Switch Your Salt Source
Sodium is found everywhere in nature. It is in the soil, rocks and even our fruit and vegetables. Salt is essential for life. The body can’t produce it and without it, our bodies become chemically unbalanced. It is needed for our muscles and nervous system to function properly. All of our body fluids are salty; blood, sweat, tears, and saliva, so everyone secretes different amounts of salt, including athletes. Some athletes can replace their salt with their normal dietary intake, where others need increased sodium.
Why not replace sodium loss with table salt?
Table salt is commercially refined salt that has been stripped of most of its minerals with added anti-caking agents, heavy metals and bleached white during food processing.
Growing up, I didn’t use table salt very often, but once I moved out on my own it crept into my diet whether I knew it or not. I thought I was buying healthy packaged food or opted for healthy soups at restaurants, I didn’t realize that these meals were loaded with white table salt.
In effort to replace table salt in my diet I used Dulse flakes - Yes, seaweed! Dulse has salt from the ocean, it’s high in protein and is enriched with vitamins and minerals - all are awesome for athletes!
Dulse is similar to the texture of nori wraps that are used to wrap sushi rolls. They taste slightly smoky, salty and a bit nutty. Dulse flakes make a great salt replacement for some recipes. I enjoy them best sprinkled in soups, salads and stirfry’s.
Dulse can be found at most health stores and some grocery stores. Whenever possible buy organic or a good quality product since it is possible that sea vegetables can absorb unnecessary contaminants in their surrounding environment such as mercury and arsenic, fuel oil residues, and bacteria.
Enjoy!
