Week of May 26 - June 1
- Jocelyn Rylee
- May 25
- 3 min read
It's getting to be the super sweaty time of year and you're probably leaking puddles of salt all over the place! Adequate salt intake is crucial for workout performance sure, but it's about way more than just fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps.
Low salt intake ruins your metabolic and even mental health. Low salt diets:
are associated with increased cravings for sugary foods
induce insulin resistance in health subjects (a further 23 studies here)
can induce depression-like symptoms
elevate stress hormones, and causes symptoms that look like anxiety
Don't fall for the "salt is bad" mainstream trope! Salt is performance enhancing and protective of health. There is a toxic white crystal in our diet though and it's SUGAR. Don't blame salt for what the sugar did.
From pubmed:
Hypertension Due to Toxic White Crystals in the Diet: Should We Blame Salt or Sugar?
"The "Salt Hypothesis" is the notion that an increase in salt intake will increase blood pressure and thus increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD),which has been a point of contention for decades. Despite this, numerous health organizations, dietary guidelines, and government policies advocate population-wide salt restriction. However, there is no conclusive proof that restricting salt intake reduces the risk of hypertension (HTN) and/or CVD events; sodium restriction in fact may paradoxically lead to adverse health outcomes. Importantly, another white crystal, sucrose (or table sugar) but also high-fructose corn syrup are much more detrimental food additives. Indeed, added sugars have the ability to induce hypertension via the promotion of inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and obesity. Considering that there is no physiologic requirement for dietary carbohydrate, there is little reason to suspect adverse health consequences from cutting back on sugar. This paper reviews the evidence relating to salt and sugar on HTN and CVD. Based on our review of the scientific literature, guidelines should focus more on reducing sugar rather than salt for the prevention and treatment of HTN and its consequences."
Three decades of controversy over the putative benefits of salt reduction show how the demands of good science clash with the pressures of public health policy
Salt your food and be sure to add some salty delights such as pickles, sauerkraut, or kimchee to your diet. You can also add electrolytes to your water...
...Or make your own electrolyte mix at home using this recipe
Workouts for the Week
Monday May 26
Tuesday May 27
Wednesday May 28
Thursday May 29
Friday May 30
Saturday May 31
Sunday June 1
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