You know you're eatin' healthy...

...when you grab the cardboard cylinder full of salt from your cupboard so you can sprinkle it on the walkway (having run out of rock salt), and discover that it's been so long since you used it that the salt has turned into a large, cylindrical rock. And you realize:

1. That you use so little salt in cooking that you didn't need to refill the little spice jar full of salt from which you measure; and

2. That you probably brought that carton of salt with you when you moved into this house in 1994.

I knew I'd tried to keep my salt use down, but didn't realize it was that skimpy!

Peace,
Paul

I don't add salt to anything really...there's absolutely no need, everything has salt in it already.

Just to play Devil's advocate:

EAT WHAT YOU LIKE AND DIE LIKE A MAN!

practicing the principle... and one foot in the grave,

Tod

Mr. Snoid said:

EAT WHAT YOU LIKE AND DIE LIKE A MAN!

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I think Paul might be more in the "live long and prosper" end of spectrum.

I find it remarkable that we (so many of us) can go through life with only a vague understanding of nutrition and how foods affect us.

First WRT sodium, our body needs it and uses it to regulate our cellular water content. Without it we would die. In fact that is the mechanism for people dying at sports competitions from drinking too much water (hyponatremia) when they dilute their electrolytes too much.

In fact the estimate is something like 10-25% of the population is sensitive to salt intake, and this is a secondary effect as more salt intake, results in more water retention, so more blood volume pumping through the same sized pipes (especially if stiff), increases blood pressure.

Conversely if you work outdoors and sweat a lot you may be low on salt. I recall being given salt pills before some of the long marches in army basic training. However most people who eat even a little processed food, or fast food, will get plenty of sodium. 

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Regarding putting salt on food, it is an old psychological tell, used to judge job seekers, if you have an opportunity to watch them eat. If people add salt to their food "before" tasting it, they are considered less analytical or fact driven, as those who add salt after tasting it, or not.

And for yet another data point, I am very suspicious that the modern food industry, pumps uncooked supermarket meat full of salt water, for the obvious profit from selling us salt water at meat prices by weight.   
 
I recall years ago when I would marinate chicken overnight before barbecue, and it would absorb a lot of liquid. These days nowhere near as much. So long story short, the food industry may be putting salt inside our raw meat too... 

If i were in the 10-25% salt sensitive population I'd be angry, but I'm not.

JR

PS: re: "eat what you like and die like a man..." Fine if planning your last meal, but most of us must live more than another day or two with the consequences of our food choices. I wouldn't deny any one delicacy, but in the average we are what, and how much we eat.  Put crap in the gas tank and eventually the motor stops. Eat more than you need and it will stay with you.

An interesting mental exercise is to think of how you would act if you knew you had one day, one week, or one year to live. Some kids don't even operate at the longer end of those time frames.

JohnRoberts said:

Regarding putting salt on food, it is an old psychological tell, used to judge job seekers, if you have an opportunity to watch them eat. If people add salt to their food "before" tasting it, they are considered less analytical or fact driven, as those who add salt after tasting it, or not.

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Really? I can't recall anyone I know/knew over the age of 10 or so ever doing this (except in comedy, saw that just yesterday in a sitcom by coincidence).

Well, I'm hoping for the live long part. The prospering part proves tougher.

I'm in the 10-25% -- not blood pressure (mine's always been low) but inner ear disturbances. I've also, mostly, developed a taste preference for less salt. Had a samosa a couple of weeks ago that was inedible; they must have dipped it in brine. Or marinated it.

Peace,
Paul

There are some very fine blood vessels in the inner ear. I once had a strange event with some traveling blood clots (after a sports injury, that I didn't rest adequately). Late one night while I was trying to get to sleep I heard a strange rushing noise in my inner ear. Apparently a small clot had wedged itself in one of these fine blood vessels, and I could hear the turbulence of the blood trying to flow around it once every heart beat.

It cleared on it's own by the next day but pretty interesting.

JR

Sub Pepper for salt
I only keep salt in the bathroom for gargling

I use salt all the time...



...To find the nodes on marimba bars :-D

If youre not cooking with salt, youre probably either cooking very badly/ working with bad produce thats already salted and or modified in some nasty way/ eating a hellofalot of pork or other salty produce like some cheeses, or you use alot of stock with added salt.


Either way, I wouldnt want to eat that way, I like my food well seasoned and made from scratch, preferably with localy farmed produce.

But thats just my opinion.

/J

I use that fancy "Fleur de Sel", plus I have coarse Kosher salt, and extra-fine sea salt.

But I like to cook.
It's rare that I ever add salt with already prepared food.

Ever see someone at a restaurant add salt before even tasting the food ?

Freq Band said:

I use that fancy "Fleur de Sel", plus I have coarse Kosher salt, and extra-fine sea salt.

But I like to cook.
It's rare that I ever add salt with already prepared food.

Ever see someone at a restaurant add salt before even tasting the food ?

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yes I have seen it...  While generally I don't care to watch people eating...

JR

JohnRoberts said:

....
Regarding putting salt on food, it is an old psychological tell, used to judge job seekers, if you have an opportunity to watch them eat. If people add salt to their food "before" tasting it, they are considered less analytical or fact driven, as those who add salt after tasting it, or not.
.....
And for yet another data point, I am very suspicious that the modern food industry, pumps uncooked supermarket meat full of salt water, for the obvious profit from selling us salt water at meat prices by weight.     
 
I recall years ago when I would marinate chicken overnight before barbecue, and it would absorb a lot of liquid. These days nowhere near as much. So long story short, the food industry may be putting salt inside our raw meat too...   

JR

Click to expand...

(bold by me)

I agree with everything.
I'd be interested in measuring the salt/water gain in marinated foods....easily done, as I have a fairly ~accurate scale.

Years ago when I used to throw serious house parties, I would marinate chicken in beer overnight before grilling it. While I started with a pile of chicken, it would absorb a couple quarts of (cheap) beer total.

More recently I tried the same thing (not the party but the beer marinade) on a smaller scale, and the chicken seemed to take up very little of the beer (based on what was left over).

BTW, the chicken with the extra water content (beer is mostly water) would grill longer, and still be very tender and juicy.  These days the pre-watered chicken will barbecue nicely without the extra step. While it is mildly irritating to think of paying for salt water at meat prices.

JR

Damn that's interesting info to a food-nerd like me.

now you mention it, recently I have seen an older gentleman do this at a restaurant I was at last week. I did notice it because I havent seen it much these days. I thought to my self "he just got that, I dont think he's even tried it yet, wow" not that salt wasnt needed, just that whatever the salt content, he thought he would need more to start. for all i know he was a regular, and he gets that every week and he thinks it needs just a bit more salt (he didnt add just a BIT of salt though!). I think he just lost his taste buds somehow! I do live in florida and I think this is an older generation thang.

btw i do live by the eat/die like a man philosophy but I am starting to feel it. so I started just thinking about what I was going to eat and not just the easy thing. in the past any differences in how I felt after a meal were nominal and could be ignored. now I seem to notice them. so I pay  just a little more attention and Ive had more energy and feel a lot better. ymmv.

As one gets older, one's sense of taste weakens. Salt can be a flavor-enhancer, so some older people put more salt on their food to jack up the flavor. Not a good idea long-term, though. Personally, if I think something needs a little more flavor I add a pinch of cayenne.

Peace,
Paul

This weekend I hit my weight loss goal of losing sixty pounds.

Moderating everything -including salt use- has been key.  (well... that and a fairly aggressive cycling regimen!)

Keith

Congrats..  Of course the next difficult part is making the long term behavior change to keep it off, but one step at a time.

I bet you feel a ton better....

JR