forms/salt.htm

 

rawfood , " Anna Bishop " <mowthpeece wrote:

>

> i personally couldnt live without salt.

>

> i put it on avocados, and it was in my viniagrettes..

>

> i wasnt using celery though, that might have helped stave off the

> craving for salty...but its amazing how much water i pass when

> i use less salt..im a bigtime bloater..

>

> peace

> anna

>

>

> On 5/15/07, deborah164951 <thisgeneration wrote:

> >

> >

> > Thanks, Jerry.

> >

> > That's interesting - the need to take sodium to balance potassium.

> > Certainly I had been eating lots more fruit than previously, so

> > perhaps that explains the salt cravings. Clever body! (Luckily,

I

> > haven't had any cravings for cooked food at all in three

> > months...surprising really).

> >

> > I've not only been eating sea veg a little, and popping a bit of

salt

> > (sea salt) in the flax crackers, but, following the forum

discussion

> > on candida, had in the last few days reduced fruit. So, following

> > both those changes, it makes sense that I'm having no more cramps.

> >

> > There again, I've just upped fruit again (but only in the

morning).

> > I'll see what happens tonight!

> >

> > Love

> >

> > Debbie Took, Reading, UK

> >

> >

> > >

> > > Since doing this, the cramps have stopped; this could be

> > coincidental

> > > of course, ie down to something else, but..they have stopped.

> > >

> > >

> > > If you've seen the Paul Benhaim " Not The Cooking Show " which

is a

> > raw foods

> > > DVD, you might have seen on the extras [dvd extra features]

that

> > high

> > > potassium foods (which many fruits are, take note, esp you

mono-

> > banana heads) --

> > > high potassium foods need to be balanced out with foods from

the

> > other side of

> > > the spectrum -- this does mean add salt (which will help stop

> > those cramps) IN

> > > THE FORM OF celery, kale, turnip, beet green, watercress (and

> > there are

> > > others).

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

orrin wrote:

<my paraphrase: What do you think about use of salt?>

> It seems to me that the body requires salt for its basic

> funcioning especially for the health of the nervous system.

 

So, if you want to use salt, use salt.

Many people do.

At the same time, many people eschew the use of salt.

 

I have never really cared for salt. As a child, I asked for them to

pass the pepper, and never failed to be astonished when they passed

the salt, too!

When I left home and began to cook on my own, I was surprised when

guests asked for salt (I never used it), so I bought some for my

guests. I keep a salt shaker on my table for visitors (salt will not

be a direct additive in foods I prepare- with one exception- see below)

In some dishes (for example, my marinated greens)I do use dried olives

which are, I'm pretty sure, prepared with salt.

 

I do have one recipe where I directly add salt (Tommie's Cheddar

Cheeze, which is in the list recipe files) I was nervous adding the

salt the first time I made this recipe, but I see that it is necessary

for the flavor (I have forgotten to put it in once or twice)

 

So... if you want to use salt, use salt, and incur the wrath of those

who believe that salt is evil.

If you don't want to use salt, don't use it, and deal with the

complaints from peole who think salt helps food taste good, or is

necessary, or whatever... and put a shaker of Celtic salt or sea salt

on your table when you invite them in.

 

As in... I see salt as a personal issue.

I have dealt with being a salt-free person for my entire life. Now I

find it hard to fit into a world of people who say you shouldn't eat

salt at all.

Weird, huh?

Margaret