I've written alot about salt, adrenals & thyroid and found this little tid-bit in the latest issue of First for Women magazine. I have Adrenal Fatigue and even though I know that I need to have a full glass of water upon waking with 1/4 tsp of salt added to it, I hadn't found any further information about it till now. I know that those that suffer from CFS, Low Thyroid and/or Adrenal problems have difficulty "holding" onto vitamins/minerals in particular sodium so we are suppose to add salt to our diet.
Sodium gets a bad rap in today's society. Salt is Bad...Fat is Bad...both ideas are actually false but I'll just talk about Salt right now. Our body needs sodium along with other electrolytes to function each day. To "fuel" our cells. Especially if you live in a hot climate or workout extensively. We lose salt via sweating and through our urine. Which is good but can also be bad if your body isn't getting enough to function in the first place.
Hormone disorders are increasing at an alarming rate. Cronic Fatigue Syndrome, Metabolism Syndrome, Low or High Thyroid, Adrenal Fatigue and many more "syndromes" and diseases have a root in our hormones. If our hormones are out of balance, then the body becomes unbalanced and disease takes hold. If you are experiencing fatigue, weight gain and general "blah" make sure to find a medical professional that recognizes metabolism & hormone issues.
Oops, I'm getting sidetracked again. Salt. The last several decades we've been told that Salt is Bad. Eat food that is salt free...don't add salt to cooking...eliminate it from your diet. For some people, especially those with blood pressure issues or those that have certain medical reasons to eliminate salt from their diet this is a good rule to follow. But for most people and especially for those that have adrenal issues, added salt is necessary to live.
Adrenal issues cause a depletion of sodium levels. Like our bodies can't hold onto the salt that we take in "naturally" so we need to supplement with more salt. The problem is finding that balance. Again with the word, balance? Yes...because if you've ever had not enough sodium in your body, you know what I'm talking about. I wrote about this a couple of months ago when I wasn't getting enough sodium, and drinking way too much water. About ended up in the E.R...I didn't realize that too much water & no salt was bad. I think by day 4 I was absolutely delirious and so foggy that I kept drinking more and more water thinking this would solve my foggy thinking and fatigue. Because all we hear in the media is that H2O solves fatigue...and that SALT is bad, right? Well for some people maybe this works but for many of us this is pretty dangerous advice. The more water you drink, the more salt you need otherwise the body is "flushing" out the sodium levels faster and faster causing even more problems.
So the fix? It's simple. Each morning have a good 20oz glass of water with 1/4 tsp of non iodized salt. The perfect salt is himalayan salt just because it has so many more minerals then other salts. Drink that each morning and you'll feel energized. Now if you live in a hot/humid climate or your workout 45-60 minutes each day then you should have another glass of salted water in the afternoon. My experience is that with my adrenal fatigue, I'm not "awake" in the mornings so my workouts are in the mid to late afternoon. That's when I have my 2nd glass of salt water..while working out.
Sort of our version of an energy drink. A sugar-free version. Good ol' salt water. That's what a Gatorade drink is...electrolytes. That's why they are so important for workouts. They contain not only sodium but also potassium & other electrolytes that we naturally lose while sweating.
So below is the info about hormones and salty cravings that goes hand in hand with what I'm discussing. Any questions just contact me at teri@body-systems.net or leave a comment below.
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Excerpt from First For Women - Nov. 8, 2010 Issue
What Food Cravings Reveal About What's Really Bothering You:
We're old pros at tending to our pressing to-dos through just about anything - sniffles, the flu, back pain...What's harder? Those days when a vague feeling of restlessness comes on for no good reason, or at least no reason we can pinpoint. But Nutrition scientists have found an easy way to identify what's behind the funk. Listen to your gut literally. "Cravings act like an alarm bell for the subconscious," asserts David G. Edelson, M.D., a certified weight-management expert and founder of HealthBridge in Manhasset, New York. "The areas of the brain where hormones are stored are next to those where higher-level thought processes occur, so over time links form between cravings and emotions." Read on to discover what's behind your down moods and how to tend to the feeling rather than feed it.
Salty Cravings Signal Stress
Stress inhibits the adrenal gland's production of aldosterone, a hormone that helps maintain an optimal level of sodium in the body, says Dr. Edelson. He explains, "Having low levels of aldosterone creates a salt deficiency, which in turn prompts cravings for foods like pretzels or french fries."
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