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Salt and a Fasting Regime

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Updated:  
2016-03-26 13:11:55
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From The Book:  
Gut Health For Dummies
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Your body needs salt. However, you want to make sure you're consuming the right type of salt. You want to do without processed salt — the run-of-the-mill table salt — that is a heavily refined food. Table salt is chemically cleaned with bleach and then mixed with toxic anti-caking agents to make sure the salt flows properly.

Adding the right kind of salt, in the form of sea salt, to your diet during your fasting eating period is important when reducing caloric intake because every structure and function of the body needs minerals to function properly. Your cells need minerals to do their job, and if you reduce calories, you can't do so without making sure you're fulfilling your body's requirement for getting vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Sea salts are loaded with trace minerals, including magnesium and potassium. These two minerals allow fluids to flow in and out of your cells, letting your cell walls become permeable. When your cells are permeable, your body naturally releases what it doesn't need. You don't have fluid retention that causes the high blood pressure you hear about with salt intake.

Fine Ground Vital Mineral Blend of Celtic Salt is rich in minerals and has no additives. It's very pure and delicious.

Iodine in salt actually isn't natural. Therefore, when you buy unprocessed salt, you won't find iodine in the product. Because you need iodine for your thyroid, hormones, and immune function, make sure you get iodine from other sources, such as the following:

  • Seaweed: Kelp and dulse

  • Protein: Eggs, meat, and poultry

  • Vegetables: Swiss chard, asparagus, and spinach

  • Strawberries

A great way to get iodine is from a delicious product called Sea Snax. You can eat these roasted seaweed sheets (which come in large or small) that are naturally rich in iodine as a snack just by themselves or crumble them up in soups or salads.

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

Dr. Kellyann Petrucci is the coauthor of the health and lifestyle books Living Paleo For Dummies and Boosting Your Immunity For Dummies. She also created the successful kids' health and wellness program Superkids Wellness and the Paleo door-to-door home delivery food service Living Paleo Foods.