A discrepancy that I had at the start of my project was whether or not I should be eating salt. I wanted to have only one "exception" to my 100 mile radius rule, and I chose organic, fair-trade tea for several reasons. First, I wanted to have a source of caffeine for long nights of studying and working early in the morning. I am pleased with my decision because I'm very sensitive to caffeine, and coffee is more than I need. In addition, tea has more flavor selection than coffee, and I can also enjoy it at night in decaffeinated varieties. Likewise, by purchasing fair-trade organic tea, I'm still supporting environmentally sustainable practices that are beneficial to actual farmers.
The question still lingered, however, with respect to salt. I was adamant that I shouldn't be consuming any other product that cannot be found within 100 miles of Allegheny College, which ruled out sea salt from the start. My friends and family were extremely helpful and encouraging, and researched various salt mines from within my radius. The problem, however, was that most salt mines were empty from historical ages of use. Small mines were primary sources of salt in ancient times; salt references are even found in the Bible, in which salt is considered a valuable commodity (Morton, 2010). Salts were used not only for culinary purposes, but it was also a crucial preservative as well as an industrial and economic product (Salt Works, 2010). For example, salt was a necessary element in processes like pottery-making, while often acting as a form of money for ancient civilizations, and simultaneously an important component of religious rituals (Salt Works, 2010). The variety of human uses for salt is virtually limitless. Further, humans from past centuries pursued game and wildlife not only for their meat, but also because animals made trails to salt “licks,” and salt could be found by following herds (Morton, 2010). Native Americans also obtained salt from boiling brine from salt springs, or allowing it to evaporate in hotter climates (Salt Works, 2010). Early settlers adopted these practices, while refining the process to obtain a more desirable product (Salt Works, 2010). I was surprised by the heavy dependence humans have historically had on salt, and I feel it adds a deeper, rich layer of analysis to my project, since I am forced to separate from the human-salt relationship.
The question still lingered, however, with respect to salt. I was adamant that I shouldn't be consuming any other product that cannot be found within 100 miles of Allegheny College, which ruled out sea salt from the start. My friends and family were extremely helpful and encouraging, and researched various salt mines from within my radius. The problem, however, was that most salt mines were empty from historical ages of use. Small mines were primary sources of salt in ancient times; salt references are even found in the Bible, in which salt is considered a valuable commodity (Morton, 2010). Salts were used not only for culinary purposes, but it was also a crucial preservative as well as an industrial and economic product (Salt Works, 2010). For example, salt was a necessary element in processes like pottery-making, while often acting as a form of money for ancient civilizations, and simultaneously an important component of religious rituals (Salt Works, 2010). The variety of human uses for salt is virtually limitless. Further, humans from past centuries pursued game and wildlife not only for their meat, but also because animals made trails to salt “licks,” and salt could be found by following herds (Morton, 2010). Native Americans also obtained salt from boiling brine from salt springs, or allowing it to evaporate in hotter climates (Salt Works, 2010). Early settlers adopted these practices, while refining the process to obtain a more desirable product (Salt Works, 2010). I was surprised by the heavy dependence humans have historically had on salt, and I feel it adds a deeper, rich layer of analysis to my project, since I am forced to separate from the human-salt relationship.
The other issue I encountered with local mines was that the salts are used to make processed products like road salt. Further, they are treated with chemicals or blended with salts from other sources. For example, magnesium carbonate was formerly added to household culinary salts as an anti-caking agent, but has now been widely replaced by calcium silicate (Morton, 2010). The mining of processed salts, however, is surprisingly similar to ancient methods of salt production. The three methods include solar evaporation, vacuum evaporation, and rock salt mining (Morton, 2010). In solar production, salt water is captured in shallow ponds, and the sun evaporates the water to form salt (Morton, 2010). This method is only feasible in warm climates where evaporation exceeds precipitation, and would not apply to northwestern Pennsylvania. Vacuum evaporation, on the other hand, uses steam heat in large commercial vacuums to evaporate salt brines, creating what is considered by Morton Salt Company to be their highest quality, purest salt (Morton, 2010). This method also involves mining and processing, and seems to use a great deal of energy in its production, while rock salt mining is similar to that of coal, in which miners enter shafts and manually remove salt deposits (Morton, 2010). Taking into account the vast energy usage and processing of salts, I am happy to have removed this element from my diet.
An important component of this project for me is health and nutrition. I want to prove that this diet is optimally healthy and accessible for the public at large. If I found that I was physically suffering from my lack of salt intake, I intended to modify my standards so that I could include some salt in my diet. In the first few weeks of my project, I felt this was going to have to be necessary. I was often feeling light-headed, dizzy, and weak, and I attributed it to a lack of sodium. The results of excessive sodium intake are well-known, as occurrences of hypertension and stroke have dramatically increased in the United States, but the affects of a lack of sodium are seldom considered (“Salt,” 2004). Sodium is present in every bodily fluid, and is essential for maintaining a proper balance of fluids (“Salt,” 2004). Further, sodium allows the generation of electrical impulses to occur in nerves and muscles, as well as in gradients across cells enabling the uptake of nutrients (“Salt,” 2004). For these reasons, sodium is an essential component of the human diet in small doses (“Salt,” 2004). Salt is the most prominent form of sodium for human nutrition, while other food additives including monosodium glutamate (a flavor enhancer), sodium saccharin (a sweetener), sodium nitrate (a preservative), sodium ascorbate (an antioxidant), and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) are all major sources of sodium as well (“Salt,” 2004). Unfortunately, these are all elements I cannot include in my local diet. Finally, salt is an important source of iodine (“iodized salt”), and is important for this nutritional element as well.
An important component of this project for me is health and nutrition. I want to prove that this diet is optimally healthy and accessible for the public at large. If I found that I was physically suffering from my lack of salt intake, I intended to modify my standards so that I could include some salt in my diet. In the first few weeks of my project, I felt this was going to have to be necessary. I was often feeling light-headed, dizzy, and weak, and I attributed it to a lack of sodium. The results of excessive sodium intake are well-known, as occurrences of hypertension and stroke have dramatically increased in the United States, but the affects of a lack of sodium are seldom considered (“Salt,” 2004). Sodium is present in every bodily fluid, and is essential for maintaining a proper balance of fluids (“Salt,” 2004). Further, sodium allows the generation of electrical impulses to occur in nerves and muscles, as well as in gradients across cells enabling the uptake of nutrients (“Salt,” 2004). For these reasons, sodium is an essential component of the human diet in small doses (“Salt,” 2004). Salt is the most prominent form of sodium for human nutrition, while other food additives including monosodium glutamate (a flavor enhancer), sodium saccharin (a sweetener), sodium nitrate (a preservative), sodium ascorbate (an antioxidant), and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) are all major sources of sodium as well (“Salt,” 2004). Unfortunately, these are all elements I cannot include in my local diet. Finally, salt is an important source of iodine (“iodized salt”), and is important for this nutritional element as well.
Taking into account the essential nature of sodium in the human diet, I do not think my local foods diet could be maintained without the addition of salt. I feel that I will be able to complete my three month “trial” without any adverse health effects, but it could not be sustained for the rest of my life. I thought that I would get used to not having any salt in my diet, but I find that I still yearn for its flavor. For example, I made chicken soup last week that was delicious, but the lack of salt was truly evident and would have been greatly enhanced by even a small addition of salt. It has been interesting, however, to experience common flavors (in the case of my soup, the blend of carrots, onions, chicken, and broth) without the “cloud” that salt creates in masking them, though I do not feel the flavors are “better” without salt. I feel that my project has been important, however, in identifying the massive excess of salt in the American diet. It has been incredibly difficult to locate foods that contain no salt, without even taking into account the added salts for flavor. My project has proven that not only are salts in this quantity not necessary for nutrition, but they are also relied upon too heavily for flavor. I have eaten a wide variety of delicious foods for the last two months without any salt whatsoever, and this should be considered as a healthy option especially for those with hypertension. Finally, considering the environmental implications of salt production, I feel that salt consumption should be done minimally, in accordance with the small doses needed for optimal nutrition. I am happy to have removed salt from my diet for my three-months of strictly local foods, but I intend to locate a salt source that utilizes minimal processing for my personal consumption after December 1st has arrived.
Works Cited
Morton Salt. (2010). “Salt Through the Ages.” Morton Salt. October 31, 2010.
<http://www.mortonsalt.com/saltfacts/salt_history.htm>.
*Given the nature of this source, I took their information “with a grain of salt,” in order to eliminate potential bias for their product.
“Salt (sodium chloride), and how it affects your health.” (Sep. 12, 2004). Medical News Today.
October 31, 2010. < http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13273.php>.
Salt Works. (2010). “History of Salt.” Salt Works. October 31, 2010.
Molly, Thoughtful research. The absence of salt from your diet is particularly acute because you exercise a lot resulting in high losses of sodium. Keep it up and you would do damage to your system. I can understand your internal drive to continue saltless to prove you can do it, but your plight reminds me of "Supersize me!" Makes for a great story, but the health of the participant began to deteriorate. How do you justify continued saltlessness?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point - I hadn't thought of how my project compares to "supersize me," but they're definitely similar. I'm continuing my saltlessness until I "can't go any longer." At this point it hasn't adversely affected my exercise regimen or my daily life to any great extent, with the exception of occasional light-headedness. Now that I know the absence of salt in my life can actually cause harm, however, I'm not as staunchly opposed to reintroducing it. Before conducting this research, I would have felt like eating salt again would be a failure, and that I would be cheating myself and my project. I've now realized that making this diet optimally healthy is of the utmost concern, and I'll act accordingly. In the meantime, Americans tend to consume sodium in excessive amounts, and my project can act as an example of healthy alternative.
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