Pass the (PINK) Salt!
Seriously, I'm not here to tell you to pass on, or give up the salt, what I mean is - pass the freakin' salt, man! Gimme some more of that shizz!
The caveat here is that I only want you to pass me the salt if it's pink Himalayan sea salt. That's the only kind that I get excited about. If you've got regular old table salt then beat it, bro!
PINK salt is awesome, and even saltier/more delicious than regular salt, and it's GOOD FOR YOU.
You probably have a million questions bouncing around in your head about blood pressure, and hypertension, and bloating, and yadda yadda yadda. And yes, if you're eating lots of table salt, you should by all means have those concerns, BUT if you're reaching for the pink stuff, you've got a whole basket full of health benefits to reap.
SALT LOVERS OF THE WORLD, REJOICE!
A mini history lesson on this stuff is necessary to paint the full picture of it's awesomeness. Pink Himalayan sea salt is over 250 million years old, and is harvested at the bottom of the... you guessed it, Himalayas! It's the purest salt in the world (no joke) because it's derived from ancient sea salt deposits - you know, before we started abusing our beautiful ocean and treating it like the world's largest trash can. It's also mined and washed by hand, and then dried in the sun before packaging for consumption.
It contains all of the 84 minerals and elements found in the human body that are absolutely essential to our health. This salt isn't processed, is made up of things that our body needs, and it's super bio-available (in other words, it's easily absorbed), allowing us to experience the full range of benefits.Here's what this pretty pink salt does in the body:
Increases circulation
Aids digestion and absorption of nutrients
Boosts hydration
Balances the body's pH levels
Increases libido
Boosts bone strength
Balances electrolytes
Supports vascular health
Regulates blood pressure
Supports restful sleep
Balances blood sugar
Reduces signs of aging
Supports respiratory health
Reduces muscle cramps
I'm sure you probably still have a few questions on why you should choose pink Himalayan sea salt over table salt, or regular old sea salt. Here's the deal:
Table Salt:
Yikes. Not only is table salt heated to extreme temperatures and highly processed with chemicals (it's even bleached- ahhh!), it's actually not even something that our body recognizes once we ingest it. It's stripped of almost all of its minerals until pretty much all that's remaining is sodium chloride, and then some iodine (usually synthetic) is added in for good measure, along with anti-caking compounds which stops the salt from dissolving in the container. These nasty-ass anti-caking compounds also don't dissolve within our bodies, and then they get even creepier and start making themselves at home within our organs.
When we eat table salt, our body is essentially like "WTF, DUDE?!" and starts going wild trying to break it down, flush it out, and neutralize it - it will use over 20 times the normal amount of cellular water in this frantic process. This totally overtaxes your elimination channels and leaves your cells depleted, exhausted, and unable to do their jobs properly. As my parents would say - that's not good, Louie.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that essentially every piece of processed food that you eat has heaps of table salt added - it's lurking everywhere, even when you can't see it. Real, whole foods win again!
Sea Salt:
Regular sea salt is created by evaporating ocean water, and while this is definitely a better alternative to table salt, it still has a few drawbacks. Like table salt, sea salt is mostly made up of sodium chloride and it's tricky for our body to absorb. Another thing to note is that the oceans that many sea salts are derived from are becoming more polluted and toxic by the second. And, not surprisingly, food companies are taking their liberties with labeling sea salt, making it nearly impossible to tell what we're actually eating.
A good rule of thumb with regular sea salt is the darker the color, the higher the level of trace minerals it contains (that's the good stuff). So, if you've gotta reach for a jar of sea salt, look for the dirty stuff! Also, Celtic sea salt is far superior to regular sea salt (it's grayish in color) as it's harvested by salt farmers in France with 2,000 year old methods which keep much of the salt's health-promoting benefits intact. Yay for kickin' it old school!