{"id":1938,"date":"2014-08-15T16:18:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T20:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/sour-on-sodium-try-these-natural-alternatives.html"},"modified":"2016-09-19T11:22:13","modified_gmt":"2016-09-19T15:22:13","slug":"sour-on-sodium-try-these-natural-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1938","title":{"rendered":"Sour On Sodium? Try These Natural Alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Follow @willclower<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Salt: Good at low doses, bad at high doses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
For good heart health, we have been coached to limit sodium consumption. <\/span>This new research report<\/a> links the massive amounts of sodium we consume with heart problems for people in 66 different countries. As you might expect, across the board sodium consumption is far above the recommended levels of 2.0 grams per day. In fact, the average global level is a whopping 3.95 grams!<\/span><\/div>\n
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Next, they did a meta-analysis of 107 studies to show just how this impacts blood pressure and your risk for heart disease. Again, as expected, as sodium intake increases so does your risk of having some catastrophic cardiac event. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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The difficulty for cutting down on sodium comes when food manufacturers add it to so many food products both as a preservative and also as a flavor enhancer. Fortunately though, there are natural alternatives to sodium that can accomplish both of these goals without increasing your risk for cardiac calamity. And the bonus feature of these natural items is that they make your food taste wonderful in the process!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Natural Flavor Enhancers<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Herbs and spices are sometimes said to enhance the flavor of the meal \u2013 and they do! But the term \u201cflavor enhancer\u201d is applied to something that can increase your ability to taste other flavors in the dish you\u2019re preparing. That thing may or may not have its own flavor.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Lemon juice can act like a flavor enhancer!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Salt is an example of a substance that brings out the other flavors in your meal. But if you wanted to cut back on sodium, what could you substitute it with besides MSG, hydrolyzed protein, or the other artificial flavor enhancers? Acidic foods like lemon or white wine vinegar!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Chemically, acidic substances like these lower the pH of the dish. But the effect on your palate is that you notice more of the many flavor components present in that dish. It\u2019s a very common practice by those who cook to just add a wee splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon to savory meals to make the flavors pop out for you and your family. It is a delicious natural alternative to sodium to use as a very healthy flavor enhancer.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Natural Preservatives<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Salt is a flavor enhancer, but it is also a preservative. And one of the main reasons it is added to food products is to make sure they don\u2019t go bad. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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But there are some wonderful natural alternatives to the massive amounts of salt put in our foods. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and E (you\u2019ll see these on labels as ascorbic acid and tocopherol) also prevent bacterial growth. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Chili is a cancer fighter that also makes your nose run!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
In fact, for most of our culinary history prior to refrigeration, herbs and spices were added to foods not to flavor them but to make sure they didn\u2019t spoil. The amazingly delicious herbs with antibacterial properties include rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, hops, cloves, mustard, and allspice. <\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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This also explains why the spiciest foods \u2013 the hottest ones that make you sweat \u2013 are found in the hottest climates. That\u2019s because spices like chilies are loaded with capsaicin, which is strongly antimicrobial. That\u2019s how the traditional spices of cultures like India, Mexico, and southeast Asia increased the safety of their foods but the health and flavor as well!<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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 <\/span>For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Follow @willclower Salt: Good at low doses, bad at high doses For good heart health, we have been coached to limit sodium consumption. This new research report links the massive … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[494],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Qv5g-vg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5754,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=5754","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":0},"title":"Heart Health Hangs A Left: About That Salt","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"All week, we're going off-road to explore heart health along paths you knew were there, but are definitely the road less traveled by conventional sources. Okay, so. The whole salt thing. It's true that too much sodium is bad ... but butting in with a huge BUT is the fact\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/iStock-495329922.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/iStock-495329922.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/iStock-495329922.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/iStock-495329922.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/iStock-495329922.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":361,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=361","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":1},"title":"Barley and Yogurt Soup","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 23, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Serves 8 You\u2019ll Need \u00b7 1 cup barley \u00b7 6 cups chicken broth \u00b7 1 cup onion, chopped \u00b7 \u00bc teaspoon butter \u00b7 3 Tablespoons fresh mint, or 1Tablespoon dried \u00b7 2 Tablespoons parsley, minced \u00b7 Yogurt Directions Place the barley and the broth in a soup kettle and cook\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recipes"","block_context":{"text":"Recipes","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=380"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2666,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2666","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":2},"title":"Foods To Help Lower Blood Pressure","author":"Will Clower","date":"November 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"High blood pressure is not just about the sodium anymore. The factor you can increase \u2026 to decrease \u2026 your blood pressure, turns out to be foods with Potassium.Blood pressure is increased by eating more Sodium (please note: the principle source of Sodium in the U.S. diet comes from processed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2014,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2014","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":3},"title":"Top Ten Worst Foods","author":"Will Clower","date":"August 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"According to the Center For Science In The Public Interest, these are the worst of the worst of the worst.\u00a0Not only should you not buy them ... not only should you not eat them ... you should keep them away from your loved ones!!\u00a0Notice when you look at these that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-VUwi5Vp-Wu8\/TkaMpkl49iI\/AAAAAAAADT4\/lrWJP7TWJII\/s320\/Dont%2BEat.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2240,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2240","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":4},"title":"America’s healthiest mall food","author":"Will Clower","date":"November 29, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Healthy mall food\" isn't an oxymoron!!\u00a0There are actually a few good choices out there. Yes, you practically have to be an\u00a0archeologist\u00a0to find them, but you mainly just have to know where to look.\u00a0Please share this with anyone who will be shopping (and EATING) in the mall.\u00a0This article explores the FEW,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_HAl9r2q_-j0\/TPP4jnRnW_I\/AAAAAAAACzE\/2ZVr7ZbLHjk\/s320\/MallFood%2BCourt.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5928,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=5928","url_meta":{"origin":1938,"position":5},"title":"Shop Healthfully, Even At The Piggly Wiggly. The big, bad three.","author":"Will Clower","date":"March 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Normal grocery stores really do have things you want to put in your mouth. Some of them are produce, some are in cans, some are produced at the grocery store, and others are in bags. But the key to finding them, is to rule out the \"Big, Bad Three\". 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