June 2024

Happy summer! This is your friendly reminder to get outside, get your feet on the earth, and to eat locally and seasonally! This month we will be talking about the importance of salt and hydration. Don’t forget to check out the 3 upcoming events at the bottom of this email.

This Month’s Resources

Why You Need Salt

Sodium is an essential nutrient and is needed by the body to maintain a balance of body fluids and keep muscles and nerves running smoothly. Salt, when consumed in appropriate amounts as part of a balanced diet, offers several benefits to the body:

  1. Electrolyte Balance: Salt (sodium chloride) is crucial for maintaining the body’s electrolyte balance, which is essential for proper nerve and muscle function.
  2. Hydration: Sodium helps regulate the body’s water balance. Consuming salt in moderation can help prevent dehydration by promoting fluid retention.
  3. Nutrient Absorption: Salt plays a role in the absorption of certain nutrients in the small intestine, such as chloride, amino acids, glucose, and water.
  4. Digestion: Adequate salt intake stimulates the production of saliva and digestive enzymes, aiding in the breakdown of food.
  5. Nerve Function: Sodium ions are essential for nerve impulse transmission, allowing for communication between nerves and muscles.
  6. Blood Pressure Regulation: While excessive salt intake can raise blood pressure in some individuals, moderate salt consumption is important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
  7. Preservation: Historically, salt has been used as a natural preservative for food, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and helping to prevent spoilage.

Learn more about salt in a 5 part video series here!

The Importance of High Quality Salt

You might remember our email last June that talked about Redmond’s Real Salt, known for being free of micro-plastics, sugar, anti-caking agents, and other chemicals. Although we love Redmond’s we found the spreadsheet and graphs below to be very interesting. It compares different salts and measures the amount of heavy metals and micro-plastics in each one. We loved what we saw with Vera Salt and decided to make the switch.

About Vera Salt

“Vera Salt was founded in response to a society in which it is ever more difficult to find clean and healthy ingredients. These days, environmental toxins are present everywhere we look. They’re in the food, the water, and even something as basic as cooking salt. Avoiding these poisons requires diligence in reading nutrition labels and staying up to date on the latest research studies.

We were shocked to find that 90% of sea salt is contaminated with microplastics due to the pollution of our oceans. Scientists have even found microplastics in human blood and the placentas of unborn babies. While definitive evidence linking microplastic consumption to human health is currently lacking, results from correlative studies suggest that effects of microplastics could include provoking immune and stress responses and inducing reproductive and developmental toxicity. 

Many have turned to using Himalayan or other colored salts as an alternative, but are unaware that the reddish color of this salt comes from the presence of iron oxide, aka rust. These salts can also contain other heavy metals and contaminants as well. Consumption of iron oxide and other heavy metals can lead to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

We set out to find the highest purity cooking salt with beneficial minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium and lab-tested for microplastics, heavy metals, and other additives.”

Buy Vera Salt

We loved this salt so much we decided, why not get a discount code for ourselves, subscribers, clients, students, friends, and family? You all deserve the best! Use the code AY108 at checkout for 10% off.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. They are essential for various physiological functions, including nerve function, muscle contraction, hydration, and balancing the body’s pH levels. 

Our favorite is True Electrolytes by True Nutrition! These electrolytes contain the optimal ratio of electrolytes: 1g of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium for optimal cell and nerve functionality. Enjoy a scoop on training days, or whenever you need a boost of hydration. Use the code AYN230 for 5% off.

Our next choice would be Sol Salts by Sol Supplements.  Each serving contains 728mg of sodium, 457mg of potassium, and 18mg of magnesium.

Events

We have 3 upcoming events!