Members of the Spiritual
Baptist religion love good food. Whether it is a good grainy pelau, a hot
curried goat, a mouth-watering oil-down, we tend to love foods cooked
correctly with the right amount of salt and other seasonings. Our taste buds
are sharp. We compliment the cook through word of mouth conversations when
the food is really, really good.
Most importantly some of
us are of the belief that if the food doesn’t taste as though it has salt it
isn’t good to eat. Others have long became accustomed with foods without
salt but only after the doctor has warned that it could be detrimental for
their health. This article is for those individuals who believe that if the
taste of salt isn’t there, the food is lacking something.
Salt is also known as
sodium chloride. Sodium is an element which is needed for good health.
However, an individual must have a balance of sodium and water in his body
at all times. Too much salt or too much water in your system will upset the
balance. When you’re healthy your kidneys get rid of extra sodium to keep
the correct balance of sodium and water.
What is bad about sodium
is that some people can consume too much and this leads to high blood
pressure. Having less sodium in your diet may help you avoid high blood
pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart
disease and stroke.
The average individual
eats about 6 to 18 grams of salt daily (1 to 3 teaspoons full). Our body
needs only about ½ gram of salt or 500 mg of sodium each day. Some
individuals have been told by physicians to cut salt out completely. Most
of the sodium in out diets comes from adding it when food is being
prepared. We need to pay attention to food labels because they tell how
much sodium is in food products. Below is a list of sodium compounds to
limit in one’s diet:
·
Salt
·
Monosodium
glutamate (MSG)
·
Baking soda
·
Baking
powder
·
Disodium
phosphate
·
Any
compound that has “sodium” in its name (read labels).
Foods we should limit in
our diet are, ham, bacon, corned beef, luncheon meats, sausages and hot
dogs. We should also pay attention to fish that is frozen, pre-breaded,
pre-fried or smoked; also fish that’s canned in oil or brine like tuna,
sardines or shellfish. Salted snacks, canned foods, cheeses, catsup,
mayonnaise, seasoned salts, etc., are contributing factors.
Added to this we can
avoid adding table salt to foods, and instead use salt substitutes or herbs
and spices. We should eat fresh lean meats, poultry, fish, unsalted pork,
egg whites and tuna canned in water. Choose unsalted nuts and low-sodium
peanut butter. Most importantly, please remember to rinse canned
vegetables, beans and shellfish in an attempt to reduce salt.
Examples of salt
substitutes on the market are Morton Salt Substitute, Spike Salt Substitute,
AlsoSalt, NoSalt, etc.
Try your own no salt substitute recipe:
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon celery seed, crushed
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Combine all ingredients and store in an air
tight jar in a cool dry place
