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Salt Cravings?

Hello!

I am fairly new here, I just went pretty much all the way raw a month ago, hopefully for life (though I was mostly raw last summer for about 4 months as well). I’m not having any major problems, and am actually really really loving it and am really excited and happy to be raw. My only real problem at the moment is that I am having a bunch of salt cravings. It is not cravings for things like chips and fried salty things, which I would interpret more as a fat craving I think, it is more a craving for purely salty things. I have been eating seaweed salad whenever it gets unbearable and adding (celtic sea) salt to my salads and things but I would like to switch it up some. I read in David Wolfe’s book that if you eat too much potassium you really start to feel the need for salt. I haven’t cut down on my avocado intake (probably one a day) but I don’t eat a lot of bananas, which were the two big potassium-rich foods I remember. Also I work out for an hour or more 5+ times a week, so I think my salt cravings are pretty legit.

A little more info about my diet if it is helpful: Most days I eat fruit (peaches, grapes, etc) in the morning(-ish, I hate eating in the morning) or maybe a handful of nuts or some nut milk if I am wanting something thicker. I usually have a salad with things like sprouts, kale, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, lime, etc. that I eat on and off through the day. I also tend to eat lots of pesto (while basil’s still in season), tomatoes, sweet peppers, green beans, sugar snap peas, and cauliflower, and I drink lots of water. I also just got a dehydrator and have been experimenting with dessert things, usually some combination of cacao and coconut. I usually eat a little of those things every day. I’m still experimenting a lot, but I’d say salads and fruit are my staples right now.

So, if any of you have any helpful information about sodium in general or recommendations on what to eat for combating salt cravings (that isn’t olives…they kind of make me sick) that would be really helpful. I’m so glad to have found this website, there are SO many good recipes on here (nothing I have made from here has been anything short of delicious) and the forums have been really helpful. Thank you so much everyone!

Nora

Comments

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    The Standard American Diet is composed of so much salt its not even funny. That is why when most people go raw they miss salt so much. Many of the raw recipes arent really that healthy because they contain high amounts of salty ingredients such as Nama Shoyu (considered raw soy sauce) and miso paste. What I suggest you do is reduce your salt intake gradually and opt for some seaweeds. There are kelp or dulse granules out there that are perfect salt alternatives to sprinkle on your food. They have natural sea salts, but are not in a concentrated version like celtic or himalayan sea salt.

    Blessings! Vaughn

  • Celery is a good substitute for salt. You can dehydrate it, grind it up in a coffee grinder, and use as a seasoning. You can slice the celery, dehydrate it, and then use it that way also. Fresh is also great!

    Like Vaughn said…. seaweeds are awesome, too!

  • Salt is not a food at all, it is the same as earth, sand, dirt, minerals, etc. It is treated as a toxin by our body. People who stop eating any form of salt for a while will realize this rather quickly when they eat something that was salted. The best way to get salt (sodium actually) in your diet is with food like celery and tomatoes. All other forms including seaweed are toxic. If you have to consume water during the day that is proof that you have poisoned yourself. Thirst is the body’s way of asking for water so that it can dilute toxins that you have consumed. A healthy person should rarely if ever need to drink any water (or anything else). Our body closely resembles the anthropoid primate’s body and they rarely drink water in the wild, they get all the hydration they need from their food. Carnivores like dogs and cats have a tongue that scoops the water and shovels it into their mouth, we haven’t got any built in system to consume water except a small amount that we can hold in the palm of our hands. Next time you are thirsty just think about what you ate to poison yourself, then try not to eat that anymore so you won’t need to dilute the poison.

  • SocaL—That’s a very interesting way to look at water consumption. Obviously, most people are eating highly processed food that’s had most of its water removed, thus the need for the “8 glasses per day” water recommendation. Even though I work out a lot, I consume much less water since going mostly Raw. It will be interesting to observe when I’m actually thirsty as correlated to what foods I’ve eaten.

  • omshantiomshanti Raw Newbie

    so what does it mean that i get really thirsty after my green smoothie in the morning? it usually consists of water, a bannana, spinach/kale/lettuce,and sometimes an apple or pear or peach or what ever is in season and in the fridge?

  • sweetpeasweetpea Raw Newbie

    Hi all, in my experience sugar is dehydrating and I usually follow a sweet meal with a savoury one to balance. At this time of year (Autumn), the body naturally wants to draw in more sodium as it helps to keep it warmer for the cold months ahead. Therefore, a more slightly salty soupy cuisine is preferred. It is better to lower the sugar content. Only use natural unrefined sea salt of course or himalayan. Used in small amounts it is okay. Also, seaweeds are a natural source of sodium. Some body types also need more sodium such as vata constitution. Less salt is needed for pitta and kapha types.

  • raw_earthraw_earth Raw Newbie

    Nora,

    Same thing happens to me if I don’t get enough sodium in the foods I’m already eating. I’ll go after just about anything high in salt otherwise.

    Celery is a great source of natural sodium. Your body does need sodium in order to function properly, and juicing celery or adding it to smoothies seems (to me) to be more ‘natural’ than adding a bunch of sea salt to my foods. Chard and spinach are also fairly high in sodium if you’re not a fan of celery. Personally, I’ll drink celery juice straight and I love it—but that’s just me! You can also cut it with apples and ginger if you want a sweeter and spicier juice.

  • omshanti, that mixture sounds fine. The reason you are thirsty after the smoothie is probably not due to the smoothie but something else. You would have to give your entire diet and health history to me in order for me to have an idea why you get thirsty. It depends on what other things are in your diet and what your health is like.

  • Thanks everyone! I’ve been adding celery to things and eating my seaweed and feeling good. I don’t have a juicer but I added celery to a green smoothie i had the other day and didn’t feel salt cravings at all. And also, it was delicious.

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