How to Cook Kale

Kale is a powerhouse of nutrients that can be prepared in a variety of inspired ways, from simply boiling to making kale chips. Learn how here.

Although kale has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, American cooks seem to just now be taking it seriously as something more than a garnish. It's a good thing they are, because kale has the health advantages of a cruciferous vegetable in lowering cancer risk, and it's also an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K and a very good source of fiber, potassium, and calcium. Kale is a member of the cabbage family and has a cabbagelike flavor. It thrives in cold climates and is in season in the winter months, although it is available year-round and can be grown in warmer climes as well. Kale leaves are long and frilly, with a tough center stalk, and can vary in color and texture (see varieties below). Kale can be used similarly to spinach. The kale chips below are trendy and fun to eat, but also try kale boiled, sauteed kale recipes, and slow-simmered.

Types of Kale

The three main types available in the United States are:

• Curly kale: Ruffled leaves, fibrous stalk, and deep green color with the most pungent flavor of these three varieties.

• Ornamental kale: Mellower flavor and more tender leaves than curly kale. The leaves can be green, white, or purple. Also called salad savoy.

• Dinosaur kale: Dark bluish-green leaves on lighter stalks with pronounced texture and a slightly sweeter taste than curly kale. Also called Lacinato or Tuscan kale.

Selecting and Storing Kale

• Opt for crisp, tender leaves that are richly colored and stems that are moist and fresh-looking. Avoid wilted or yellow leaves.

• Smaller leaves will be more tender and have a milder flavor than large leaves

• Store unwashed kale in a plastic storage bag for up to three days in the refrigerator. The longer you store kale, the stronger and more bitter the flavor becomes.

How to Prep and Clean Kale

• For large leaves, cut away the center stalk. You can cut away just the base for smaller, more tender leaves. Trim any bruised leaves.
• Wash thoroughly in cold water several times, and drain well on paper towels or spin in a salad spinner. This washing step is key because kale can be gritty if not washed well.
• Tear into pieces; 12 ounces kale equals about 12 cups torn or chopped, or four servings.

How to Cook Kale

How to Boil Kale

In a large saucepan bring a small amount of water (about 2 cups) and a little salt (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon) to boiling. Add 12 ounces torn kale. Return to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.

How to Saute Kale

In a large skillet heat 4 teaspoons olive oil. Add 12 ounces torn dinosaur or curly kale. Cook, covered, for 1 minute. Uncover and cook and stir for 1 minute more or just until wilted. If desired, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

How to Slow-Simmer Kale

This makes a potful and will serve 8 to 10 plus leftovers. If you prefer, for a meatless option, omit the ham hocks and use vegetable stock; you might want to increase the seasonings.

• In a large deep pot heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Thinly sliced 1 medium onion. Peel 2 cloves garlic and smash them using the side of a knife. Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil, stirring to coat. Add 2 large ham hocks (about 1-1/2 pounds) and 2 bay leaves. Cook about 10 minutes or until the onions are softened.
• Meanwhile, starting with 5 bunches kale, stack a few leaves at a time and cut crosswise into ribbons. Add the kale to the pot, pushing the leaves down to pack them in. Add 3 quarts reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• Bring the mixture to boiling. Cook for 10 minutes or until the greens start to wilt, then turn the greens over with a wooden spoon and reduce the heat to simmering. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Season the broth with salt to taste. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Kale Chips Recipe

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 2 cups torn kale leaves on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp.

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-cook-kale/

Lisa Holderness Brown

Easy Healthy Dinners

Three Healthy Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner....

Kale Pesto Recipe

Kale Pesto

Stephanie Gallagher

This pesto is an especially tasty way to enjoy fresh kale. Garlicky and cheesy, this pesto recipe is every bit as tasty as traditional basil pesto, but the kale makes it healthier.

Use this kale pesto in your favorite lasagna recipe or simply toss with penne to make pesto pasta.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1-2 cups pesto

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups firmly-packed fresh kale
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. to 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place pine nuts in a dry skillet, and toast, shaking occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.


2. Place kale in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add pine nuts, garlic and salt. Pulse until kale is finely chopped.


3. Add cheese, and pulse until cheese is incorporated. Do not puree or over process. The pesto should still be chunky.


4. Drizzle in olive oil, and continue to pulse until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.

http://kidscooking.about.com/od/dinnerrecipes/r/kale_pesto.htm

Diet education theory cops a supersized blow

Food for thought: The research showed people tended to overestimate their self-control. Photo: New York Times

People can be educated about the importance of eating sensible serving sizes - but their self-control will fly out the window the moment they are given a bulging plate of food.

Nearly 100 undergraduate psychology students were given either a 350-gram or 600-gram serving of pasta and while researchers expected students given more would eat more, they also thought those educated about portion control would eat less. They were wrong.

''People often say education is a solution to overeating,'' said Lenny Vartanian, an author of the University of NSW research. ''So we tested that idea and it turns out that education doesn't improve things.''

Participants placed in the ''education group'' were given a brochure about how external factors, such as mood, advertising and portion size, can contribute to overeating. Those placed in the ''mindfulness group'' were taught how to focus on internal sensations such as taste, hunger and satiety before they were offered the pasta.

''Neither of these brief exercises reduced the effects of portion size,'' said Dr Vartanian, a senior lecturer at the university's school of psychology. ''Overall, participants in the larger portion group consumed about a third more pasta - 69 grams - than those in the smaller portion group.''

The difference amounted to about 365 kilojoules.

The study, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, raises questions about the effectiveness of education campaigns to curb overeating and suggests policy changes may be needed instead.

''There is enough talk in the media about portion size and people should be familiar about that concept,'' Dr Vartanian said. ''But we also know people tend to overestimate their ability for self-control and think of themselves as more able to control themselves than the next person.''

Guidelines released this year placed greater emphasis on portion size control in recognition that people struggled with the amount they eat, said Barbara Eden, a senior Heart Foundation dietitian.

''Making small changes in food reduction is a sustainable and effective way to cut portion size,'' she said.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/diet-education-theory-cops-a-supersized-blow-20130417-2i0hi.html

Benefits of Interval Training

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Interval training has been used by athletes for years to build fitness. Interval training combines short, high intensity bursts of speed, with slow, recovery phases, repeated during one exercise session. An early form of interval training, "Fartlek" (a Swedish term meaning 'speed play') was casual and unstructured. A runner would simply increase and decrease his pace at will.

Today, athletes use more structured interval training workouts and HIT (High Intensity Training) to build speed and endurance. This variation of interval training and speed work can be a simple or sophisticated routine, but the basics are still the same as the original fartlek training.

What is Interval Training?

Interval training is built upon alternating short, high intensity bursts of speed with slower, recovery phases throughout a single workout. The interval workouts can be highly sophisticated and structured training that is designed for an athlete based upon his or her sport, event and current level of conditioning. An interval training workout may even be designed based upon the results of anaerobic threshold testing (AT) that includes measuring the blood-lactate of an athlete during intense exercise.

How Interval Training Works

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity efforts, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen, but the by-product is lactic acid. As lactic acid builds, the athlete enters oxygen debt, and it is during the recovery phase that the heart and lungs work together to "pay back" this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.

It's thought that by performing high intensity intervals that produce lactic acid during practice, the body adapts and burns lactic acid more efficiently during exercise. This means athletes can exercise at a higher intensity for a longer period of time before fatigue or pain slows them down.

The Benefits of Interval Training

Interval training adheres to the principle of adaptation. Interval training leads to many physiological changes including an increase in cardiovascular efficiency (the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles) as well as increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid. These changes result in improved performance, greater speed, and endurance.

Interval training also helps avoid injuries associated with repetitive overuse, common in endurance athletes. Intervals also allow an athlete to increase training intensity without over training or burn-out. Adding intervals to a workout routine is also a great way to add cross training to an exercise routine.

Interval Training Burns More Calories

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise. If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise, but you may pay a price. There are risks inherent in high intensity training, so it's important to know both the the benefits and dangers of high intensity training.

Interval Training Workout Routines

Designing the right interval training routine can be sophisticated or casual. Elite athletes may go to a sports performance lab to have blood lactate and exercise metabolism testing performed to determine the best interval training routine. On the other end of the spectrum, you can use the casual "speed play" interval training (fartlek). With this routine, simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.

If you want something a bit more structured, you can use a basic interval training workout routine. Keep in mind that interval training is extremely demanding on the heart, lungs and muscles, and it's important to have an OK from your physician before you start interval training. You should also have a solid base of overall aerobic fitness before performing high intensity training of any kind.

Beginners should start with short intervals (under 30 seconds), fewer repeats and more rest. Elite athletes can up the intensity, time and frequency of training. Few athletes benefit from performing intervals more than two times per week.

Interval Training Safety Tips

• Warm Up before starting intervals
• Assess current conditioning and set training goals that are within your ability
• Start slowly. (for example: walk 2 minutes/ run 2 minutes) In general, longer intervals provide better results
• Keep a steady, but challenging pace throughout the interval
• Build the number of repetitions over time
• Bring your heart rate down to 100-110 bpm during the rest interval
• To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time
• Make any changes slowly over a period of time
• Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure even effort
• You can also use circuit training as a form of interval training

Advanced Interval Training Workouts
You can vary your work and recovery intervals based on your goals. Four variables you can manipulate when designing your interval training program include:

• Intensity (speed) of work interval
• Duration (distance or time) of work interval
• Duration of rest or recovery interval
• Number of repetitions of each interval

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/Intervals.htm

Normal Cholesterol Levels

Normal cholesterol levels vary from person to person. That's because there are several variables used to determine what normal is for each individual. Cholesterol levels that are acceptable for one person may be considered ideal or even high risk for another.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance naturally found in our blood. It helps rebuild our cells and serves as a vital component of steroid hormones and Vitamin D. However, when we eat fatty foods, we are ingesting more cholesterol than our bodies need. The result is an excessive buildup of fat in our arteries that can cause partial or full blockage of these vessels eventually leading to heart disease, heart attack, and even stroke. So while cholesterol is essential for normal body functioning, it is even more important to keep our cholesterol levels within normal range.

Normal cholesterol levels for the average person

The American Heart Association recommends all persons keep their total serum cholesterol levels under 200mg/dL. This value is further divided into specific levels for good cholesterol (high density lipoproteins or HDLs) and bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins or LDLs.) The target level for LDLs is under 130mg/dL while the ideal level for HDLs is at least 60mg/dL. Normal HDL cholesterol levels vary for men and women as well. Men should aim for an HDL level of no less than 40mg/dL. Because of hormonal changes related to aging, women's HDL levels should be higher.

Cholesterol levels and older women

When women reach menopause, their estrogen levels decrease dramatically. Unfortunately, this comes with an increase in serum LDL cholesterol levels and decrease in serum HDL cholesterol levels. Although the reasons for these changes are not 100% clear, a 2009 study published by the Journal of The American College of Cardiology found that estrogen may provide natural protection against heart disease. To make up for these changes in normal cholesterol levels, women should strive for an HDL level of at least 50mg/dL.

Chronic illnesses/habits that influence normal cholesterol levels

Certain chronic illnesses increase the risk for developing heart disease. So people who suffer from these conditions have different standards for what their normal cholesterol levels should be. You should keep your LDL levels under 70mg/dL if you had a previous stroke, are diagnosed with peripheral artery disease, or have two or more of the following conditions:

• Obesity
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Family history of high cholesterol and/or heart disease
• Smoking

Male over age 45 or female over age 55

People with only one of these conditions are still considered high risk, but their LDL cholesterol levels should be kept under 100mg/dL. 

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/cholesterol/normal-cholesterol-levels

Meal Replacement Bars for Quick Weight Loss

Great meal replacement bars that are delicious and healthy.....

Amazing Quinoa Benefits for Health, Skin and Hair

Images:Shutterstock

Quinoa is a nutritious grain like seed which is obtained from the goosefoot family. It is not as popular as other food grains like wheat or barley, but has been cultivated for around 5000 years by people residing in the Andean Mountain regions of Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia.  Quinoa means “mother of grain” in the Inca language and is a sacred food to the Incas who believed that eating it would confer them with long and healthy life. In fact, it was their staple food before the Spanish explorers forced them to abandon its cultivation. Though quinoa is considered as a grain, scientifically it is related to leafy vegetables like spinach, beets and Swiss chards.

Quinoas are tiny, oval shaped seeds that come in light brown, yellow, cream and deep brown color, depending on the cultivar. It has a nutty taste and chewy texture and is recognized all over the world as a delicious food grain with amazing health, skin and hair benefits.  This super food is hailed for its high nutrient content which includes: protein, Vitamin A, calcium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, fiber, iron, phosphorus and essential amino acids. It is one of the best vegetarian sources of lysine currently available in the market.

1. Quinoa contains lysine, a key building block in the synthesis of elastin and collagen. Lysine is an essential nutrient which cannot be synthesized by the body, hence it must be provided by the diet. This aids in quick healing of damaged tissue, making it very important for people who are recovering from any surgery or injury.  It also helps to create scar tissue and ligaments for quick recovery.

2. Quinoa contains high levels of riboflavin which provides elasticity to the skin to give it the required softness and resiliency. It also builds up connective tissue to tone the skin and prevents wrinkles and fine lines.

3. Quinoa anti-ageing face pack: Cook ¼ cup of quinoa in soy milk and let it cool. Blend this boiled quinoa with 3 teaspoon of yoghurt, 2 egg yolk and 2 drops of mimosa essential oil. Apply it on the face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse it off with lukewarm water to witness smooth and glowing skin. Quinoa contains natural protein and anti-ageing properties while soy milk nourishes and repairs sun damaged skin to give elasticity to the skin.  This face pack will also make the skin smooth and even toned.

4. Consumption of quinoa seeds provides the body with ample collagen which rejuvenates the skin from within and reduces wrinkles and other symptoms of ageing. It makes the skin soft, smooth and supple.

5. Vitamins in quinoa decrease clustering of melanin granules to reduce brown spots and pigmentation.

6. Quinoa also helps to decrease sebum production and brilliantly treats acne.

7. Quinoa contains around 15% of proteins, which is highest among all the grains or seeds found in the world. Hydrolyzed protein extracted from quinoa acts as a natural and gentle coating which protects and nourishes the hair follicles from within. The protein extracted from this grain is also used to produce high quality hair products.

8. Quinoa contains 9 essential amino acids which act as natural strengtheners and protect the shaft of the hair. The amino acids in this grain also repairs damaged hair and promote hair growth.

9. Consumption of quinoa on a regular basis provides sheen to hair and gives it an overall silky and shiny look. It provides nourishment to the cells of the body including our hair follicles, which is essential for our hair growth. It is also essential for a healthy nervous system and for the formation of red blood cells which promotes hair growth.

10. Quinoa contains important minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorus which seal moisture in the scalp to avoid flaky and dry scalp, and keep dandruff at bay.

11. The humectants present in quinoa provide nourishment and hydration to the scalp to keep it well conditioned. It forms an invisible film over the hair to protect it from environmental conditions like pollution.

12.  Protein in quinoa helps to seal split ends and prevents it from getting worse. Hydrolyzed protein is designed in such a way that it passes through the cuticle and penetrates the hair’s cortex to equalize porosity and increase its elasticity.

13. Vitamin E in quinoa balances the production of natural oil to keep the strands properly moisturized and reduces breakage due to tangling.

14.  Quinoa contains an amino acid known as tyrosine which is responsible for the pigmentation and color of hair and skin. It encourages the re-pigmentation of hair and even helps to maintain the original color of the hair.

http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-quinoa-for-skin-hair-and-health/ Quinoa Benefits

Ginger Tea Benefits

Ginger is a light brown root with a distinctive taste and qualities that make it a much-coveted herb due to high levels of Vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals. Once made into tea, you can add peppermint, honey or lemon to mask the taste of the ginger. The benefits of ginger tea are well documented and include treatment and cures for some common conditions, but there are also some precautions to take.

Ginger Tea Benefits

1. Relieve nausea

One of the best-known benefits of ginger tea is its ability to combat nausea. Drinking a cup of ginger tea before traveling can help prevent the nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. If you did not drink ginger tea before you became nauseous, drink a cup of ginger tea at the first sign of nausea to relieve the symptom.

2. Improve stomach performance

Ginger tea is very useful in improving digestion and increasing absorption of food. This benefit can also prevent belching and bloating after eating too much. In some people, ginger tea seems to have a positive impact on appetite.

3. Reduce inflammation

The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger tea are well known and make it an ideal home remedy for muscle and joint problems. In addition to drinking ginger tea, it may also be useful to use as a topical soak on inflamed joints and other body parts.

4. Fight respiratory problems

Ginger tea can help relieve congestion associated with the common cold. Try a cup of ginger tea for the respiratory symptoms associated with environmental allergies.

5. Improve blood circulation

The vitamins, minerals and amino acids in ginger tea can help restore and improve blood circulation that may help decrease the chance of cardiovascular problems. Ginger may prevent fat from depositing in the arteries helping to prevent heart attacks and stroke.

6. Relieve menstrual discomfort

Drinking ginger tea is not the only way you can benefit from this mixture. If you have cramping during your menstrual cycle, try soaking a towel in warm ginger tea and apply the towel to your lower abdomen. The effects of the ginger may help relieve the pain and relax the muscles. At the same time, drink a cup of ginger tea with honey.

7. Strengthen immunity

Ginger tea may help strengthen your immunity due to the high levels of antioxidants in ginger. Many people drink ginger tea to help prevent cancer.

8. Relieve stress

Ginger tea has calming properties that may help lower your stress and tension. This is thought to be due to a combination of the strong aroma and healing properties.

9. Increases fertility

Some people believe that ginger tea is an aphrodisiac that works to boost a man's fertility. Some studies show that regular intake of ginger may increase a man's sperm count and help with erectile dysfunction.

10. Other benefits

Several other potential benefits of ginger tea include:

• Fights infection and bad breath
• May slow down the growth of cancer cells
• May help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol
• Helps to detoxify the liver
• Contains powerful antioxidants that may reduce free radicals in the body

How to make ginger tea:

Ginger Tea Side Effects and Precautions

Although the positive benefits of ginger are well-documented, there are also some side effects and precautions that you should know about.

1. Side effects

Because of the known side effects of using ginger, it is always a good idea to consult a nutritionist who will look at your diet, life style and medications before recommending a healthy amount of ginger to take each day. Some of the side effects that can happen include:

• Digestive problems. While drinking ginger tea can aid digestion, too much of the tea can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Too much ginger can lead to acidity and low blood sugar, so ginger tea should probably be avoided by diabetics.
• Interaction with anesthesia. Some anesthetic agents used in surgery can react adversely with ginger resulting in bleeding and slowed healing. Most surgeons and anesthesiologists recommend deleting ginger from your diet for a week before any surgery.
• Killing sleep. Ginger tea may prevent a good night's sleep. It is recommended that you drink ginger tea early in the day to avoid loss of sleep at night.

2. Precautions

There are several groups of people who should be aware of specific precautions when using ginger tea. These include:

• Those with blood disorders. Ginger tea may inhibit blood coagulation. If you have hemophilia or if you are taking blood thinners, be sure to consult your healthcare provider BEFORE drinking ginger tea.
• Those with hypertension. If you have hypertension and are taking medications for that disorder, consult your physician before using ginger since it can lower blood pressure to unsafe levels.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The use of ginger tea in pregnant or lactating women is controversial. Some physicians recommend ginger tea for morning sickness but others are concerned about possible toxicity to unborn and children being breast-fed.
• Those who have gallstones. Ginger tea tends to increase the production of bile in the body. Since bile can cause increased pain in someone suffering from gallstones, avoid using ginger if you know you have gallbladder disease.

3. Recommended daily intake

First, be aware that you CAN get too much of a good thing! The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 2 grams of ginger for every kilogram of body weight each day. For a 155-pound (70 kg) person, this would amount to a limit of 140 grams of ginger each day. This is almost 1/3 pound of ginger-an unlikely amount to use every day. However, even at lesser amounts side effects may show up.

http://www.newhealthguide.org Ginger Tea Benefits

Don't Fall Prey to Portion Distortion

According to the National Institutes of Health, a “portion” is how much food you choose to eat at one time, whether in a restaurant, from a package or in your own kitchen.

A “serving” size is the amount of food listed on a product’s Nutrition Facts.

Sometimes the portion size and serving size match; sometimes they do not. Over the past few years portions have grown significantly in fast food and sit-down restaurants, as has the frequency of Americans eating out. Subsequently, waistlines across the U.S. have grown right along with this trend.  

Big portion sizes can mean you’re getting more food than your body can stomach to maintain a healthy weight. Learn how much to put on your plate to help control how much you eat.

Consider these statistics from the American Heart Association study “A Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States”:

• Adults today consume an average of 300 more calories per day than they did in 1985.
• Portion sizes have grown dramatically over the last 40 years.
• Americans eat out much more than they used to.

Take a look at the examples below and see how easy (or difficult) it is to choose accurate food portions.



Here’s another kernel: In the book "Mindless Eating," Brian Wansink, Ph.D., found that people who were given larger buckets of popcorn ate 44 percent more calories than those who were given smaller buckets — even when they thought the popcorn didn’t taste good! Bottom line: An overloaded plate can lead to an overloaded stomach.

Making good choices

Tracking your calories helps you monitor your weight. It helps to know what the appropriate serving size is so you can correctly estimate the calories in your portions, especially if you dine out a lot. Portion sizes that are typically offered in restaurants are often double or triple the standard recommended serving sizes of most foods. Using a food diary can help you pay closer attention to what  you're eating, how much and how often.

Take time to learn the difference between a portion size and a serving size. You may see that the portions most people consume are often more than what they need to eat to keep their bodies at a healthy weight. Of course, eating larger portion sizes at one sitting will not cause weight gain unless it contributes to a total eating pattern in which a person regularly consumes more calories than he or she expends in one day.

Answer Key: A = Medium banana, B = 1 cup vegetables (cooked or raw), C = 1/4 cup nuts, D = 3 oz. lean meat, E = Small baked potato

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/LosingWeight/Dont-Fall-Prey-to-Portion-Distortion_UCM_424567_Article.jsp

Why Is Salt Bad For You

Many of us are aware that we shouldn’t eat too much salt. To be precise, adults should avoid eating over 6g (or around about a teaspoon of salt) a day.The World Health Organisation (WHO), however, estimates that the current global average intake of salt is between 9g and 12g per day. This seems significantly higher than recommended.But why is salt really so bad for us? What does it do to the body?

What exactly is salt?

Salt is in fact sodium chloride and is a necessary mineral for a healthy human body.The fact that salt is made up of sodium chloride can actually make food labels quite confusing. This is because sometimes the labels will only give the amount of sodium in the food and not the amount of salt.Luckily, there is an easy equation you can use to calculate how much salt you are consuming. Simply multiply the sodium content by 2.5:-Salt = sodium x 2.5

Why do we need salt?

Besides adding flavour to our food, salt actually plays important roles in the body. It is the most common source of sodium and chloride ions, which cannot be made by the body itself and so need to be consumed through our food intake.Sodium plays a significant role in the body. In particular, it regulates volumes of fluid in the body. It also aids the uptake of various other nutrients into cells.The normal pH, or acid-base level, of the blood is also influenced by the sodium levels in the body.All in all, these cellular level processes mean that sodium can play a larger role in transmitting nerve signals in the body and aiding muscular contraction. You, perhaps, may have even noticed sodium’s role in the latter, if you have ever experienced cramp after exercising and sweating.Chloride ions also play important roles within the body. They, like sodium, are involved with influencing fluid movements and pH levels in the body.In addition, chloride ions are important in digestion; for the stomach contains a naturally produced acidic fluid, which is partly made of hydrochloric acid. This acidic fluid, to which chloride ions contribute, plays an essential role in digestion.

What’s wrong with eating too much salt?

If salt plays such important roles in the body, then why is it bad to have too much of it?Well because it plays such crucial roles in the body, salt is also very good at having powerful negative effects too. In fact, a diet high in salt has been linked to several conditions.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

There is lots of different evidence supporting a link between high salt intake and high blood pressure.It is thought that having high levels of sodium in the body causes a decrease in the synthesis of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is an arteriolar vasodilator. This means that it causes the blood vessels to widen, reducing the resistance the blood experiences as it flows.Sodium is thought to do this by increasing the levels of a molecule called asymmetric dimethyl L-arginine. This molecule is an inhibitor of nitric oxide production, and thus sodium indirectly causes the reduction of nitric oxide biosynthesis.

Overall then, this means that there is less nitric oxide. Consequently, the blood vessels are not as wide and thus the blood experiences more resistance, causing higher blood pressure.Why is high blood pressure, or hypertension, such a bad thing?Well, although hypertension frequently does not exhibit many symptoms. The condition can lead to several medical problems including heart attack, stroke and kidney damage.

Osteoporosis

High salt intake has also been linked to osteoporosis, a condition that causes weakening of the bones making them more susceptible to fractures.
Salt is proposed to affect bones by causing increased calcium excretion in urine. Calcium is, of course, very important in bones. In fact, 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in our bones. Thus, loss of calcium, through excessive excretion, is bad for your bones.

Stomach Cancer

Although salt is necessary in the production of stomach acid; it seems too much salt can actually be bad news for the stomach.Excessive salt consumption has been linked to stomach cancer. Although the molecular basis has not yet been confirmed and not all results of epidemiological studies were in agreement, there has been a general trend observed that high salt consumption was correlated with increased risk of stomach cancer.

How can we reduce our salt intake?

Given all the negative effects high salt intake can cause, you may wish to reduce your own salt intake. You may find this is actually harder than you initially think.The difficulty in reducing your salt intake arises due to the fact that a significant amount of the salt we consume has already been added to our food at the manufacturing stage. Thus, not only do we, ourselves, have to try to reduce our salt intake; but we also need to convince the food manufacturing industry to do so too!Thankfully - according to the British Hypertension Society - despite some resistance, there does seem to be a general agreement in the industry that salt levels of food need to be reduced.Yet, with The Telegraph recently reporting, “Half of all takeaway pizzas surveyed contained the entire maximum daily recommendation of salt which is six grams”, this is still clearly very much a work in progress.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120521/Salt-intake-why-is-it-bad-for-you.aspx