As with so many other fitness activities, strength training is about more than just throwing some weights on a bar and lifting. Truly effective strength training also relies on a healthy nutrition plan and appropriate pre- and post-workout fuel, all designed to maximize results. Restricting foods and cutting calories are not recommended during strength training to ensure the body continues to get adequate nutrition to function and prosper with resistive activities. Consuming whole and unprocessed food is highly recommended over prepared and packaged food and supplements.
The best nutrition program, overall, to support a strength-training program includes the following:
Carbohydrates: 6 to 10 grams per kilogram of body weight (2.7 to 4.5 grams per pound of body weight). Carbohydrates maintain blood glucose levels during exercise and replace muscle glycogen. Personal carbohydrate requirements vary based upon the intensity and length of workouts as well as body size, sex and even environmental conditions. Carbohydrates are essential to brain and muscle function.
Protein: 4 to 20 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight). These recommended protein intakes can generally be met through diet alone, without the use of protein or amino acid supplements. Simply by combining both plant and animal based proteins in your meals throughout the day. Protein is essential to maintaining and gaining muscle tissue.
Fat: 20 to 35 percent of total energy intake. It can often be tempting to drop below this level in the quest for improved results; however, consuming less than 20 percent of energy from fat does not benefit performance. It’s important to stress the importance of total nutrition for optimal results. Combining unprocessed animal and plant derived fats provides the most nutrition for the body. Fat is essential to brain, muscle, hormone and nerve function.
Hydration: Adequate fluid intake before, during and after exercise is important for health and optimal performance. Dehydration decreases exercise performance. In the hours after exercise, clients should aim for approximately 16 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound (0.5 kg) of body weight lost during exercise to replenish fluids. Adequate hydration ensures the cells of the body can remove waste and function properly.
As with other training programs, fueling up in the hours prior to strength training is essential to an effective session. The goal of this small meal is to boost energy for the training itself as well as to prime the body for faster recovery after the workout.
Nutrient Dense and High in Fat Breakfast Sandwich Example:
2 slices Thick Cut Uncured Bacon
1-2 Eggs fried or scrambled
2oz Mozzarella slices
2 slices Whole Grain/Flax Seed Bread or whole bagel (more protein than bread)
A New Year’s resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere but also found in the Eastern Hemisphere, in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life.
Mother Jai’s makes the perfect oil for your New Year Resolutions.
Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.
The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.
In the medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.
At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.
This tradition has many other religious parallels. During Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness.
People can act similarly during the Christian liturgical season of Lent, although the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility.
In fact, the Methodist practice of New Year’s resolutions came, in part, from the Lenten sacrifices.
The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.
At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year’s resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did. In fact, according to the American Medical Association, approximately 40% to 50% of Americans participated in the New Year’s resolution tradition from the 1995 Epcot and 1985 Gallop Polls. A study found 46% of participants who made common New Year’s resolutions (e.g. weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were likely to succeed, over ten times as among those deciding to make life changes at other times of the year.
In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year’s Resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants didn’t keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; about one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.
A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, wherein resolutions are made in terms of small and measurable goals (e.g., “lost a pound a week” rather than “lose weight”).
Some popular resolutions are:
Promise to donate to charities more often
Try to become more assertive
Strive to be more environmentally responsible.
Improve physical well-being: eat healthy food, lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, stop biting nails, get rid of old bad habits
Improve mental well-being: think positive, laugh more often, enjoy life
Improve finances: get out of debt, save money, make small investments
Improve career: perform better at current job, get a better job, establish own business
Improve education: improve grades, get a better education, learn something new (such as a foreign language or music), study often, read more books, improve talents
Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent, perhaps watch less television, play fewer sitting-down video games
Take a trip
Volunteer to help others, practice life skills, use civic virtue, give to charity, volunteer to work part-time in a charity organization
Get along better with people, improve social skills, enhance social intelligence
Make new friends
Spend quality time with family members
Settle down, get engaged/get married, have kids
Pray more, be more spiritual
Be more involved in sports or different activities
Spend less time on social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr etc.)
Spend more time listening to different or conflicting points of view
Instead of making resolutions, setting measurable goals is more likely to lead to success in seeing your hopes and dreams come to fruition. Want to increase the chances of seeing your dreams become reality? Here are some goal-setting tips that will get you started on your journey towards reaching your goals.
Focus on Intention Rather Than Outcome
Most New Year’s resolutions focus on an outcome, e.g., losing 10 pounds or being more productive at work. But what if you turned your focus inward instead, focusing on your intention rather than any results? Your goals for the year might then change; instead of losing weight, maybe your goal is to treat food as nutrition rather than enjoyment. You might be surprised at how effective such a mindset can be!
Highlight the Things You Do Well, Not What You Need to Change
Who says you need to change, anyway? You’re just perfect the way you are: every flaw, every weakness, every time you chose to sit on the couch and watch TV instead of going to the gym. Maybe these aren’t things to be fixed but rather to be celebrated as unique aspects of your personality and life. Perhaps it’s okay to leave the betterment plan for another time and instead focus your attention on the things you like about yourself.
Be S.M.A.R.T.
When it comes to goal setting, S.M.A.R.T. is a familiar acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-sensitive. Too often, people set goals that are vague and unrealistic. Not only does this lead to frustration, but it also decreases the likelihood of actually achieving the goal. The S.M.A.R.T. method can be applied to a variety of goals, whether professional or personal, giving you the tools you need to succeed in your goal setting endeavors.
Write it Down
The daily minutiae of life is enough to rattle even the most skilled multi-tasker. With family dinners, kids’ sporting events, and household chores, life is truly a juggling act. Still, we manage to fall into the routine of getting those things done without a need to write them down. When it comes to goals, however, we are not very likely to simply fall into a routine. Achieving goals involves deviating from the daily monotony, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and challenging yourself. Writing down your goals allows you to free up some of that mental clutter so that you can visualize those things that you want to achieve. Also, tracking your progress by checking things off will give you a sense of accomplishment, motivating you to keep going.
Avoid Comparisons
When you are working towards improving your life, it is common to compare yourself to other people. Your perception is that they are superior to you, or more privileged in some way. The social media phenomenon doesn’t help; your ‘news feed’ overflows with announcements of your friends’ new love interests, weight loss, and new jobs, quickly turning you into a green-eyed monster. How does this serve you, exactly? It doesn’t. When you compare yourself to others, you rob yourself of time you could be spending on your own self-improvement. It is also important to keep in mind that everyone’s journey is different; although we have similar destinations, our paths are often quite different. Follow your own path.
Anticipate Setbacks & Opportunities (bolster your resilience)
Research shows that using “If/then” thinking encourages us to be more flexible and creative when it comes to problem solving; it’s what Peter Gollwitzer has called “implementation intention.” Basically, your mindset is “If X happens, then I’ll do Y.” This has you thinking proactively and forces you to pay attention to situational cues; it can be used in almost every situation too. Let’s say you are trying to smooth out what has been a bumpy relationship with a friend; you begin by thinking, “If she’s open to talking, then I’ll talk to her about how we might resolve our differences.” Needless to say, if she appears not to be open to talking, you will reframe and wait for a better moment. Sticking to a single plan is a terrible idea so keep using “If/then” thinking. Your ability to quit and pivot is absolutely key to success.
Embrace Failure
Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki says that “successful people don’t fear failure but understand that it is necessary to learn and grow from.” Setting goals involves learning what you need to do in order to achieve personal growth. Embracing failure by seeing it as a necessary part of achieving your goals will only make you stronger and more resilient as you continue on your road to towards achieving your goals.
Enjoy the Process
Big success is made up of small victories. If your weight loss goal is 20 lbs, chances are that you will not lose it all at once. Still, you can celebrate your pants fitting a little looser every week. Having goals is important; however, we don’t stop living while we pursue them. Life happens while you are in the midst of seeing your dreams realized. Don’t allow your focus on the outcome to keep you from enjoying the process.
Celebrate Your Successes
Appreciation can sometimes be played down in life and we tend to forget to appreciate what we’ve done and what we have. Appreciating our small wins and the small steps we take can be the difference between failing and succeeding. Lack of appreciation and gratefulness can lead us down the slippery slope of not being able to see the importance of our small successes. Celebrating the small stuff is us acknowledging that we are well on our way to achievement – in fact we are achieving all the time and it’s a myth that we are only successful once we’ve reached that elusive goal.
People move through their lives never celebrating success because they often don’t recognize when they have been successful. Our personal definition of success greatly influences our perception of self and the meanings we place on our experiences. Developing your authentic and personalized definition of success is key when talking about healthy ways to celebrate.
Psychologist and author of Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride, David DeSteno, PhD, studies the relationships between emotions and success. In his work, DeSteno shares that emotions, such as pride, can lead people to greater future success. Regarding prosocial emotions such as gratitude, compassion and pride, he states: “These feelings – gratitude, compassion and pride – are easier to generate than the willpower and self-denial that underpin traditional approaches to self-control and grit. And while willpower is quickly depleted, prosocial emotions actually become stronger the more we use them.”
Celebrating vs. Rewarding
When we think of celebrating, we may think about rewarding ourselves after accomplishing a goal or job well done. Although rewarding yourself may feel the same as celebrating, a reward suggests that there is no continuation of effort in that particular task after earning the prize. Celebrating is about an appreciation of the process, your effort, those who have supported you along the way and where you would like to go next.
Extrinsic motivation is when we feel motivated to complete a task because we want to earn an external reward, such as a gift, ribbon, trophy or money. The process of completing the task becomes more about the final outcome than the process and effort required to complete the task. When we rely too much on extrinsic motivation and reward, it can be difficult to find the energy to engage in the task itself when that external reward is removed.
Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is motivation that comes from within rather than focusing only on the outcome or reward. This type of motivation has more to do with the process and effort of the task than the outcome. When intrinsically motivated, people will engage in a task for the joy of doing so, even if there is no trophy to be won at the end. Celebrating success in a healthy way allows us to enhance the positive emotion around our effort, further increasing our intrinsic motivation.
How to Celebrate in a HealthyWay
There are a few simple ways that you can celebrate your success and promote motivation to continue on your journey to personal fulfillment.
Personal Reflection
What is it that you are celebrating? Sure, winning the game or meeting your sales quota would be reasons to celebrate, but if we take away the outcome and look at the journey it took to get there, what would you want to celebrate most? Take time to reflect on things like the elements of your value system that guided your decision making and the personal strengths that helped you achieve your goal.
Include Others
When celebrating success, it can be easy to forget others who may have helped us, in ways big or small, to reach the finish line. Including others in your celebration is a wonderful way to build and strengthen connection with coworkers, loved ones or others who helped you along the way. Give them specific feedback about the ways that they helped you achieve your goal and express gratitude for their help. People enjoy feeling helpful, appreciated and connected. When you celebrate success with others you are nurturing the kind of meaningful relationships that allow those same people to want to help you in the future.
Be Present
In our fast-paced society we seem to always be focused on the future. When we have reached one goal we quickly move on to the next, often with no celebration at all. In fact, sometimes it can feel uncomfortable for people to celebrate their own success for fear that they would be drawing too much attention to themselves or setting themselves up for embarrassment. Celebrating your success, especially in the ways we are talking about here, includes slowing down to appreciate and live the experience of your success with those who are important to you.
Nurture Yourself
Celebrate in fun ways that nurture your mind, body, and spirit. Decide to celebrate in ways that speak to you and what you enjoy most. Examples of ways to celebrate while nurturing at the same time include:
Dinner party with loved ones
Walk or jog in the park
Watch sunrise or sunset
Massage or spa treatment
Game night with friends
Start a new journal
Go on an adventure
Try a new hobby
Creating Successful Habits
Successful habits equal success. We all know creating and changing habits can be hard as our minds find it difficult to adapt to new routines but acknowledging and celebrating the small wins are how you help yourself establish the habits you need and to keep you going. Our brains need reinforcement so allowing yourself to be rewarded will develop an ‘addiction to progress’ that will cause your brain to want to carry on to the next steps.
So, what is the secret to a successful habit? It’s all about understanding the importance of the present moment. We tend to take the present moment for granted – it seems insignificant and we believe the little things we do in the moment aren’t changing us. You must invest in the small things over a long period of time and understand that you only have the moment you are in and although these moments seem insignificant when determining whether you succeed or fail at something, it is the combination of moments over time that achieve the big things.
Celebrating your wins not only feels great physically, it also reinforces the positive attitude and behavior you want to have show up when you face a new challenge or opportunity.
I was born with a birth defect that caused permanent kidney damage. Doctors surgically re-implanted my ureters into my bladder, causing scar tissue to form. The scar tissue traps irritants and bacteria from the urine causing inflammation and infection. For twenty years I had 4 to 6 kidney infections every year. Antibiotics and sulfa drugs were the prescriptions of choice. No one ever discussed diet choices or natural therapies for support during that entire time.
Then one day it all came crashing down. I was extremely stressed out. I had taken on too much by working, going to school, taking care of a family and starting a business. I had a massive infection; the pain was excruciating. The doctors prescribed the strongest antibiotic I have ever had. By the time I was done with it I knew something was very wrong. The infection was not gone after 14 days of treatment and my skin had turned grey. I was extremely fatigued, my muscles were sore, my joints were stiff, I was deeply depressed and an emotional wreck.
The antibiotics had killed all the bacteria, even the good ones. This allowed candida to overgrow everywhere, literally everywhere. That is when I learned what candidiasis is. That is a whole different story though. After a three day fast on vegetable juice I was able to start over.
As I was resting and healing, I learned as much as I could about the causes of kidney infections. I found that acids and caffeine in the diet were the two main culprits of kidney inflammation. Excess sugar (glucose) in the blood also causes kidney irritation, which is common in diabetics. Any irritation can lead to infection, especially with the damage I already had.
So, I began using the herbal remedies I learned about from books and in college. I also, almost completely, worked sugar, coffee, tea, soda and caffeine out of my diet. I made many changes that would help to prevent this from happening again. Instead of coffee, tea, and soda I drink a chicory root based chai tea that is caffeine free. I began using honey instead of sugar in my herbal teas. Eliminating most of the processed foods from my diet went a long way in reducing the inflammation.
To help prevent an infection I found a variety of herbal remedies that are great for keeping the inflammation down and reducing the chance for infection. Of course, there is chamomile, the best herbal anti-inflammatory, unless you are allergic to it. Adding lavender can be calming and pain relieving. Dandelion assists in liver and kidney function and works as a gentle diuretic. Nettles reduces mucolytic inflammation and helps balance hormones.
To help stop an infection once it has started, I found herbal remedies that work much like antibiotics in the body. Except they do not kill all bacteria, instead they provide nutrients that support and improve immune function. This way the body can fight the infection in a natural process, instead of being forced to kill everything. Usnea is an amazing antibiotic that grows on trees in any moist area throughout North America, even in Colorado. Uva Ursi is a Native American remedy for blood in the urine. Thyme (Red or Spanish) as an oil or herb is a strong antibiotic that will kill just about anything that does not belong.
Every day I drink at least 120 ounces of water and 72 ounces of herbal tea with honey and milk. My herbal tea includes cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger, chicory, uva ursi, dandelion, passionflower, rose, jasmine and blessed thistle. I drink 8 ounces cranberry juice once a week. Just to keep my kidneys flowing and my bladder clear.
Every day I eat at least one raw salad of leaf lettuce, cabbage, kale, carrots, avocado and nuts or seeds with homemade or bottled dressing. Some days I eat sardines, tuna or salmon with one meal. I avoid packaged foods as much as possible, but I do eat fast food or restaurant food for two or three meals a week. Breakfast usually includes either bacon and eggs with whole grain organic toast or yogurt and walnuts, depending on how active I need to be for the day.
Every day I use my homemade body oil to moisturize and nourish my skin. This is simply a sunflower oil base with essential oils for healing inside and out. The essential oils I use include (in order of concentration) sweet orange, lavender, geranium, ylang ylang, myrtle, thyme, sage, nutmeg, rose and jasmine. This blends assists in balancing hormones, boosting immunity and preventing infection. I can make a blends just for you as I do for myself and my family. Contact me here.
Or shop for handmade products below.
Bath & Body Oils – 8oz Bottle
Add natural moisture and aroma to any bath. Simply pour and enjoy!
Every day I use CBD to also assist in relieving inflammation and pain. Cannabidiol has shown, through scientific research, its ability to nourish tissues, alleviate inflammation and reduce pain. CBD drops nourish from the inside and CBD vape is perfect for immediate pain relief. CBD lotions and skin care add additional nutrients not found in every day natural products. Get your American made CBD here.
I also use activity to help control my inflammation and reduce the pain. Yoga is huge for relieving pain by moving the fluids from the joints and tissues. Sweat producing weightlifting and aerobics are great for assisting the body in removing fluids and toxins. I use Tai Chi to help balance my emotions through self-control. Deep breathing and meditation practices help ease my mind and reduce mental inflammation.
Now whenever I have an infection, which are much fewer and farther apart thankfully, I take many different steps. First, I begin taking a two week regimen of Usnea and Uva Ursi capsules that I make at home and avoid any sugar. Then, I use specific yoga poses to tone the kidneys and assist in their function. I take warm mineral baths to assist in removing fluids and soothing pain. Much different than almost dying while taking antibiotics. I feel so much better, I have no words to describe how much better!
The cost difference is immense as well. I avoid costly doctors visits and expensive antibiotics, their side effects as well. Especially without health insurance. While maintaining improved health and wellness.
Our bodies are composed of water, tissue, bone, muscle and fat. The composition varies slightly by gender, age and genetics. Every person has the capacity to burn fat and build muscle. The amount lost or retained depends on our gender, age, genetics and lifestyle. The scale (our weight) tells us nothing of our composition and is misleading when it comes to our overall health.
Weight loss and weighing less are misleading goals for health promotion. Yes, having less body fat leads to a healthier body. The problem is that weight loss includes losing muscle along with fat. We are focused on losing weight when we should focus on gaining weight. Gaining muscle weight and burning fat, that is. Muscle mass weighs eight times that of fat mass. As you build muscle you will gain ‘weight’ even as you burn fat.
Losing muscle mass leads to an increase in stored body fat and a reduction in circulatory function. Muscle movements help push fluids through the circulatory system. Muscles also consume large amounts of energy to maintain their mass and strength. The less muscle mass you have the fewer calories you burn at rest; the fewer calories you can consume daily. The lower the amount of skeletal muscle the lower the function of the circulatory system, including the heart.
When we cut calories or certain foods (diet) or submit ourselves to an excess of aerobic activity we are only losing/burning calories. Aerobics in moderation do have their place in heart and circulatory health. Too much aerobic activity leads to muscle atrophy and joint instability with overuse. The muscles are usable calories (muscle glycogen becomes glucose) and are easily broken down to fuel aerobic activity. We weigh less because we are losing muscle and fat mass.
Fast aerobic activity must be balanced with slower strength training activities to ensure the body maintains necessary muscle mass and joint stability for daily function as we age. Slower controlled movements during exercise increase the strength and stability of the joint. Reducing the speed and amount of movement on the joints allows them to last longer for us, reducing the need for reconstruction or replacement surgery.
Avoiding hard jarring movements in fast aerobic movements is essential to maintaining joint integrity. Every hard or rapid downward motion on the joint and body affects fascial and ligament connections, joint strength and intestinal flow. Instead of running try walking with weight, cycling or rowing. Instead of Body Pump try strength training or weightlifting. Instead of Step Class try Tai Chi Flow or Power Yoga. Instead of only walking, add seated weightlifting.
Aerobic activity combined with strength training in a weekly exercise routine increases muscle mass and fat burning capability more effectively than aerobic activity alone. Combining the two provides the body with the opportunity to increase skeletal muscle strength and density while improving cardiac muscle strength. Exposing the body to multiple types of physical activity is best for maintaining overall function throughout life.
Benefits of Increasing Muscle Mass at Any Age: these are the benefits of gaining muscle mass without dieting or restricting your eating. Therefore, we must consider that weighing more can be healthy.
Enhances your level of functional fitness: Your muscles play a key role in determining whether you can perform the activities of daily living at home, work, and play. Accordingly, the higher your level of muscular fitness, the more likely you will be able to do the tasks in your life without undue fatigue or risk of injury
Facilitates your efforts to control your fat mass: The amount of lean muscle mass you have helps to determine your resting metabolic rate, which in turn significantly affects the number of calories you burn. All factors considered, the more muscle you have, the easier it is to keep your body fat within a desirable range.
Promotes bone health: Strength training not only makes your muscles stronger, it makes your bones stronger. Performed over an extended time, strength training has been found to increase bone density. Accordingly, proper strength training will help to lower your risk of bone loss. Increasing bone density also increases overall bodyweight.
Reduces your chances of sustaining both muscular and skeletal injuries: It is estimated that a significant number of various injuries that occur in physical activity could be prevented through a higher level of muscular fitness. Strength training can be viewed as a relatively effective and inexpensive form of personal health insurance.
Slows down the so-called aging process: Strength training enhances the ability of older adults to perform the daily tasks associated with independent living. Proper strength training can have an invaluable impact on helping senior citizens maintain their independence and personal dignity.
Decreases the relative muscular demands of specific tasks: Every physical activity requires a certain percentage of an individual’s maximal level of muscular strength. For individuals who become stronger through strength training, common activities of daily living (e.g. carrying groceries, shoveling snow, lifting small children) require less effort and are easier to perform.
Helps treat and prevent lower back pain: Proper strength training can help reduce the incidence and severity of lower back pain by strengthening both your abdominal and lower back muscles. By enhancing your postural stability, keeping these muscles strong can help prevent undue load forces from being placed on your spine.
Enhances your appearance: The “fit, healthy” look is a matter of muscle tone, and an improved level of muscle tone is a by-product of proper strength training. Fortunately, substantial changes in the level of strength and tone of a muscle can occur in a relatively short period.
Improves sport performance: Strength training has been shown to enhance an individual’s ability to perform a variety of skills. A higher level of muscular fitness affects not only your capacity to perform a specific task, but also your ability to continue to perform that task at an acceptable level over an extended period.
Improves psychological wellbeing: Strength training has been found to have a positive impact on your level of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Accordingly, strength training can have a meaningful effect on the various facets of the mind-body connection.
Benefits of Losing Body Fat by Increasing Muscle Mass Instead of Dieting:
Improves overall physical fitness
Lower risk of cardiopulmonary and heart disease
Reduce strain on blood vessels, increases blood flow to the brain and boost overall brain function (improves memory, concentration, and problem solving skills)
Lowers digestive and immune system stress, improves mental health
Lower risk for other conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cancer
Lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, increase “good” HDL cholesterol levels, and manage high blood pressure
Keeps the body warmer in colder seasons and climates with better circulation
Ensures the body continues to get proper nutrition without restrictive dieting
In the end, we see that losing weight should not be our focus for maintaining physical health throughout aging. Gaining or maintaining muscle mass through regular resistive activity is essential to maintaining self-reliance and health into old age. Resistive activities are essential for maintaining circulatory function, bone density and joint function throughout life.
Sea salt is mostly composed of sodium chloride, a compound that helps regulate fluid balance and blood pressure in the body. Since it is minimally processed, it contains some minerals, including potassium, iron, and calcium. This is one reason why it is often considered nutritionally superior to table salt, which is heavily ground and has had most of its nutrients removed.
Still, most people do not realize this distinction and consider sea salt to be healthier than table salt, as excessive sodium consumption has been linked to high blood pressure levels and an increased risk of heart disease. However, if the amount of sodium you consume exceeds the recommended limit or your personal tolerance, using sea salt in place of regular salt makes no difference.
Benefits of Consuming Sea Salt
In general, salt can help you maintain adequate hydration and blood pressure levels. Since sodium plays a vital role in fluid balance, not getting enough of it can lead to dehydration, especially during high-intensity exercise.
Having proper fluid balance in the body is also important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Therefore, consuming either too little or too much sodium can lead to changes in blood pressure in those who are sensitive to dietary salt.
Chloride is necessary to produce stomach acid, and sodium chloride (salt) facilitates the absorption and transportation of nutrients in the intestines after they have been broken down during digestion. Therefore, consuming enough salt promotes optimal digestive health.
The minimal processing of unrefined sea salt enables it to retain much of its natural mineral content. Sea salt contains many of the major electrolytes, like sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium, that are essential to good health.
Electrolytes have so many important functions — from regulating your heartbeat to allowing your muscles to contract so that you can move. Sea salt in moderation can help in avoiding an electrolyte imbalance, which can cause all kinds of serious negative symptoms, including some that are potentially deadly.
As a good source of sodium, sea salt is essential for proper brain, muscle and nervous system function. Not only does sodium play a role in regulating your body’s fluid balance, but it is also required for the transmission of electrical signals in the body. Without the proper transmission of electrical signals in the body, so many things can get thrown off.
Without this communication system working as it should, the brain, muscles and nervous systems are especially inclined to suffer. Both too much and too little sodium cause cellular malfunction. So as much as you hear about making sure you do not get too much salt in your diet, it is also just as important to make sure you get enough.
Benefits of Using Sea Salt
Taking a sea salt bath is thought to decrease skin dryness and inflammation. In fact, the National Eczema Foundation recommends adding 1 cup of sea salt to bathwater to help relieve irritation from eczema, a condition marked by red, itchy skin.
Dead Sea salt baths also help in improving the skin barrier function and eliminating the roughness and inflammation on the skin’s surface.
Soaking your tired feet in a warm sea salt solution helps relax the muscles, and relieve the soreness and pain in your aching feet.
Sea salt contains fluoride, which is beneficial for promoting dental health. Fluoride aids in protecting the teeth from acidic damage and prevents the development of caries and cavities. Regular rinsing and gargling with tepid sea saltwater help alleviate mouth sores, bleeding gums, ulcers, and the pain of sore throats. While fluoride is now added to the water in many countries around the world, sea salt was particularly important in the early 20th century, when many some countries did not have access to it this way.
Dead Sea salts have been proven to be effective in providing therapeutic relief to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. One study showed that participants in baths containing these salts demonstrated significant improvements in such ailments as compared to normal sodium chloride baths. These results are promising for an effective, natural method for providing relief in this population.
Sea salt finds another use in the cosmetic industry in the manufacturing of scrubs and other skin care products like antiperspirants and deodorants. Exfoliation with sea salts helps remove dead skin particles, tone up the skin tissues, encourage peripheral blood circulation, and promote skin renewal. Unlike table salt, the granular texture of sea salt works very well in providing clean and smooth skin.
Research studies have proven that the Dead Sea salt solution is also effective in providing relief from rhinosinusitis. The study also concluded that nasal irrigation and sprays done with sea salt showed better symptomatic relief as compared to those made of hypertonic saline solution. The anti-inflammatory effects of Dead Sea salts make them a natural and healthy alternative for relieving nasal allergies and other respiratory disorders; other remedies, such as nasal steroids have side effects like inflammation that can lead to mucus secretion. The mineral content present in Dead Sea salt may help alleviate swelling and congestion, as well.
Why Iodized Sea Salt?
Getting too little iodine — called iodine deficiency — is a serious issue. Iodine is an essential mineral used by the body to produce thyroid hormones. Too little iodine in a pregnant women’s diet can affect the development of the fetus’ brain and can cause cretinism, an irreversible form of physical and intellectual disability. Iodine deficiency during infancy can also result in abnormal brain development and impaired intellectual development.
Until nearly five years ago, Americans who got dairy, bread, and meat in their diets got plenty of iodine. Machines used in production were cleaned with an iodine disinfecting solution, so some iodine ended up in dairy, bread, meat products. That ended when companies quit using iodine disinfectant. Iodized salt is rarely found in canned, frozen, or boxed food. French fries and other snack foods mostly contain regular salt — not iodized salt. In fact, Americans now get one-third less iodine than they once did.
Both newborns and toddlers are affected by iodine deficiency. A recent study showed lower IQ scores among children with mild iodine deficiency — proof that the problem exists in developed countries.
The normal requirement for iodine, according to World Health Organization standards: Adults need 150 micrograms a day. Women trying to get pregnant should increase their intake to 200 to 300 micrograms a day.
Side Effects of Too Little Salt
Too little salt — iodized salt, that is — is dangerous, too. It is the iodine in iodized salt that helps the body make thyroid hormone, which is critical to an infant’s brain development. A little salt is essential to good health. Healthy adults should consume salt and water to replace the amount lost daily through sweat and to achieve a diet that provides enough other essential nutrients. The American Heart Association and NIH advise adults to get no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium daily. That is about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Side Effects of Too Much Salt
Consuming too much salt of any kind, including sea salt, can result in excessive sodium intake, which has been linked to high blood pressure and other health issues. The typical American diet contains a large amount of high-sodium processed foods, and most people in the United States consume more than the recommended amount of sodium. Overconsumption of sodium is associated with high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and other health issues. Therefore, even if you prefer sea salt over other types of salt, it does not offer any specific benefits and should be used in moderation like all other salts. Furthermore, people with kidney disease, high blood pressure, and heart failure may need to be particularly careful about their intake of sea salt and other salts.
