Every morning I have a routine of waking up and drinking a 12 oz. glass of water with a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt before I head to the gym. Sound crazy? Well today I'm going to explain to you exactly why you should be having high quality sea salt (not table salt) every day.
But first... a little science
Table salt - what you typically will find in processed foods or on tables at restaurants - is highly processed and stripped of it's trace minerals leaving behind pure sodium and chloride (NaCl). It's also then packaged with anti-caking ingredients such as E554 sodium aluminosilicate which has been known to have side effects like constipation.
Sea salt is much MUCH different than table salt. Sea salt is literally salt that has been extracted from the ocean through a form of dehydration to remove the water. Real sea salt has over 60 trace minerals that are needed in your body every day to perform functions ranging from your heart beating to your brain thinking. Trace minerals can be difficult to get from our normal diet now due to poor farming practices.
Here's what can happen when you swap your processed salt for high quality sea salt...
1. You'll experience less muscle cramps post workout
Sea salt contains minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium which all get lost through your sweat while exercising. It's crucial to replenish those electrolytes pre and post workout to reduce your incidence of muscle cramping and decrease your recovery time. Immediately after you workout, add a two finger pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to 12-16 oz. of water and drink the entire glass. Think of it as your healthy version of a sports drink.
2. Your digestion will improve
Remember how I mentioned that the minerals in sea salt are involved in tons of processes in the body? Well one of them is producing stomach acid - HCl. Being chronically low in high quality sea salt can lead to a decreased production in HCl. This stomach acid is needed to activate pepsinogen to pepsin which is the enzyme required to break down protein. If you can't activate pepsinogen then you can't break down protein which causes G.I. distress and an inability to absorb and use amino acids. Having a proper amount of quality sea salt helps with this.
3. Your energy levels will sky rocket
Ever notice that when you're stressed and tired, you crave salt? That's your body trying to help itself out. When you're overly stressed, your adrenals become fatigued and this causes a disruption of sodium balance at the cellular level. Boosting your intake of healthy sea salt when you're tired can help you to handle those stressors better and increase your energy levels.
Salts that will work with your body, not against it ~
When it comes to salt, I recommend using Celtic Sea Salt for pre and post workout hydration. You can find it at most health food stores, or online HERE. Himalayan Salt is another great option to use for your cooking.
Have you been using sea salt? Tag me on Instagram @Autumnelle_Nutrition so that I can see your boosted wellness and hydration with high quality salt!
xx
Autumn
P.S. Of course, when it comes to your health, always check with your doc and nutritionist to make sure that any changes are right for you and your health.