Is Sea Salt Better Than Table Salt?

Is sea salt better for you than table salt?

Specifically, does it have a lower probability of causing high blood pressure?

Common table salt is sodium chloride. NaCl. It is natural; in other words, it is found in nature, in salt mines to be specific. It is refined to remove any impurities and sometimes additives - like iodine - are added into the salt.

Sea salt, on the other hand, is formed from the natural evaporation of ocean water. It, too, is natural NaCl. But, it is sold in a more pure or raw form than table salt. As such, it contains trace elements of magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and potassium.

Bottom line, both table salt and sea salt are over 98% sodium chloride. That doesn't leave a lot of room for sea salt to be vastly different than table salt.

So, what does a medical expert say? According to WebMD:

"Table salt is getting a lot of competition from the new guy on the block - sea salt. The hype about sea salt is that they claim it contains trace minerals that table salt doesn't have. Truth is, those minerals are in such a low quantity that they don't make a difference to your health. The interesting news is that because sea salt has a much more intense flavor, you end up using less of it."

So, in a roundabout way, sea salt is better for you than table salt. But, not necessarily in the way you think.

Please see my blog post about Campbell's soup switching from table salt to sea salt at http://goo.gl/SxrNX.

4 Ways to Deal With Insomnia Naturally

According to WebMD, 15% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia. Many more struggle with insomnia on an occasional basis.

If you find yourself falling into this group of adults, you know just how debilitating insomnia can be. It not only affects your evenings, as you lay in bed tossing and turning, but it also cascades into your life as you face each morning tired and frustrated.

There certainly are medical ways to deal with your insomnia. A sleeping pill may help you consistently settle into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

But, what happens if you aren’t particularly excited about taking a pill? Or if sleeping pills affect you in ways that unsettle you, like causing you to sleepwalk, to talk in your sleep, or to sleep so deeply that you don’t wake up when your alarm goes off?

There are a number of things that may help you deal with insomnia more naturally. Even if none of these tips help you to overcome your sleep problems, there is no harm in at least trying to deal with your insomnia in a more natural way.

Here are a few tips that you may find helpful:

• Keep a notepad next to your bed. When something runs through your head over and over again, write it down. Then tell yourself that you can deal with this problem in the morning.
• If you are having difficulty falling asleep or you wake up unexpectedly during the evening, get out of bed. You don’t want to associate your bed with negative thoughts, like insomnia. Get up, read a chapter of a book, try to get yourself tired. Then, head back to bed to get some sleep.
• Turn your alarm clock away from your bed so you don’t fixate on the time.  Resist the temptation to continually turn the clock towards you.
• If you are concerned about oversleeping – and thus can’t fall asleep – find two or three different ways to ensure that you wake up. Set your bedside alarm clock, as well as the clock on your phone. If you are in a hotel, ask for a wake up call. Reassure yourself that you can’t oversleep because you will be awakened by two or even three different alarms.

Hopefully, some of the above tips will help you sleep more restfully, without the aid of sleep medication.

Be a Health Nut

Are you aware of all the health benefits of almonds? It's amazing really.

According to the Almond Board of California, almonds offer the following:

- A handful of almonds adds 6 grams of energy-rich protein to salads.

- Whole almonds are a naturally high source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. 

- Almonds are a natural source of protein and naturally high in fiber, while being naturally low in sugars.

 

- Scientific evidence suggests that eating a handful of almonds as part of a diet low in saturated fat helps to maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels and a healthy heart.

- According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, almonds rank strongly among food containing AT vitamin E. One ounce of almonds contains 7.4 milligrams or 35% of the Daily Value of this nutrient.

- A handful of almonds offers key benefits to anyone trying to shed a few pounds, namely satiety, fewer calories for more nutrients, crunch, and an undeniable, tasty flavor. In fact, a one-ounce serving (about 23 almonds) is an excellent source of three nutrients and 100% cholesterol free, all for a measly 160 calories. Not to mention the 6 grams of energy-packed protein.

- U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that the majority of your fat intake be unsaturated. One serving of almonds 28(g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.

It sounds like adding 23 almonds to your everyday diet would be a smart move, doesn't it?

20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper

I was disheartened to run across an article on the "Eat This, Not That" website today, called "20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper." Believe it or not, salads from Cosi, Chipotle, P.F. Chang's, Quizno's, Einstein's, Applebee's, T.G.I. Friday's, and even California Pizza Kitchen were all on this list.

I must admit that I'm not terribly surprised that places like Quizno's, Chipotle, and Cosi were on this list. If we are totally honest with ourselves, we'll admit that these dining establishments are only a tiny step up from places like McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King.

But I was truly bummed to see that CPK and TGIF had not one, but several, salads that made this Top 20 list. Both of these restaurants - at least in my mind - have positioned themselves as restaurants that offer healthier dining options. I have ordered some of these salads in the past, thinking that I was being good to my body. Learning that I could have enjoyed my lunch a whole lot more by having something a bit more indulgent - and still consume fewer calories - definitely annoys me.

I'm not asking the California Pizza Kitchen to offer the healthiest salads on the planet. But, to offer a salad that is actually less healthy than a Burger King Whopper is a travesty. 

It just goes to show ... you can't always believe what you're told.

All That Goodness in One Itty Bitty Berry

 

The berry. It comes in all shapes, sizes, textures, colors, and flavors. 

There's the strawberry, the blueberry, and the raspberry. Acai berries, goji berries, and elderberries. Blueberries, gooseberries, and bearberries. Crowberries, mayapples, and nannyberries.

But, regardless of what the berry tastes like, looks like, or sounds like, all berries are great for your diet.

In fact, recent cancer research has shown that the pigment that gives berries their bright and beautiful colors might just save your life. 

Take the cute little raspberry, for example. Research has shown that a diet rich in raspberries can offer the following health benefits:

- Reduce colorectal inflammation and polyps. (Colorectal Cancer Coalition)
- May help fight colon cancer. (NutraIngredients.comhttp://goo.gl/uYbl)
- Help to lower blood pressure. (Ezinearticles.com)
- Reduce joint inflammation. (Ezinearticles.com)
- Reduce the effects of aging. (Science Daily) 
- Reduce the potential for heart disease. (Science Daily)

All that goodness in one itty bitty raspberry. Not bad, huh?

Five U.S. Food Trends

 Check out the presentation I created and shared on SlideShare.  The presentation describes the five most interesting food trends in the U.S.

Going Public May Lead to Success

Our first thought when we decide to lose weight is often to keep it to ourselves.

Why?

Maybe we convince ourselves that we want to "surprise" our friends and family when we lose all that weight!  But, chances are - if we're really being honest with ourselves - we probably don't tell others because we don't want to be embarrassed if we fail.

It's time to reverse your thinking.

Think about it this way. If you tell others, you may try just a little bit harder, resist temptation a little bit better, work out a little bit harder. And all those "little bits" may just add up to success.

So, set goals. Tell the people in your life that matter. Ask them to help you resist temptation.

You may be surprised how supportive your friends and family actually are.  And maybe they'll lose weight in the process too!