Addicted to salt

[RavenVonChaos]

Wasnt sure where to post this but I wondered if anyone has successfully eliminated salt from their diet?

I know that I am addicted, but now I think it is affecting me more physically as I get older.

I don't use much salt to cook with, but load up at the table!

My hands are stiff and bloated this morning and my feet are really bloated by end of the day.

have you tried that lo salt...maybe possible to substitte this for normal..but am going to watch this thread carefully as i am am huge salt at the table person....i never use it in cooking....when i have bloodtests though it shows that i am low in salt...thought it would be really high as i do have lots of it

can you mix the salt at the table with herbs? so that you can gradually go from salty to flavour, reducing the salt every time you fill up the container.

Yes have thought about the herb thing. I also find it really hard to drink water which probably accounts for the bloating.

I wish I could go and live in a hippy commune for 6 months and become salt/dairy/wheat yoga expert! Too many temptations in my world!

Some foods are delicious "seasoned" with lemon juice instead of salt - e.g. saute potatoes/crispy new potatoes/summery veg like broad beans, courgettes.

I think you'll be more successful reducing the added salt if you can switch for a different flavour eg lemon or herbs as suggested by previous poster. Also dressings/vinagrettes? Then food will still be tasty rather than thinking something big is missing in the taste.

There's a thing called 'salt tolerance' which is the process by which the taste buds become acclimatised to more and more salt. Affects older people (who have less sensitive taste buds already) and people with high-salt diets. There's a test in which you line up glasses of water, each with a little salt in, each a little more than the one before. A salt tolerant person won't be able to taste the salt until they get to the last ones. An normal person will be spitting it out by glass #2

How you fix it is really, really easy. Go cold turkey. Get rid of processed foods, preserved foods and the salt cellar. Your food will taste like nothing for about a week. After a week it'll taste a little better. After two or three weeks you'll be tasting the food and your taste-buds will have normalised. After six weeks, if you taste something salty it'll make your eyes water.

Has horrible effects on blood pressure so worth tackling. Flavour food with herbs and spices rather than salt. When it comes to fresh foods, pay a little extra for flavoursome things like properly ripe tomatoes.

Why don't you put your salt and pepper shakers away instead of keeping them on the table?

You can't eliminate salt from your diet because your body needs it. It's essential to your well-being.

The amount we need for well-being is extremely small and easily obtained from ordinary fresh foods. Vegetables, for example, contain small amounts of salt in the water they've absorbed while growing.

Agree with Cogito - it will take a while but you will get used to less salt.

I periodically crave really salty food, but normally our food tastes pretty good with very tiny amount of salt in cooking. (Adding a tiny bit of salt in cooking meat enhances the flavour - you don't need lots though.) My aunt (who cooked a lot for us when we were growing up, and is not ungenerous with the salt) came to visit and said my cooking needed more salt, but it tasted fine to us - it makes such a big difference what you are used to. So I'd say - hide the table salt (use it to make playdough ), drastically reduce in cooking, use balsamic vinegar, herbs, lemon juice etc etc instead for flavour. Do it for months and months and you'll start to taste the real food!

Well I have been really good over the weekend. Have not added any salt to my meals on sunday and today. Going to really try and kick this.
thanks for your advice.

No salt added to meals is great. For ready-made foods, if you enjoy reading food labels a 'high salt' food would be something with more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium per 100g) A 'low salt' food would be 0.3g salt per 100g (0.1g sodium)

Luckily I don't really have ready made foods - altho I know cheese is very salty. I am also trying to diet - so no crisps, biscuits etc.

I amazed myself today and did not put any salt on my jacket spud - I usually load it up.