6 Foods With Surprisingly High Amounts of Salt

There are public health organizations for almost every nutrient in the grocery store these days, it seems. One such group is the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which is concerned with getting British residents’ salt intake under control. Currently, the average person takes in 8 grams of salt a day, which is one third more than the daily recommended amount of 6 grams (approx. 1 teaspoon, or 0.2 ounces).

The U.K. government even set a target several years ago for no food product on supermarket shelves to exceed this salt content by December 2017. Now that the end date is approaching, CASH followed up with a study and found that bread is the only foodstuff out of 28 categories that’s even close to meeting the official target of 1.13 grams of salt per 100 grams of food.

Campaign director Katharine Jenner describes salt as a “forgotten killer,” as it’s been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. It is a popular additive in the food industry because it makes otherwise bland food taste delicious, but unfortunately, when eaten in large quantities over a long period, is very unhealthy. CASH estimates that, if adults in the UK were to reduce their salt intake to 6 grams, then 17,500 deaths could be prevented each year.

Credit: Action on Salt

Jenner says: “The findings from our survey are alarming and we are shocked to see that many food manufacturers and retailers are still failing to meet the salt reduction targets, despite having had years to work towards them… With only nine months to go, action must be taken now.” 

Most of us have heard about the high sodium content of prepared meals and snacks, as well as restaurant meals, especially fast food, but there are other lesser-known foods where salt is found in surprisingly high quantities. Here are some salty foods you should know about, outlined by The Guardian:

1. HOT CHOCOLATE

This is an important lesson to learn: Just because something tastes sweet does not mean it has a low salt content. The sugar can mask the salt effectively. One brand of premixed hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows, was found to have a whopping 0.8 grams per 25 gram serving.

2. BREAKFAST CEREAL

A serving of Kellogg’s cornflakes has 0.34 grams of salt, which is the same amount found in its sweeter cereals, like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and Caramel Bites granola. (Interestingly, Cornflakes in the United States are less salty, measuring only 0.24 grams of salt for an equivalent-sized serving.)

3. PRE-PACKED SALADS

A salad from the deli is a surprising source of salt. From The Guardian: “Waitrose’s hot-smoked salmon and potato salad has 1.6g of salt, more than a quarter of your maximum level; Tesco’s chicken and bacon pasta salad contains two servings, each with 2.3g of salt.” Dressings can be salty, too.

4. CHEESE

Maybe this one won’t come as a surprise, but some cheeses are saltier than others, such as feta (2.51 grams of salt per 100 grams) and halloumi (2.71 grams).

5. SAVORY SPREADS

Peanut butter, margarine, cream cheese, hummus and other seemingly-healthy dips can be very salty. Be sure to read the nutrition labels when choosing. In a study from last year, CASH found:

“One of the saltiest hummus products was Tesco’s caramelized onion hummus (1.6g per 100g), while 100g of Marks & Spencer’s version contained 1.53g of salt – more than is found in four packets of ready salted crisps.”

6. ANTIPASTI

Those tasty appetizers that make gatherings classy are unfortunate sources of salt. Olives, anchovies, and cured meats may be enjoyed in small servings, but they pack a salty punch at the same time. “A single fillet is a serving – and contains 9 percent of your daily salt allowance. Have you seen the size of an anchovy fillet? It’s barely bigger than krill.”

When making dietary changes, however, it is important to look at the big picture. Salt should not be singled out as a reason for the health problems of the developed world, since there are other factors, such as excess sugar, fat, and lack of physical exercise.

Please consult a doctor before making any significant dietary changes, especially since salt, in smaller quantities, is required by the human body.

Americans Have Officially Reduced Their Beef Consumption by 19 Percent

Turns out, Americans may be making smart, eco-friendly decisions in the grocery store after all.

The National Resources Defense Council recently released a report on American food consumption, which found that Americans reduced their intake of beef — famously the most carbon-intense food on the planet — by 19 percent between 2005 and 2014. For anyone who cares about the environmental footprint of their food choices, this is decidedly good news.

AMERICA’S CHANGES IN CONSUMPTION

Americans chose to eat a lot less meat in 2014 than they did in 2005. In fact, they ate about ⅕ less meat in the former year than they did in the latter. According to the NRDC, this will result in a huge reduction in carbon emissions from the US. 

“Americans consumed 19 percent less beef, avoiding an estimated 185 MMT of climate-warming pollution or roughly the equivalent of the annual tailpipe pollution of 39 million cars,” the report states.

And it wasn’t just beef that saw decreased consumption. Milk, pork, high-fructose corn syrup and shellfish consumption also went down.

Image via NRDC

The reason behind the shift is still up for debate. According to the New York Times, some industry experts attribute the changes to steeper prices of red meat. Droughts that plagued the region increased the cost of beef, as did increasing rates of export to other countries. Additionally, about one quarter of consumers attested that it was concerns about cholesterol and saturated fat that had them reaching for alternative protein sources.

BEEF VS. ALTERNATIVES

Beef is notoriously horrible for the environment. In addition to the methane gasses released by cattle, numerous other factors make beef an unsustainable option (at least, beef as it is raised today). In order to feed cows, farmers must harvest millions of acres of corn and soy, resource-intensive crops that are often heavily treated with fossil fuel-based pesticides and insecticides. Then, of course, there is the loss of arable land associated with massive Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, often known as CAFOs.

In fact, even just switching from beef to chicken can have a massive positive impact on the environment. In simplified terms, beef production emits 26.45 kilogram equivalents of CO₂ for every 1 kg of beef, which chicken only emits 5.05.

WHAT FOODS TO EAT (AND WHAT FOODS NOT TO EAT) TO SAVE THE PLANET

When it comes to a diet that can improve the state of the planet by reducing carbon emissions, the waters are murky. One thing, however, is certain: Eating mainstream beef is bad for the planet. Swap out beef for plant-based proteins whenever possible, but don’t swap it out for dairy. (In fact, most types of dairy have a C02 emissions rating higher than chicken or pork!). You should also avoid some resource-intensive vegetables, like asparagus (big shocker: asparagus is worse for the planet than chicken!), as much as possible. Here are some swaps you might consider making, according to the EWG:

• Swap out salmon (11.9 kgs carbon emissions) for beans (2 kgs)
• Swap out cheese (13.5 kgs) for eggs (4.8 kgs)
• Swap out pork (12.1 kgs) for tofu (2.0 kgs)
• Swap out turkey (10.9 kgs) for peanut butter (2.5 kgs)
• Swap out canned tuna (6.1 kgs) for lentils (our clear winner at 0.9 kgs)

Finally, eating local should be your first priority if you’re trying to go gentle on planet Earth. Even if you just can’t give up eating a burger once in awhile, you’ll be doing the earth a huge favor by simply choosing a local, grass-fed producer.

“Most beef cattle in the United States today are finished on grain in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs),” states the NRDC report. “Growing this cattle feed (primarily corn and soy) requires large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, which, in turn, require significant inputs of fossil fuels. Alternative models of beef production, such as intensive rotational cattle grazing, can help sequester carbon in the soil and provide numerous other health and environmental benefits compared to CAFOs.”

What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Eating Sugar

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American consumes 156 pounds of added sugar per year.

Did you know that refined sugar is far more addictive than cocaine? Refined sugar is one of the most addictive and harmful substances currently known.  Over 94 % of rats who were allowed to choose between cocaine and sugar water, chose sugar. Even the  rats who were addicted to cocaine switched their preference to sugar. 


Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and titled, Increased sugar uptake promotes oncogenesis via EPAC/RAP1 and O-GlcNAc pathways, researchers addressed a common perception (or misperception) in the cancer research community regarding sugar’s relationship to cancer: namely, “increased glycolysis [sugar based metabolis] is frequently viewed as a consequence of oncogenic events that drive malignant cell growth and survival.”
A new study published in this month’s Physiology & Behavior reports that sugar withdrawal is also linked to impulsive behaviour. Initially, rats were trained to receive water by pushing a lever. After training, the animals returned to their home cages and had access to a sugar solution and water, or just water alone. After 30 days, when rats were again given the opportunity to press a lever for water, those who had become dependent on sugar pressed the lever significantly more times than control animals, suggesting impulsive behavior.

Refined sugar consumption damages health much more than we realize. It suppresses immunity and causes weight gain.
Research has linked sugar consumption to numerous health conditions, including:
• Premature aging
• Various cancers — breast, ovary, prostate, rectum, etc.
• Diabetes
• Digestive problems, including chronic indigestion
• Fatigue and low energy
• Heart disease
• Hyperactivity and concentration problems
• Loss of muscle mass
• Nutritional deficiencies, including decreased ability to absorb calcium and magnesium
• Osteoporosis
• Tooth decay and gum disease
• Yeast infections

What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Eating Sugar

Here are some of the symptoms of sugar hangover

• Fuzzy thinking or foggy mind
• Fatigue or sleepiness after meals
• Gas, bloating or extended stomach after meals
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Skin problems
• Allergy symptoms
• Mood swings

Knowking the symptoms, and preparing to deal with sugar withdrawal, may help you  reduce your sugar intake permanently . But it is important to realize that a craving is NOT the same as hunger.
Craving is not your body’s calling for energy, it is the brain calling for something that releases a lot of dopamine.
You need to be determined and disciplined and here are a few things you can do to help you overcome these cravings:

1. Eat sour foods.  Sour foods, like apple cider vinegar, will naturally curb your cravings for sugar.
2. Eat fermented foods and probiotic beverages. They are  full of beneficial bacteria, which drive out disease-causing bugs that increase our desire for sugar.
3. Keep a bottle of stevia close by. Though stevia is sweet, it is not sugar. It can play a trick on the tongue that will curb your sugar cravings.

Cabbage Juice Cures 100 of Diseases! – Prevent Cancer, Remedy For Constipation

The cabbage is part of the cruciferous family, which includes incredibly healthy foods such as kale, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. The cabbage is known to have several medicinal uses and an endless number of health benefits.

In earlier times before the advent of modern supermarkets, cabbage was widely used by the poorer classes as a cure all for many conditions because it was easy to grow and inexpensive to purchase if you didn’t have a small garden in which to plant it.

Cabbage juice recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small organic red cabbage
• 1-2 organic celery stalks
• 1-2 organic cucumber

Produces 4 glasses of Cucumber, Celery, Red Cabbage Juice

Nutrient dense and delightfully purple cabbage juice recipe consists of red cabbage, cucumber and celery. This cabbage juice recipe is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, Calcium and antioxidants beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. This cabbage juice recipe is low in calories, and low in natural sugars. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and is healthy for your stomach, digestive track, heart and eyes.

Health benefits of cabbage juice

-Cabbage Juice is a great anti-inflammatory agent helping to rid your body of arthritis and other degenerative inflammatory diseases.

-Cabbage is rich in many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are easily and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream when the cabbage is juiced.

-Cabbage juice is exceptionally beneficial for digestive disorders.  It is known to help treat peptic ulcers due to its content of an amino acid known as glutamine.  Glutamine promotes the growth and restoration of the cells that line the digestive tract.  Cabbage juice is also effective in curing digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis.

-Cabbage Juice works wonders for asthma and even bronchitis… boosting the healing ability of your respiratory tract.

-Cabbage Juice boosts the immune system and also works to promote and regulate T cells, and helps in the treatment of allergies because of a chemical called histidine. Glucosinolates which is found in Cabbage Juice also stimulates the immune system.

-Drinking cabbage juice frequently has proven to aid in preventing and fighting various kinds of cancers.  Studies have proven cabbage juice to significantly reduce the risk of contracting breast, prostate, lung, liver, ovarian, and colon cancer.  Cabbage juice is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants which also aid in preventing cancer.

-Adding cabbage juice to your diet may also aid in weight loss, as it inhibits the conversion of sugar and carbohydrates into fat.  Cabbage is also a perfect addition to any weight loss diet because it is significantly low in calories.

-Cabbage Juice also contains lots of magnesium, potassium, calcium, and some sodium too. All important for hormone production, heartbeat regulation, lowering blood pressure, and for good bone development.

-Fermented Cabbage Juice also works well for controlling candida infections.

— If you suffer from a hearing loss the cabbage is a perfect natural remedy. There is a simple recipe and you will need a clean cotton cloth or a cotton swab soaked in brine. Dip the cotton in cabbage juice and place it in the ear prior bedtime. Your hearing will improve soon, if your eardrum is not injured.

Are vegetable oils healthy?

In small amounts, vegetable oils are healthy, as they contain fats that are essential in our diets.

But our consumption of vegetable oil has increased considerably since the 1960s, and the health effects of high intakes are a source of scientific debate.

What researchers agree on is that vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed and soybean oils, are rich in a type of fat known as linoleic acid. That acid can lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol when it replaces saturated fats in the diet (which primarily come from animal sources). 

"An overwhelming amount of data supports using vegetable oil in place of animal fat," said Alice H. Lichtenstein, Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy and Director and senior scientist of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University.

But whether consuming vegetable oils ultimately improves health outcomes seems to be less clear. In observational studies, which don't prove cause and effect but look at relationships between variables such as food consumption and disease, linoleic acid intake is inversely associated with heart disease risk in a dose-response manner.

Those findings don't seem to be the final word on the subject. "The gaps are whether the cholesterol-lowering effects of replacing saturated fats with liquid vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid actually translates to improved heart health and whether unintended consequences of relatively high intakes exist," said Daisy Zamora, epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina.

Her meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials on the topic, published in the BMJ, concluded that although replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils does lower LDL cholesterol, it doesn't necessarily translate into decreased deaths from heart disease.

So where does that leave us in regard to vegetable oils? 

First, it's important to note that vegetable oils are rich in essential fatty acids -- specifically linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid -- that our bodies need but can't make on their own, so we must consume them.

But the amount that is considered adequate is very small. It is just 12 grams of linoleic acid per day for women between the ages of 19 and 50, and 17 grams for men of the same age. The amount drops slightly over the age of 51.

One tablespoon of safflower oil contains 10 grams of linoleic acid -- well over half of our daily needs. The same amount of soybean oil has 7 grams. And because oils are calorie-dense (a tablespoon of oil has 120 calories), too much in the diet can contribute to weight gain and obesity. 

"You don't want to just pour soybean oil on your salad," Lichtenstein said. "To keep the same number of calories, you need to swap out something else, preferably the croutons or a dinner roll, which are usually made with refined white flour."

According to researchers, there is also some evidence that vegetable oils can promote atherosclerosis when the oils are chemically modified in a process known as oxidation. People who have a high oxidative load from, say, smoking or heavy drinking may be more susceptible to this than those with healthier habits, according to Zamora. Repeatedly heating oils for cooking, especially when deep-frying, can cause oxidation of oils. 

Finally, it's important to keep in mind that not all vegetable oils are created equal. For example, olive oil is low in linoleic acid and is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with beneficial effects on health, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Bottom line? There's no need to eliminate vegetable oils from your diet, but be sure to include other heart-healthy foods on your plate such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fatty fish.

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