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Salts Inviting somenew and healthyvarieties toyour table

Matthew Kadey, MSc

that without salt thereis no real cooking. As a

magnificent multitasker,salt releases, elevates,

melds, and seals in theflavours of a dish.

So valued was rock salt in the past thatRoman soldiers were often paid withit—they called this compensation asaLzrium^ hence today's "salary." Saltwas especially essential before theadvent of refrigerators to draw themoisture out of food, curing it andcreating an environment hostile tobacterial growth. >>

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In modern times, this simple crystalline combination ofsodium and chloride can't get any respect. The onslaught ofprocessed foods doused in heavily refined, cheap table salt hasgiven rise to serious health problems.

Thankfully, the way to avoid consuming too much salt is notto banish it from cooking altogether, but to be smarter aboutwhat foods we eat and what salt we use.

SALT AND SODIUMSodium (Na) is one of the chemical elements found in table salt,also known as sodium chloride. One teaspoon (5 mL) containsabout 6 g of table sail and 2,400 mg of sodium. However, kosherand sea salts are usually lower in sodium by volume becausethey contain other minerals, and the shape of the crystals makesthem less compact.

UNSALT YOUR WAY TO HEALTHOur bodies need some sodium to maintain fluid balance andproper nerve and muscle functioning, but just 500 mg a day isnecessary for good health. Current recommendations from theUS Institute of Medicine (commissioned jointly by the USA andCanada) suggest we cap our daily intake at 1,SOO mg, with anupper limit of 2,300 mg.

According to Statistics Canada, 85 percent of Canadianmales and 60 to 80 percent of females consume more than tinsupper limit on a daily basis. Average intake hovers around3,100 mg.

Here's why we should be trying to scale backour consumption.

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It's good for your heartWe've heard for years that excessive sodium intakecontributes to hypertension, and a 2009 meta-analysis of 13studies involving 177,000 subjects published in the BritishMedical Journal has confirmed that a sodium-iaden dietincreases stroke and overall cardiovascular disease risk.

Some people can't eliminate extra sodium from foodthrough their kidneys, so it builds up in the blood. Becausesodium attracts and holds water, blood volume increases,forcing the heart to work harder to move the extra volumeihrough blood vessels., thus increasing pressure in thearteries. High blood pressure in turn increases the riskof heart attacks and strokes, two of the leading causes ofmortality in Canada.

A report in the Canadian Journal oj Cardiology suggests thatreducing sodium intake to recommended levels would resultin 8,300 to 17.000 fewer Canadians suffering from strokes,heart failure, and heart attacks each year.

It's good for your bonesII has been well establislied that excessive intake of sodiumincreases calcium loss from the body. This may adverselyaffect bone strength, raising the risk for osteoporosis-—^adisease that affects up to 2 million Canadians.

A 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutritiondiscovered that subjects who followed a low-sodium diet(maximum of 1,500 mg per day) for 14 weeks experiencedreductions in urinary calcium excretion. ''2>

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It*s good for your kidneysBecause your kidneys regulate sodium, itonly makes sense that a chronically high-sodium diet which overworks this organmay speed up its functional decline. What'smore, a 2009 Harvard Medical Schoolinvestigation concluded that a diet low msodium (and high in fruits, veggies, wholegrains, legumes, and low-fat dairy) protectsagainst excruciating kidney stones.

Sodium overload increases the amountoí calcium that you excrete in your urine,and approximately four out of five kidneystones are calcium stones.

It's good for your stomachl̂ jeveral studies have determined thatconsuming more than the recommendedamount of salt increases the chanceof developing stomach cancer. Highsalt intake and the presence of thebacteria known as Helicobacterpylori sxt

associated with the majority of stomach

ulcers and greatly increase a person's

stomach cancer risk.

SHAKING THE SALT HABITAbout 80 percent of the sodium in ourdiet comes from restaurant meals, fastfood, and processed items on groceryshelves. The salt we add during cookingor at the table is minor by comparison.

Sodium is added capaciously to foodsto give them a longer shelf life, enhancetexture, and mask bitterness. Foodmanufacturers are well aware that wehave developed a fondness for the taste ofthis omnipresent crystal.

The good news is that the less saltyou consume over time, the less yourpalate will crave it, according to a studypublished in the Journal of the AmericanDietetic Association.

Aside from not using the salt shakerlike a hammer, there are some waysto cut back.

GO BACK TO NATUREIf your meals come from a box orean.,

you probably eat too much sodium.

Switch to a diet based on whole foods, />

[Continued page 118)

vour health d

Recover Faster.Feel Better.

Sooner.

SEASONED EDAM AME AND BEANS

Edaraame is a high-protein, iron-rich bean that can be found In thefrozen food section of most supermarkets. Smoked salt ¡s equally goodwith this recipe, which makes a greai afternoon snack.

1/2 cup (125 mLl frozen, shelled edamame

1/2 cup [125 mL) yellow beans, quartered

Juice of 1/2 lemon

MU teaspoon (2 mL] fleur de sel or other coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon (0.5 mL) cayenne pepper

1 tsp [5 mLl dried orégano

Prepare edamame according to package directions. Meanwhile, steamyellow beans until tender. Drain edamame and mix with beans., lemonjuice, salt, cayenne, and orégano.

Serves 1.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 117 calories; 10 g protein; A g total fat lO g sal.

fat. 0 g trans fat);. U g carbohydrates; 6 g fibre: 486 mg sodium

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the new GRIND i lWhile few would claim salt is ahealth food the way blueberriesare, many are surprised to learnthat unrefined and additive-freesalts actually have nutrients suchas magnesium, potassium,and calcium.

On ihe flipside. plain-Jane table salt.ubiquitous in packaged and fast food,is stripped of those minerals as it'srefined. Some health experts believethat when you take away the mineralsand produce such a sodium-denseproduct, health consequences occur.

Because of the heightened flavourand textural nuances of fancy salts,you can often get away with usingmuch less on your food. Shakeup your cooking vi/ith thesecolourful guises,

SALT DESCRIPTION USES

KOSHERSALT

additive- and iodine-freemay or may not be sea saltsaltier and brighter flavour than table salt

I • ' i ively inexpensive

Its moderately coarse texture makes itan excellent pinching salt for brines andgeneral use

FLEUR DE • widely considered one of the best finishing saltsSEL ' young salt crystals are skimmed from the

surface of salt ponds in Brittany, France• delicately crunchy, mild tasting, snowy white

sprinkle tightly on scrambled eggs,grilled fish and poultry, diced melon,cooked greens, roasted root vegetables,and chocolate ice cream

SMOKED • sea salt that has been cold-smoked with hardwoodSALT fora woodsy colour and smoky scent and flavour

• great finishing salt

sprinkle over popcorn, corn on the cob.chocolate mousse, baked potatoes, oranything that comes off the barbecue

HAWAIIAN • brilliant ebony colour comes from its fusion withBLACK activated charcoal, said to bind toxins and flushSALT them from the body

• moist, silky texture• full-bodied, oceamffesh flavour

GREYSALT

works well with asparagus, scallops,fruits, Asian-inspired dishes, andsalad dressings

also known as sel gris, it's harve^ied fromcoastal sea beds

h;.i t V hriny.. i . /'il ta I s with: • i i l j ' - t i i i i - , - . n i c e l y foi" • ;LI m

cooking and baking; finer grinds workwell for finishing dishes

LAKESALT

• comes in the form of dry pyramid flakesinstead of crystals

• two popular types are Cyprus, harvested from theMediterranean, and Matdon, gleaned from England'ssouth coast

• more intense flavour than others—a Little goesa long way

use on sliced tomatoes, cooked meats.

HIMALAYAN • mined from ancient salt beds in the Himalayas.PINK it gets its rosy hue from trace amounts of ironSALT • comes in fine grind suitabte for regular salt shakers

or larger, super-hard crystals that can be groundor shaved

• Peruvian pink salt has an even more pronouncedtaste—an excellent addition to bruschetta

pairs well with curries, soups, pasta.rice, and seafood î>

alive.com 117

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which are naturally low in sodium—even when you salt them to taste.

COMPARE LABELSwhen looking over the nutritioninformation on a label, don't forget lopeek at the sodium numbers as well asfat and calories. Compare a few brandsand make sodium level one of the factorsthat determines what will end up in yourgrocery cart. Some very similar productshave very different sodium levels.

KNOW THE LINGOA product claiming to be salt-free musthave less than 5 mg of sodium perserving, and low-in-sodium items are

"7/y sprinkling a dishwith coarse salt only

at the very end. "

required to have 140 mg of sodium or lessper serving. A product labelled reduced-in-sodium means it has at least 25 percentless than the regular product, but is notnecessarily low in sodium overall.

WATCH OUT FORLOW-FAT PRODUCTSReducing the salt affects the flavour oflow-fat foods more than it affects regularfat foods. It seems that the absence of fatmakes us more sensitive to the absenceof salt. This means that low-fat versionsof products such as cheese could havehigher sodium levels than tiieirfattier brethren.

GO FANCYA little goes a long way when usingnutritionally superior artisanal saltssuch as fleur de sel (see sidebar, "Thenew grind"). }>

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CHIA-CRUSTED TOFU WITH LIME SALT

chia seeds lend tofu a crunchycrust that is packed with fibre andomega tats. Serve with steamed kalesprinkled with fleur de sel.

3 Tbsp [¿5 mL] chia seeds

2/3 tsp (4 mLl kosher, grey, or

pink salt

1/2 tsp [2 mLl ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon (0.5 mLl cayenne pepper

Zest of 1 lime

1 package (375 gl firm tofu, drained

1 Tbsp (15 mLl toasted sesame oil

2 tsp (10 mLl extra-virgin olive oil

On a plate, spread out chia seeds. Addsalt, pepper, cayenne, and lime zest tosmall bowl and combine well. Mix saltmixture with chia seeds on plate.

Pat tofu dry with paper towel; slicein half lengthwise tlien into halvescrosswise, so you have 4 pieces oftofu. Brush each side with sesame oil.Press each side into chia mixture tocoat thoroughly.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heatand sear tofu blocks until crisp andgolden brown, about 5 minutes on eachside. Serves 4.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 199 calories; 16.g protein; 15 g total fat (2 g sat. fat.

0 g trans fatl; 6 g carbohydrates; 4 g fibre; 200 mg sodium

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BE THE CHEFMost fast-food joints and family-style restaurants applyprocessed salt liberally to a wide range of dishes. Preparingmost of your own meals is a surefire way to keep your sodiumintake in check. Homemade broths and sauces often containmuch less sodium than store-bought versions.

GET DRIED UPPacked with a wealth of nutrients and fibre, beans and lentilsare bona fide superfoods. But canned versions can be sodiumheavy. So, scoop up their sodium-free dried counterparts.

SPICE IT UPSpices such as cumin., cayenne, and curry can make foodexplode with flavour, allowing you to cut back on the amount ofsalt needed. Plus, they're excellent sources of disease-thwartingantioxidants.

BE PATIENTInstead of adding salt at every step in a recipe, try sprinklinga dish with coarse salt only at the very end. This puts the salrgranules on the surface of food, heightening that sense offlavour and boosting aroma.

DON'T FORGETPOTASSIUMPotassium, which encourages the kidneys to excretesodium, can counter some of the harmful effects ofsodium overload. A study of more than 17,000 adults in theArchives of Internal Medicine reported that higher dietarypotassium intake was associated with significantly lower bloodpressure. You can load up on potassium by noshing on plenty offruits, vegetables, and legumes.

FOOD ITEM

SALT ASSAULT

With the ubiquity of table satt in the food system, you can see it's nothard to shoot past the 1,500 mg recommendation for most Canadians

SODIUM LEVEL (MG)*

2 Slices whole wheat bread

1 packet instant oatmeal

2 Tbsp [30 mL] peanut butter

1/2 cup (125 mLl low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 cup [125 mL! vegetable broth

4 wheat crackers

1 OZ[28 g)Cheddar cheese

1/2 can of tuna

1 Tbsp (15 mL] low-sodium soy sauce

2 OZ 155 g] deli turkey meat

1/3 cup (80 mLl tomato sauce

Total sodium

218

242

U7

460

Ú7Q

64

174

324

533

668

428

3.728

FeelBetter,Here!

*Levels will fluctuate depending on brand

COOKING WITHSPECIALTY SALTSUnlike some spices and herbs, the tasteof coarse salt does not diminish duringcoolcing. Add it gradually and carefullySÜ as not to oversalt your food. Saltmeasurements in recipes are standardizedfor fine table salt, so if you're using saltwith larger crystals or flakes, make sureto adjust the measurements.

Rule of thumb: if 1 tsp (5 mL) fine saltis required, use about 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL)L-oarse salt. Ot'ten., though, you can addless salt than called for, especially if usinghigliiy flavoured types.

The best way to enjoy gourmet salts isfreshly ground. A simple spice grinder ormortar and pestie often work weil.

THE WORD ON IODINEPotassium iodide is commonly addedto table salt as a preventive measureagainst goiter, which was once aproblem for those living far from t]ieocean. But these days, if you eat ahealthy diet (seafood is a natural iodinesource), you'll consume enough iodinewhether you use table salt or not. Sodon't be put off by artisanal salts thatlack iodine. 3

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Matthew Kadey, MSc, is an Ontario-based dietician and food writer.wellfedman.com or mattkadey.ca.

1-800-887-6009 i

Available at Belter HealthRetailers Everywhere

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