First… Salt is Salt is Salt. Period, end of story. All salts are Sodium Chloride, an ionic compound with a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. Harvard Health Publishing says “The human body can’t live without some sodium. It’s needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers (including those in the heart and blood vessels), and maintain a proper fluid balance. It doesn’t take much to do this. The Yanomamo people of the Amazon rain forest get by on just 200 mg of sodium a day (about the amount found in one-tenth teaspoon of salt). By comparison, the average American gets 3,400 mg (about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt), while in northern Japan the daily intake is a whopping 26,000 mg (more than 11 teaspoons of salt).” So yes, we need salt… but not added salt. We get plenty from the foods we eat everyday.

There is a great article on Healthline that talks about the difference between Table Salt and Pink/Himalayan Salts. But the short of it is that if you are trying to cut or reduce salt, you should just get rid of the shaker all together. The color, name, or origin will not change the fact that it is still salt.

Second… There is no substitute. Like every person before you, most likely thrown suddenly into the low sodium diet lifestyle, the first thing you find yourself googling is salt substitutes. What will come up is a whole host of products that say just that, that they are the worlds best salt substitute. However, they are in fact Potassium Chloride. Which is the closest thing chemically that looks, acts, and tastes like salt (to some). The problem is that it also does not play well with a large list of medications, most of which are the ones patients with heart, BP, liver, or kidney issues are on.

Third… You’re not alone! The number one diet on the planet that no one talks about is low sodium. Doctors advise it for all sorts of reasons. Here you will find tips, tricks, recipes, products, as well as some direction on where to find more.