NK and Salt - You must have it!

[shelley]

I'm loving reading these posts of drj and Phillip.......makes me excited to know that we have 2 brilliant people on these forums. It's just "fun" reading them and pretending to understand! Thanks!

[cici52]

Dueling chemists. I can just see them both writing wildly on the chalkboard. Of course I date myself here as nobody uses chalk any more.

[stepinthyme]

Oh my goodness--just got done reading this thread and loved it!! Cici, your reference to dueling scientists at a chalkboard is hysterical!!

As it happens, I have always had an affinity for salt, and never really bought into the theory that salt or fat should be considered as bad. I started to take an OTC potassium supplement 2 weeks ago, and I have to say it has made such a difference in how I feel.

I've incorporated home made bone broth into my daily menu, and I think there is definitely some serious healing properties in there as well...

[Anjikun]

Originally Posted by wildflower

What kind of bullion do you use if I may ask? Most of the brands I've checked have MSG in it -- I know that is a form of sodium, but it gives me extreme headaches. I may have to make my own broth and add extra salt.

Thanks,
Arlene

I use GoBIO! brand bullion cubes, which is organic (no MSG).

[Bamboozled]

I put sea salt on nearly all my meat and veggies, always. I feel great. My husband keeps commenting that maybe I eat too much salt. Besides the occasional processed meat snack (pepperoni or ham) I do not consume much sodium! And for heavens sakes, we NEED salt. If we didn't we would DIE.

Everyone is terrified of salt. Just plain terrified. Yes, avoid eating processed foods on a daily basis but don't freak out entirely and eat all your meals salt free.

[UnstrungHarp]

Howdy!

I just wanted to throw my two cents in as a recent convert to drinking chicken broth every day. I've tried Walmart and Kroger brand canned broth that had pretty much identical ingredients (including some "bad" stuff, like MSG) and thought the Walmart brand tasted better. Today, I tried Swanson 100% natural with no MSG added (drinking it now actually!), and it's way yummy. It's definitely my favorite so far and apparently has the healthiest ingredients.

I have been drinking one can per day of whatever broth I had on hand, for over a week now. I'm happy to report no headaches since I started the broth. (Oddly enough, I had started having a problem with headaches after about 5 weeks on this WOE!)

[Arctic_Mama]

Sodium is so necessary! I'm glad to see a thread exploring that and enjoyed the discussion

[solarpluvia]

I've had trouble getting enough salt, and since I loathe drinking broth, and eating dry bullion cubes gets old fast I ordered some salt pills. Taking one in the morning has made a big difference in how I feel all day. Amazing. It may not be the perfect way to get more salt, but it works.

[reddarin]

Salt pills are perfectly fine as far as I know. They used to use them a lot in sports.

Aside from that, you'll be protected from Nancy Crater if it comes to it.

[Deb34]

saving my place to read later

[shelley]

Gag time....was flipping the channels while in the kitchen yesterday and found Dr. Oz promoting weightloss and how to do it. Several "professionals/doctors" were on the show, but over and over and over again he kept saying "eliminate salt" and foods with salt in them should be avoided completely. Salt is your enemy! I wanted to reach into the TV screen and grab him by the neck/throat and give him a good shaking!!!! Unreal what horrible information is out there being pushed by people "in the know" (supposedly) to those who trust them with their lives/health. So very sad.

[clackley]

The man is a hazard.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by clackley

The man is a hazard.

[kayellr]

Originally Posted by reddarin

Aside from that, you'll be protected from Nancy Crater if it comes to it.

I'd be concerned that it would make you more appealing to her. Or do you mean toss her (debatable term that) the bottle and run?

(have I dated myself or revealed my inner geek? or both?)

[reddarin]

Originally Posted by kayellr

I'd be concerned that it would make you more appealing to her. Or do you mean toss her (debatable term that) the bottle and run?

(have I dated myself or revealed my inner geek? or both?)

+1 for catching the esoteric reference

She went straight for the big old bottle of salt pills they lug around in the 23rd century when they waved it at her/it.

[drjlocarb]

Edema isn't something to mess with. Protein deficiency , potassium, or sodium,isn't something to mess with. It may be a real problem. Please ask your physician about it.

[Liz1959]

Interesting. Anyone here with high blood pressure? Told to limit salt intake? I'm just curious what you have noticed in this regard from cutting carbs or increasing sodium. Any changes in blood pressure?

Here is the part you are talking about, on page 20 or location 476: "High carbohydrate diets make the kidneys retain salt, whereas a low carbohydrate intake increases sodium excretion by the kidney (called 'the natriuresis of fasting')."

[luigi_uk]

Originally Posted by Liz1959

Interesting. Anyone here with high blood pressure? Told to limit salt intake? I'm just curious what you have noticed in this regard from cutting carbs or increasing sodium. Any changes in blood pressure?

Here is the part you are talking about, on page 20 or location 476: "High carbohydrate diets make the kidneys retain salt, whereas a low carbohydrate intake increases sodium excretion by the kidney (called 'the natriuresis of fasting')."

i have high bp and been on nk since aug 12, havent really noticed any difference in my bp readings but my bp hasnt gone down as advertised in volek and phinney books

[clackley]

I did have high b.p. and on meds for years. I now have fantastic b.p. (100/75) without meds. It took about a year or so to normalize and getting off the meds.

I believe these things take time to reverse and sometimes will only get marginally better. It really is a YMMV thing but that does not alter the fact that salt is needed in N.K..

[Liz1959]

Thanks luigi & clackley. I have a friend who is interested in low carb performance, but she has high blood pressure and having survived a subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2008, has been running half and full marathons. A pretty incredible recovery!
She has been told, of course, to limit salt, but the best thing for her BP seems to be running.
Oddly, I think prior to her stroke and then making SAD dietary "improvements", she was unknowingly eating low carb/high sodium. She was probably fat-adapted before it was cool.
I just don't want to give her bad advice.
Yes, I have told her... Ya gotta read the book!!
One size does not fit all.

[Liz1959]

I increased my sodium intake the day I read this thread. I'm going to monitor what I think are dramatic changes in my sense of well being and my sleep quality. I will be really ticked off if everything I have been told to do, and led to believe, has been detrimental to my health and well being.

[Myles]

i bought a powerade zero or something, it was expensive but had sodium and potassium, but it kind of gave me really mild heartburn - and the best thing about lc for me is that it prevents heartburn, so this sucked

[reddarin]

Originally Posted by goolash

i bought a powerade zero or something, it was expensive but had sodium and potassium, but it kind of gave me really mild heartburn - and the best thing about lc for me is that it prevents heartburn, so this sucked

Did you have it after a meal and slug it all at once?

[A&F]

I put a little salt in my morning coffee or other hot beverage. I can't really taste it and it seems to help.

[Myles]

Originally Posted by reddarin

Did you have it after a meal and slug it all at once?

nope i drank it slow and it was between meals

[unna]

Regarding salt, it is a tricky subject.

If you are basically pretty healthy, young, and active, it seems to be a good choice. My breakfast every morning is a cup of my homemade beef bone marrow broth, which contains sea salt with iodine (everyone on a whole foods diet - don't forget your iodine!)

However, my Father has serious heart problems and runs the risk of pulmonary edema. His doctor recommends that he keep his salt intake under 2000 mg a day, preferably 1500. I wouldn't ever recommend that he up his salt!

On the other hand, he WAS leading a lifestyle with MANY processed foods, including canned vegetables and fast food, which is SO freaking high in salt!

I should actually measure my salt intake. Since I do cook all my own food, which comes from only whole foods (and I don't eat processed meats anymore, except for organic bacon), it may be that my salt intake is inadequate in general. I certainly don't cook with a lot of salt because my husband is very sensitive to salt.

Now that I think about it, the only salt I am getting is from the very small quantities of: cheese, bacon, olives, and pickles that I have on a daily basis, aside from the light salting I give my food after it has been cooked.

When you stop eating processed food that is loaded with salt (I do agree with Dr. Oz on this!), I suppose our bodies do start craving it......

however, salt cravings don't manifest themselves merely as salt cravings. It is almost like our body doesn't know how to communicate to the brain that it needs salt in particular. Instead, we simply feel strong cravings for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, and we also often start feeling tired/fatigued (at least in my case).

[clackley]

Sodium is found organically in most of our food so to say that because you only eat whole (unprocessed) food does not mean that you are not getting sodium in your diet.

Sodium is particularly important to those following a ketogenic woe because the kidneys function differently in that state and sodium is needed.

[Perfectdeb]

new here and THANKS!

I've been freaking out about my fluttery heartbeat and being incredibly tired

i'm in my fourth week of ketosis and i've dropped about 10kgs but i've stalled, this might be the issue

[lisamt]

Originally Posted by Perfectdeb

new here and THANKS!

I've been freaking out about my fluttery heartbeat and being incredibly tired

i'm in my fourth week of ketosis and i've dropped about 10kgs but i've stalled, this might be the issue

I got careless about making sure I was getting enough sodium and potassium after the first month of NK, and had a big drop in energy. I started drinking broth again with added lite salt and felt much better.

[mizzcase]

Originally Posted by Myles

i bought a powerade zero or something, it was expensive but had sodium and potassium, but it kind of gave me really mild heartburn - and the best thing about lc for me is that it prevents heartburn, so this sucked

Myles, there actually isn't that much sodium in Powerade Zero. I think only 150mg.