I'm Going to try Wet Salt

(I'm sorry if some of my posts about food and my diet changes are out of order. My brain is still wonky from the latest round of the kicks.)

Salt is one of those things I have always worried about. Being black, I grew up hearing about the illnesses old people called "salt" (meaning high blood pressure) and "sugar" (meaning diabetes). It's only since I got sick myself and started paying closer attention to food and nutrition that I learned something important: salt is not always (or sometimes the only) cause of HBP. 

Our bodies need and use a variety of nutrients. For some people, potassium is not a big deal, or phosphorus, etc. That's because their bodies (or rather, their internal organs) can process them. Sarcoidosis messed with my kidneys big time. I must watch certain things (salt, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, etc.)

Here's the thing. I like to eat. Also, I can (if I say so myself) throw down in the kitchen. Put my foot in it. Wreck those pots. Et cetera, et cetera. (I had to touch my countrified roots for a moment there!)

I have been very careful with all the things I need to be careful with. I also drink enough water to launch a toy boat about 3 times a day. But, apparently, I have been sleeping hard on the salt game. I thought I was hip because I knew about Himalayan salt 10 or 12 years ago (then again, I was stupid enough to get a salt lamp for some reason)... Well, guess what? There are some other salts in this game.

I have forgotten where I first heard about Celtic Sea Salt (to my shame and horror, I think it might have been on a TikTok video). At any rate, it snagged my interest and I dug around and found this video:

So we have the Himalayan salt that I know about but I had never heard of Redmonds or the Celtic sea salt. To be honest, I wasn't that interested at first. I was just traveling a rabbit hole out of boredom. Until I started learning more about the Celtic salt. It's lower (from what I am learning) in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus than the table salt I've used. As a bonus, it is supposed to have a delightful flavor.

Because of my dietary restrictions, I have almost cut table salt out. And that is hard because, like the Bible teaches, salt is flavor. Not being irreverent at all but Jesus did say to his followers:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." (Matt 5:13)

 And, you know what? Trampled underfoot is exactly where some unsalted foods belong...

Here is a PDF* that covers details about the Celtic salt (and the other forms of it). The salt I'm buying is on page 3. I love that the lady in the video went into detail about the differences between the 3 types of salts she spoke on. 

Anyway, I love the idea of being able to use a salt that might even be potentially beneficial. And I am going to be downright lazy and copy and paste those benefits from a Chat with AI (with my emphasis on some points):

Selina Naturally Celtic Sea Salt, like other high-quality sea salts, offers several potential benefits:

1. Rich Mineral Content: Celtic sea salt is harvested from coastal regions and tends to retain more minerals than table salt due to minimal processing. These minerals, like magnesium, potassium, and calcium, are essential for various bodily functions.

2. Balancing Electrolytes: The electrolytes in Celtic sea salt can help maintain proper fluid balance in the body, which is crucial for hydration, nerve function, and muscle contraction.

3. Better Flavor: Many people prefer the taste of Celtic sea salt over regular table salt due to its natural, slightly briny flavor. It can enhance the taste of dishes without overpowering them.

4. Improved Digestion: Some believe that the minerals in Celtic sea salt can aid digestion by promoting the production of digestive juices and enzymes.

5. Supports Hydration: Proper electrolyte balance from Celtic sea salt can aid in hydration, especially during physical activity or hot weather, by helping the body retain water.

6. Potential Health Benefits: While more research is needed, some studies suggest that the minerals found in Celtic sea salt may have health benefits, such as supporting bone health, reducing blood pressure, and improving cardiovascular function.

Remember, moderation is key when consuming any type of salt, including Celtic sea salt. It's essential to balance salt intake with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Preach! (Just kidding. Keep in mind that I am not any sort of a medical professional and am so addle-brained that I walked around looking for my phone today while I was talking on it.) 

Now I remember where I first heard about Celtic Sea Salt (?) - I saw a video of a lady advising us to replace our morning coffee with a bit of this salt. And I do think it was a video of someone reacting to a TikTok. What a world we are living in. People are making money by just reacting to other people's videos reacting to - yeah, I got lost in that thought.

Anyway. I decided to try the Celtic Sea Salt. The first problem I ran into was pricing confusion. Of course. Buying the product from the official website is a ton cheaper than buying from Amazon or Walmart online - until you add in the shipping costs. The official site had prices like 8 bucks for a pound of fine ground (for table use) while Amazon was charging anywhere from 20 to 30 and above. Insane, right? Yep. But when I added in the shipping costs from the official site, I was able to find something cheaper from Amazon. I think it was going to rack up to almost 30 bucks from the site and I found a pound of the salt on Amazon for $20 and free shipping. (So not really "free" shipping, is it???)

Whatever. I have ordered some of this salt using my $10 Amazon Shopper rewards for the month. I think that it might be worth it if I can have salt of any kind added back to my foods. I'm already eating my low-fat burgers without bread of any kind. Can I get a smidge of salt, please?

In the video above, the lady gave a heads-up about the texture of the Celtic salt. Good thing. I sure would freak out getting a bag of damp salt. 

By the way, I have a call in to my nephrologist to talk about this salt. My GP is really pleased with my blood pressure and the new dietary "lifestyle". I'm hoping my kidney doc will be impressed at the changes I'm making. 

Of course, when I get the salt and have a chance to try it on a variety of foods, I will post about it all. And, yes, I do know that anything I eat or season my food with has to be used in moderation. Absolutely, but I praise God that I might have found a salt I can use at all without all the anxiety. 

While I wait for the salt to arrive, I am going to have to find a way to make air-fried kale taste like it's meant for humans...

Peace

--Free

* About the PDF. The version of salt I got is the Fine Ground, not the Light Grey. I should have gone with the coarse and just ground it at home. The nutrient content is slightly different and the grey version has slightly lower sodium and sodium chloride content.

P.S.: On the subject of TikTok... one of the reaction videos showed a Tok (?) creator who seems to think that pink sea salt is (get this) the remains of petrified giants. I will tell you how tired was when I watched the video - I started to think the dude might be on to something. LOL

DISCLAIMERS: 

1. I have no medical training so don't trust anything I say that could affect your health.

2 I am not (nor will I be) compensated in any way for products mentioned in this post.

3. Before you make any serious life changes based on anything I say - remember the phone incident.