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16 Genesee, Lapeer & Shiawassee, MI

consciouseating

A

mericans love the tasteof salt, and most of useat far too much of it.

On average, we consume 10grams daily, the amount in twoteaspoons, and double the 5grams per day recommendedby the World Health Organiza-tion.

All of this mindless saltconsumption is wreaking havocwith the nations health. Arecent meta-study publishedin the British Medical Journalconfirmed that high salt intake elevates blood pressure and

increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Because itincreases the amount of calcium we excrete in our urine, italso tends to weaken bones and make us more vulnerableto osteoporosis, according to research at the University ofCalifornia, San Francisco.

Although table salt contains two elementssodium andchlorineits the sodium thats responsible for most of thenegative effects, which become worsened by the typicallylow levels of potassium in many diets.

Sodium and potassium must be balanced for goodhealth. Americans need to increase their potassium as muchas they need to decrease their sodium, advises nutritionspecialist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., a certified nutrition special-

ist and author ofThe Most Effective Ways to Live Longer.Fortunately, fruits, vegetables and whole grains arent justlow in sodium; theyre also rich in potassium.

We can dramatically curb our salt consumption bothby eating more plant foods and limiting processed foods,which account for an average 77 percent of our daily sodiumintake. Another 12 percent occurs naturally in meats, grainsand produce. Only about 11 percent comes from the saltshakers on our tables.

If we cut back on foods that come out of cans andboxes with bar codes, wed have more wiggle room with

table salt, says Bowden. Then,its vital to pick our salt wisely.

Tasty TreatWhen used conservatively andcreatively, finishing foods withnatural salts can make nutri-tious eating more enjoyable.According to purveyors of natu-ral salt products, these can de-liver 50 or more trace minerals,including calcium, magnesium,potassium and iodine, all withinthe bounds of good taste.

Good salt has a tremendous impact on the flavors

of various foods, explains Dave Joachim, author ofTheScience of Good Foodand founder of Chef Salts, a line ofpremier seasoning blends. It can intensify some flavors,including sweet and savory, or umami, while diminishingothers, such as bitter and tart flavors. Thats why a salt rimon an organic margarita glass works so wellsalt suppress-es the tartness of the lime and brings out its subtle sweet-ness.

With a mind-boggling variety of culinary salts available,choosing just the right one can be a challenge. Each typeof salt has unique qualities, advises Joachim. Differencesin color, flavor, and texture are created by the mineral andmoisture content of the salt, the size and shape of the crys-

tals and even the harvesting methods used.Each also stands in stark contrast to common table salt,

which is 99.7 percent sodium chloride that has been heatblasted, stripped of other minerals and chemically treatedto re-infuse iodine content. Yes, iodine is essential for goodhealth; it is important for the production of thyroid hor-mones and critical for pregnant women, observes Jim Roach,a medical doctor and founder of Midway Center for Integra-tive Medicine in Midway, Kentucky. He reports that as morepeople shy away from their old salt standby, Americans aregetting less iodine than 30 years ago.

SALTO F T H E E A R T Hby Dr. Rallie McAllister

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17March 2010www.MichiganHealthyLiving.com

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The treatment allows the discsand joints in the spine to be gentlystretched and lengthened, reliev-ing pressure on the pain-producingnerves. Removing the pressure notonly allows the discs to repositionthemselves, but also to becomehealthy and pain-free again. Eachpatients treatment is specific for hisor her condition. The treatment forthe patient is extremely comfortableand most patients fall asleep duringtheir 20-minute session. In manycases, the pain resolves after the first

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But another way to meet thebodys basic iodine needs is with natu-ral salt, as well as sea vegetables suchas kelp, wakame and nori, the seaweedused for making sushi. While remainingmindful of our overall sodium intake,we can take wide-ranging pleasure inexperimenting with many varieties ofnatural salt.

Salt VarietiesFollowing are seven favorites that turnup time and again.

Black salt or kala namakis apearly, pink-grey mineral

salt from India, characterized by astrong, sulfurous taste.

Celtic sea salt, harvested from thesalt flats of Northern

France, is marked by a mellow fla-

vor with a hint ofsweetness; its crystals may be white,

pink or grey.

Fleur de sel, the flower of salt, isconsidered the premier

quality grey sea salt, with fine crys-tals, a crisp texture and

a delicate flavor and aroma.

Grey salt, or sel gris, comes fromevaporated sea water

off the coast of Brittany, France; itsunrefined crystals are

purple-grey in color and have afresh, light flavor.

Hawaiian black lava salt com-prises a blend of sea salt

and volcanic charcoal,prized for its dramatic

color andsmoky flavor.

Hawaiian redsea salt containsalaea, a volcanicclay that

enriches thesalt with iron oxide

and gives it a distinc-tivepink color and mellow

flavor.

Himalayan salt,a full-flavored salt,has traces of iron that

give its crystals a soft pink glow.Once a year, Nepali

workers harvest this salt from anancient fossilized seabed.

While savoring salt in sensible quanti-ties, remember that, We eat with oureyes, too, says Joachim. We can ap-preciate the beautiful crystal structuresof the different kinds of salts. Theyreastonishingly variedlarge flakes and

tiny grains; pyramids and delicate, flatchips. Like snowflakes, theres an end-

less variety.

Rallie McAllister is a medical doctorwith masters degrees in public healthand environmental health. She publish-es as an author, syndicated columnistand co-founder of MommyMDGuides.com, a free website providing tips fromintegrative physicians who are also

mothers.

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18 Genesee, Lapeer & Shiawassee, MI

fitbody

Stair climbing upsthe ante of a workout.

Wonderful walks are bothrelaxing and invigorating, butif you want to kick butt, liter-

allybuilding strong glutes and thighs;strengthening your core, which helpsimprove posture and tighten abs; andstepping up to cardiovascular fitnessquickly and efficientlytry stair climb-ing. Wayne Wescott, Ph.D., renownedexercise physiologist, military fitnessconsultant and author ofGet Stronger,Feel Younger, states that climbing stairs

is one of the more vigorous cardiovas-cular workouts you can do.

Pushing your whole body weightup vertically burns lots of calories anduses lots of energy quickly. I oftenadvise flatlanders to find some stairs inan office building or stadium and climbthem regularly to strengthen their legsand increase their endurance.

Although I have a one-story house,I have found two stair workouts I liketo play with. On one, I walk about twomiles on a wooded path by the river to

a triple flight of stairs that takes me ontoa bridge where I can then double backto my car along shaded city streets. Itsmy mini-Mount Everest and it reallyperks up the entire workout.

For a more steady and challengingstair workout, I use a Stairmaster at thegym, the kind with an actual revolv-ing staircase. The trick is to start outslowly and find a pace that you canmaintain without gasping for breath. I

start at level one and move up to levelfour, and in five minutes my heart rateis in my target zone of 70 percent of itsmaximum, a feat I rarely reach whenwalking on a treadmill.

Plus, you dont have to trudgeaway at those stairs for 30 minutes. AsWescott points out, its better to breakup the days 30-minute workout intothree 10-minute sessions. Thats becausethe body builds cardiovascular endur-ance during its recovery mode. Threeshorter workouts deliver three recoveryperiods, and the workout is less daunt-ing.

Neither of my stair workoutsrequires me to go down stairs, whichcan be hard on joints, ligaments and

tendons. In an office building, you canclimb up the stairs and recover whiletaking the elevator back down. Then,why not make another ascent? Whilewaiting for the elevator, or any timevigorous exercise has elevated heartrate, be sure to walk around to easeyourself back into recovery mode.When hiking hills, it also helps to usewalking poles, which serves to take theweight off of knees when going down-hill.

Here are more of Wescotts tips

that prove helpful:Wear good running or cross-trainingor walking shoesfor good support.You can save your knee joints fromdamage by wearing the right shoes.

Warm up first. Walk aroundfor a fewminutes before starting an ascent or

jumping on a machine.Stretch after a workoutnot before.

Gently stretch quadriceps, calves andhamstrings.

Lean slightly forward as you climb.But keep your back straight and yourhead in alignment.

Keep your knees soft. Dont lockthem out as you push up.

Try intervals. This is a perfect workoutfor interval training, which studies likethose conducted at The University ofAlabama and Southern ConnecticutState University show gets one fit fasterWork hard, then back off a bit, then gofor it again. This comes naturally withstair climbing, as you tend to get out ofbreath anyway and need to kick back.

Drink up afterwards. This is a chal-lenging workout and you need to

rehydrate.

Be careful going down. If you mustwalk back down stairs, take your time;step down deliberately and carefullyand use the handrails to take pressureoff your knees. People with arthritis orother painful inflammation of the kneeshould avoid going down stairs.

While I love walking for regularexercise, mentally, its easier to tacklesome stairs to boost my heart, rather

than focus on walking fast, which takesmore concentration. Consider the com-parative calorie burn: In a 150-poundperson, 10 minutes of moderately brisk3-miles-per-hour walking burns about40 calories, while 10 minutes of run-ning up stairs burns 179. Be sure to warm up and cool downfor five to 10 minutes before and afterany workout. And always check with aphysician before undertaking a vigor-ous activity like stair climbing. Then goout and have some good-hearted fun.

Maggie Spilner has been writing abouthealth and fitness for 25 years, including17 as an editor atPrevention Magazine.Her books includePreventions CompleteBook of Walking for Health andWalkYour Way Through Menopause. SeeWalkingForAllSeasons.com for informa-tion on Spilners walking vacations.

Source: Adapted fromStopAgingNow.com.

Fast + Efficient+ Age-defying

Stair

Climbing

by Maggie Spilner