Sodium- A Beauty Killer?

Are we pickling ourselves?

I remember when I was about eight years old, putting poor earthworms through many torturous events for a science experiment. I cannot for the life of me remember why I did this, but for one awful reason I sprinkled one worm with salt. With great fascination, I watched and was shocked to see the poor little earthworm writhe, wither, dry up and die an unfortunate, premature death. It didn’t really serve much of a purpose but the image burned itself in my mind.

If one tiny dose of salt can cause such a violent death to an earthworm, what is it doing to our bodies with regular (and generally excessive) everyday consumption?

It is difficult to grasp how our insides are affected by sodium, but when it comes to our outer appearance, many of us will stand up and take notice. Excess sodium can ravage your natural beauty and can radically alter your looks in a distinctly negative fashion. Unfortunately we can't choose the genes that determine our appearance, but we can do our best to make the most of what we've got. Doing so requires that we watch what we put in our mouths.

The irony is that without sodium we die. Sodium is an essential component in blood, sweat and tears. It is vital for muscle contractions, transmission and maintaining fluid balance.

The question is, how much do we really need? Well, about 800mg per day and you can easily receive this amount with an adequate intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Did you know that celery is actually a “salty” food?

The great thing about the sodium found in fruit and vegetables is that it is properly balanced out with potassium in a 1:5 sodium to potassium ratio - the ratio our body needs. These two minerals work synergistically with each other in what is called the sodium/potassium pump. When sodium is consumed without the requisite 5 times the amount of potassium, this causes stress to the body. When a grain of salt enters the body, it will try to protect its tissues and surrounding cells by using water as a protective barrier. Without potassium, salt becomes a toxin.

Have you ever noticed after a binge of chips, olives, or fast food that your face is unrecognizable the next morning and that your clothes feel extra snug? This is because sodium can hold 96 times its weight in water and the average body can hold up to 15 POUNDS of retained water!

Here’s a tip: to lose a quick couple of pounds before a big event without dieting, simply avoid added sodium.

When we pickle our foods the sodium draws water out of food and it does the exact same thing to our bodies. Sodium dehydrates our cells and capillaries so that they constrict and lose elasticity. This constriction prevents ample blood from flowing to our skin, hair and nails. As a result, the skin becomes pasty white, hair and nails become brittle, lose their shine and become dull.

Water is meant to be flushed out of our bodies regularly because it can help remove toxic waste. When water is retained in the body, so are the toxins it is supposed to be flushing out. If the toxins cannot escape by water, they will seep through our skin and may show up in the form of acne and blackheads. The kidneys and bladder also get irritated by excess sodium and this can show up by revealing heavy, dark circles around the eyes.

Maybe you put down the salt shaker a long time ago but that is not necessarily the problem considering on average we only get about 11% of our daily sodium this way. The real culprit is processed food - take-out, canned, boxed and frozen foods.

Sodium is quite sneaky and can often go unnoticed past the taste buds. Cooking, sugar, flavorings and so on can disguise the salty taste of some foods. And just to prove this point, make note that some chocolate bars contain more sodium than bacon!

I love salty foods as much or perhaps more than the average person. Just keep in mind that we consume 8-10 times more sodium than we actually need. I recommend adding a quality sea salt after cooking, to reduce or eliminate packaged/prepared food and to throw away that science experiment called “table salt” immediately!

The natural salt rock is abundant in minerals from deep within the earth. “Table salt” is the salt equivalent of processed white flour, it has been stripped of all of these valuable minerals by getting doused with bleach, heated beyond 1200 degrees and then combined with substances such as aluminum and sugar. Celtic salt, Himalayan salt or even kelp flakes (with the added bonus of iodine) are far superior.

I encourage you to uncover your true beauty. Be your own science experiment and watch yourself transform!