Salt is made of sodium chloride, a compound mineral of sodium and chloride. Salt is gathered from the ocean, rock salt deposits from ancient dried up seas, or from brine, a concentrated salt water. To gather the salt you evaporate the water and are left with all the minerals, sodium chloride. 

Depending on where you gather your salt it will also contain traces of other beneficial minerals such as, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, calcium, potassium and selenium. All essential nutrient to the function of our bodies. 

The ancient sea salt deposits have the most beneficial minerals, sea salt from the ocean is second and salt made from brine has the fewest beneficial minerals. Table salt is made from a brine. When they make salt from brine the purposely strip our other minerals such as magnesium and calcium to produce the purest from of sodium chloride. In the 1920s there was a iodine deficiency among the people in the USA and they started adding iodine to the salt and there is where we get our iodized table salt from.

Different Types of Salt

We categorize salt in three different ways, sea salt, rock salt and table salt. 

Sea Salts are derived from the ocean. You can buy Mortans Sea Salt, Azure Sea Salt, Kirkland Sea Salt… etc. There are many different brands of sea salt harvested from different parts of the world. 

Rock Salts are gathered from salt mines. These mines are from salt deposits from old salt lakes and seas that have evaporated years ago and our found under the rocky layers of earths surface. Salts like Redmond Real Salts, Pink Himalayan Salt, Celtic Sea Salt and more are all gathered from rock salt mines. 

Brine Salts are also gathered from salt mines but extracted in a different way. Rock salt is extracted by drilling, crushing and braking down the salt floor and salt walls. Brine salt is extracted through hydraulic methods. They flood the salt floors with water then pump the new salt water brine to the surface and evaporate the water to get the salt again. After that they process the salt getting it to as pure of a form of sodium chloride as they can. This salt is commonly known as Table Salt or Iodized Salts.

Health benefits of Real Salt

Here is one of the many benefits of salt in our diets. 

Our bodies are in need of many minerals to function properly. Hydration is extremely important to our bodies but did you know that drinking water will not hydrate your body alone? In order for out body to absorb the water we drink we need to have a good balance of vitamins and minerals in our bodies.  

Electrolyte are the most needed minerals for the hydration of our bodies. The primary key electrolytes the body needs are sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and bicarbonate. 

Celtic salt is mostly sodium chloride. It also includes 90 other trace minerals including potassium, calcium and 3 different types of magnesium. That’s 5 out of 7 of the primary electrolytes. Table salt has little to no trace minerals and is simply sodium chloride.

Don’t forget fresh fruits and vegetables are going to be the best way to add more vitamins and minerals to your diet. Electrolyte powders and drinks are a supplement if needed. 

By using a Pink Himalayan Salt, Celtic Salt or Redmond Salt you will be adding many other minerals to your daily diet than if you simply used table salt.

The Health Risks of Too Much Salt

Too much sodium chloride (salt) can have its down side for sure. There are studies that show how salt can raise you blood pressure causing a multitude of issues. There also studies that connect high sodium levels with stomach cancer and cardiovascular disease, heart attack and other health conditions. 

Now before you take salt out of your diet completely we must understand how we get high sodium levels. 

Our cells contain pumps that help keep the balance of sodium and potassium within the cell. We get most of our potassium intake from the vegetables we eat. If you don’t eat your vegetables and are putting lots of table salt (Sodium Chloride, no other minerals) on your food, sodium will raise and potassium will drop. When the sodium levels are too high the cell swells causing high blood pressure.

The solution is not to simply take out sodium from your diet but to create a balance with sodium and potassium and all your other minerals. Using a rock salt with other trace minerals in them will help create that balance, sometimes evening keeping a low blood pressure.  

Did you know that the too much salt can mess with your taste buds? Salty foods can dull your taste buds temporarily. And often with dull taste buds we end up adding more salt.

The Health Risks of Too Little Salt

Less salt or not enough salt can be just as dangerous as too much. After oxygen and water the next element that we need to survive is sodium, after that potassium. 

If you google “benefits of sodium” you will find it plays a role in keeping our fluids balance, balanced blood pressure, transporting nerve impulses, blood flow and circulation, glucose absorption and more.

Taking sodium out of your diet completely will harm you in the end. But overdoing sodium without the presence of other minerals and vitamins will also harm you. The trick is a well balanced diet with whole foods and real salt, not regular table salt. 

Prepackaged Foods VS Whole Foods

To create a well balanced diet full of good nutrition we need to be eating whole unprocessed foods. What are whole foods? Whole foods are foods that are not processed or refined but whole in nutrient. Whole fruits and vegetables, meat off the bone, fresh baked breads and goods rather than prepackaged foods. Most breakfast cereals is not a whole food, oatmeal is a whole food. Mashed potatoes from a mix is not a whole food, mashed potatoes from fresh potatoes is a whole food. 

There are a lot of prepackaged or frozen meals out there that add sodium to make it taste good and is also used as a preservative. In these prepackaged meal there is a high amount of sodium but little potassium, magnesium or other vitamins and minerals. Its also not uncommon for people to add table salt to these meals. This can lead to high sodium intake causing high blood pressure amongst other problems.

Eating whole foods and meals from scratch will help you keep a balanced diet with all your nutritional needs being met. Choosing high quality whole foods enhances your vitamin and mineral intake helping your body function properly. Cooking with real salt and knowing exactly how much is in your meal will help you balance you salt intake avoiding the risk of too much or too little salt.

I highly recommend you stay away from fast food and ready-made foods if you are trying to stay away from a high-salt diet. Here in the united states we make ready-made foods with excess salt. When shopping for quick meals check your food labels and nutrition labels. Buy more fresh foods for a healthy diet.

Salt Substitutes

If you are trying to lower your sodium intake with less salt then here are a few salt substitutes you can use to lower the amount of salt you use on your everyday foods. 

• Lemon juice and Vinegar –  both acidic in nature, enhancing the flavor of your foods without the use of sodium. 
• Nutritional Yeast – Is full of vitamins and minerals and is beneficial to your diet. Sprinkling a little on your food to replace salt and adds a cheesy – nutty flavor. 
• Herbs, Spices and Peppers, Onions and Garlic – We often us salt to draw out the flavor of our food. Adding more flavor cuts down the need to add as much salt to make it flavorful. 
• Soy sauce – Although known to be high in sodium you might be surprised to the difference between soy sauce and table salt. Soy sauce is a good source for sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron and more. When sodium is paired with these other vitamins and minerals our body is about to absorb and use them properly.

Real Redmond Salt

Enhance the flavor with good real salt like Redmond Real Salt. If you are looking for a unrefined natural salt with multiple minerals and key electrolytes harvested in the USA, then look no further. Redmond Real Salt is full of flavor and nutrients and harvested out of the ancient seabed deep beneath Central Utah.

The post Is Salt Healthy? What You Need to Know About Salt. appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Molasses is a by product of sugar cane or sugar beets just like granulated sugar. To make it you take the juice from the sugar cane or beet and boil it down. Once all the water is evaporated you are left with a syrup. This syrup is then crystalized and separated into dry sugar crystals and the remaining syrup which we call molasses!

To learn more about how brown sugar is made from the molasses and sugar read, “How To Make Brown Sugar” here.

Heads up! My post do contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Different Types of Molasses

As the sugar cane juices are boiled down the molasses and sugar are separated.

• After the first boil you get light molasses.
  Light molasses has the highest content of sugar of the three.
• The second boil a dark molasses
• And then the third boil gets you Blackstrap molasses.
  Blackstrap has the highest concentration of all the good nutrients.

Some of the more common labels to see in the store would be,

• Old Fashioned Molasses. Old fashioned hasn’t had all of the sugar removed (typically a light molasses) from it so it is a little sweeter but has a lower concentrate of nutrients then blackstrap molasses. Molasses can be bitter so the sweeter flavor makes it more popular for recipes and desserts and will work great for making brown sugar.
• Blackstrap Molasses. Blackstrap has more of the sugar removed, which makes it less sweet or more bitter. The benefits is in its richer concentrate of iron and other nutrients. Light and dark molasses have these same nutrients but as you continue to boil it down it becomes a thicker and richer concentrate of those nutrients.
• Unsolphured Molasses. If the sugar cane is unripe when the molasses is extracted from it, sulphur dioxide is added to preserve it. Unsolphured means that the molasses has not been treated with sulphur dioxide.

Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap has a higher concentrate of all the nutrient benefits that come in molasses due to it being boiled down further than the other types. So lets look at the nutrient for 1 tablespoon.

Calories 50 g

Carbohydrates 13 g

Manganese 0.7mg (37 percent DV) – Fatigue, Brain Health, Digestion

Manganese is a mineral that nourishes the brain and nerve centers. It also helps with digestion metabolizing sugars and fats. Manganese helps with fatigue, nerve irritability, lower back pain and seizures.

Copper 0.6 mg (29 percent DV) – Blood Production and Health

Copper helps in absorbing iron, protein metabolism (converting food into usable protein), and helps with red blood cell production. It can also help keep your hair healthy with color.

Iron 4.7 mg (25 percent DV) – Anemia, Fatigue, Immunity

Iron helps produce hemoglobin with copper and proteins, hemoglobin then carries oxygen through the body in red blood cells. Similar to copper, iron will also help keep that color in your hair, along with bright eyes and strengthens immunity. Iron reducing fatigue, anemia and muscle weakness.

Calcium 226 mg (15 percent DV) – Bone Health, Heart Health, Nerves System

Calcium works to build solid bones and teeth. It also works with magnesium to aiding in cardiovascular health. Lowing blood pressure, helps blood to clot, prevents muscle cramping, and helps maintain your nervous system. Calcium helps with quality sleep and rest, reducing anxiety and depression.Calcium 226 mg (15 percent DV) – Bone Health, Heart Health, Nerves SystemCalcium works to build solid bones and teeth. It also works with magnesium to aiding in cardiovascular health. Lowing blood pressure, helps blood to clot, prevents muscle cramping, and helps maintain your nervous system. Calcium helps with quality sleep and rest, reducing anxiety and depression.

Potassium 334 mg (8 percent DV) Acid/Alkaline System, Electrolyte, Brain Health, Hormone Health

Potassium helps balance the acid/alkaline system in your body. It is an electrolyte and works with sodium (another electrolyte) to regulate the body’s water balance. Potassium helps oxygenate the brain and helps reduce anxiety, depression and stress. It helps keep a healthy hear, muscle function, energy, nerve stability, enzyme and hormone production.

Magnesium 60 mg (15 percent DV) – Nerve Function and Muscle Function, Kidney Health and Heart Health

Magnesium enhances the absorption of other minerals. It is necessary for nerve function and muscle function. Magnesium reduces stress and nerves, it helps calm twitching (nerves and muscles) and promotes endurance and exercise capacity. It also aids in the healthy of your kidneys and heart.

Vitamin B6 0.2 mg (10 percent DV) – Nervous System, Natural Diuretic

Vitamin B6 also known as Pyridoxine is a great help to the nervous system. It is especially helpful to those with epilepsy or convulsions, and carpal tunnel syndrome. It works as an natural diuretic especially during per-menstrual time, also helps with acne, and alleviates morning sickness.

Selenium 5 micrograms (7 percent DV) – Immune System, Blood Health,

Selenium is a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and stimulates the immune system. Working with Vitamin E it prevents fat and cholesterol build ups in the bloodstream by doing so it protects the heart.

All that to say, blackstrap is full of very good things!

If you want to know more about foods, vitamins, minerals and herbs that help heal our body I recommend “Healthy Healing” by Linda Page. It is a great resource for natural healing.

To summarize, the minerals and vitamins we receive from consuming blackstrap molasses helps aid our nerves system, brain function, blood function, immune system, and has electrolytes.

Molasses helps with fatigue and stress, menstrual relief, stabilizes blood sugar and slows down glucose, aids in digestion, can also be used as a stool softener. Molasses is an anti-imflammaotry and arthritis reliever. Its great for those who have epilepsy or heart arrhythmias. Its a natural sleep aid as well as increasing stamina and energy creating balance in your life.

There is so much good but how do I add molasses into my diet?

Easy Ways To Add Molasses Into Your Diet

Add It To Your Drinks

• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in your coffee
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in your tea
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in milk
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in hot chocolate
• Pumpkin Gingerbread Molasses Smoothie
• Spinach Smoothie With Molasses

More Molasses Recipes

• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Molasses Vegan Chili
• Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
• Ginger Cookies
• Gingerbread Loaf
• Molasses Banana Bread
• Maine Molasses Cake
• Best Southern Baked Beans
• Sweet Brown Bread Rolls

There are so many more recipes out there that include molasses in them. So many of them sound delicious that I myself want to try to make but and most of them desserts. When trying to add nutrition to your diet its best to first find the easiest and healthiest way to add it. If its about flavor, try all the cakes and cookies and enjoy! If you are truly trying to add molasses to your diet to improve your health I encourage you to find a way to add it in at least 5 times a week. I personally have been experimenting with adding to my daily spinach smoothies. Finding the right combination that my kids will also enjoy has been the hard part. When I figure it out, I’ll share the recipe. *UPDATE, Here’s the recipe!

If you have some recipes featuring Molasses that you think I should try let me know in the comments below. I’m excited to continue to find new recipes and cook and bake more while improving my health.

Where To Get Blackstrap Molasses

Molasses is not very hard to find, but Blackstrap can be tricky. Our local Walmart carries Grandmas Original Molasses, but does not carry any Blackstrap. Often stores will carry molasses as a seasonal item for the holidays but its usually, again, not blackstrap. You may be lucky and have a local grocery store that carries blackstrap but if not try looking at the local health food stores.

Online is probably the easiest way to find it. Amazon has Golden Barrel Unsulfured Blackstrap Molasses among other good brands.

I get my blackstrap molasses from Azure Standard. I love the quality, the price and the bulk sizes. Azure Standard is a online store focused on high quality organic foods. Azure runs like a co-op and deliver monthly to a drop off location near you. Read my “Azure Standard Review” to find out more about Azure Standard.

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