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Salt and Pepper

LilEarthMuffinLilEarthMuffin Raw Newbie

Hello :)

Just wanted to ask some questions about salt and pepper.

I know that using organic salt and pepper is best, the kind that you grind yourself.

I know that you should avoid adding too much salt to your diet, but is adding to much pepper to say a yummy advocado hurtful?

What brands of salt/pepper do you guys keep in your pantry?

If im correct salt/pepper are not raw, correct?

Thanks

Comments

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    "We have a saying in the raw community about this: "If you can't make a meal of it, it is suspect at best." So, can you eat a bowl of cumin? Of course not. These spices are referred to as "excito-toxins," in that they stimulate and excite our taste buds, but deliver no nutritional benefit. In most cases they act as an irritant and cause the body to produce mucous to protect itself from them. In other cases, they disguise the bland or noxious taste of cooked foods to seduce us into consuming foods that would not attract us on their own. Cooked pasta and rice without seasonings, are bland and virtually inedible. Finally, like salt, the spices skew our taste buds away from appreciating the natural taste of fruits and vegetables on their own. The same holds true for condiments such as mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise."

    after i went low-fat raw vegan i gave up salt. after a week on the diet i gave in and ate some cooked food with a bunch of salt. i woke up the next morning extremely puffy feeling like i had a hangover. it's poison. after you give up spices and quit deadening your taste buds, you will be able to taste the true flavors of fruits and veggies. it takes a little bit of time, like any addiction but once you do quit salt and spices you will never want to put that poison in your body ever again. anything that needs salt or spices to be palatable shouldn't be eaten.

    hope this helps :)

  • LilEarthMuffinLilEarthMuffin Raw Newbie

    that was really helpful thanks :)

    so you would reccomend avoiding freshly ground pepper - i dont want to bloat up or anything

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    glad i could help! i wouldn't recommend any kind of spice or additive except for fresh cilantro, fresh dill, fresh mint, fresh basil, or fresh parsley.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Mikfizzle~ Salt can cause some people to bloat.... Pepper does NOT...

    Himalayan Salt used in moderation should be fine as you wean away if that's YOUR desire... Here is more info for you to digest... smile

    Dr. Jacques de Langre, Ph.D., who wrote the book "Seasalt

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Mikfizzle~ I decided you might like the rest of the information as I too found it most informative... Good Luck!!!

    Caraway seed is a carminative. Carminatives are spices that help to ameliorate gastrointestinal pain, and associated gas pain. The volatile oil of caraway may also be a useful remedy for bowel spasms.

    Coriander seed may be helpful in easing gastrointestinal symptoms. Many modern herbalists follow the ancient traditionalists in specifically recommending coriander for indigestion and diarrhea. Coriander is also used as an ingredient in some laxative preparations in order to counteract their harsh effects on the stomach.

    # As a "carminative," coriander seed may gently ease intestinal gassiness and bloating. coriander has long had a reputation for easing flatulence and relieving the painful cramps that can accompany it.

    # Revive appetite. Another therapeutic application for coriander seed is to stimulate a flagging appetite, which it apparently does by enhancing stomach function. Germany's Commission E, which has summarized the uses of hundreds of herbs, approves coriander as a remedy for loss of appetite.

    It is probably not just for taste alone that cumin has made it into the stellar ranks of Indian, Middle Eastern and Mexican cooking. This ordinary looking seed is anything but ordinary when it comes to health benefits.

    Iron for Energy and Immune Function

    Cumin seeds, whose scientific name is Eugenia caryophyllus, are a very good source of iron, a mineral that plays many vital roles in the body. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Additionally, iron is instrumental in keeping your immune system healthy. Iron is particularly important for menstruating women, who lose iron each month during menses. Additionally, growing children and adolescents have increased needs for iron, as do women who are pregnant or lactating.

    Seeds of Good Digestion

    Cumin seeds have traditionally been noted to be of benefit to the digestive system, and scientific research is beginning to bear out cumin's age-old reputation. Research has shown that cumin may stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, compounds necessary for proper digestion and nutrient assimilation.

    Cancer Prevention

    Cumin seeds may also have anti-carcinogenic properties. In one study, cumin was shown to protect laboratory animals from developing stomach or liver tumors. This cancer-protective effect may be due to cumin

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    waterbaby: i'm really sorry, but a lot of what you put up doesn't make sense.

    salt is not a necessary element. sodium from fruits and veggies like celery and tomatoes are sufficient and are usable for the body.

    "Extracted sodium chloride, in any form other than the small amounts naturally occurring in whole plant foods, is an irritant and is toxic to the body. It causes a decay of the sense of taste, retards digestion/excretion, and impairs the critical cellular potassium/sodium ratio upsetting our natural water balance. Drinking sea water causes dehydration and results in death in only a few days due to the salt content; extracting the salt from the water and ingesting it leads in the same direction. "You would not drink ocean water, as the salt in it is vile, caustic, irritating and in quantity, deadly, even though it is diluted by a lot of water."

    "Our bodies clearly reject salt. Put salt in an open wound and it will burn painfully. Drink salt water and you'll throw it up. Put salt on a slug, which lacks protective skin, and its body will "melt" from dehydration because it uses the water in its body in an attempt to dilute the burning substance.

    Salt is such an effective killer that it was once used as a form of suicide by the Chinese (1).

    We Can Have Too Much Salt, But We Need Saline

    The body needs saline to function, but we must make a distinction between extracted sodium chloride salt, which is an irritant, toxic, and deadly (1) if consumed in high quantities, and the sodium and other salts that occur naturally in whole plant foods.

    The latter is a nutrient important to every cell in the body, and eating celery, tomatoes, and other vegetables gives us the organic salts and other minerals out bodies need in just the right amounts and combinations.

    Cells rely on a regulated ratio of extracellular sodium and intracellular potassium, and when this is thrown out of whack it seriously compromises bodily functions.

    There are plenty of expensive salts out there. Some is mined from the dead sea or the Himalayas. Raw food gurus hawk the stuff to make a quick buck, but the nutritional claims they make about it are false.

    They'll tell you that you need extracted minerals to meet the deficiencies of modern life. We need many minerals, but we need them in the quantities and the form in which they occur naturally in whole food so they are a benefit and not a burden to our system. This is similar to how we need vitamins, but they're harmful to us when extracted in pill form. "

    ANYTHING THAT STIMULATES ISN'T HEALTHY. you have plenty of gastric juices to break down the foods you're eating as long as your food combining correctly. spices, including pepper, are not healthy. if there is any kind of alert, it's bad! it promotes sweating and urination because your body is trying to get rid of it! it's toxic, it doesn't belong in the body!

  • "If you can't make a meal of it, it is suspect at best." So, can you eat a bowl of cumin? Of course not. These spices are referred to as "excito-toxins," in that they stimulate and excite our taste buds, but deliver no nutritional benefit."

    Kelly, what you are saying is of great interest to me, but I think I disagree. I'm not sure how I feel about salt, and have been slowly eliminating it from my diet, but I think that most spices are beneficial to the body and not irritants/lack nutritional. I'm not sure I would ever make a meal of mint leaves in the wild, but I'm sure I would happily pick a few leaves to munch just as I do now when I'm working in my garden. I truly believe that plants, including and especially herbs, are nature's gift to humans and other animals to help us heal. Isn't it fantastic that a desert plant like aloe grows where people are most likely to suffer from sunburn? So while I'm not sure what the deal is with salt, I think that fresh herbs and properly dried herbs can play an important and health-giving role in the human diet.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    hi parsely! i agree that some fresh herbs are great, but not for healing purposes. i occasionally eat fresh cilantro. i love it plain, but i would never eat or use dried coriander spice.

    i don't believe in any medicine of any kind; herbal, holistic, homeopathic, conventional, ayurveda, etc. the body has everything it needs to heal. if everyone ate healthy then we would only need doctors for trauma related injuries. there are no miracle herbs or magic potions. people mistake the use of herbs, medicines, superfoods, etc. as the creator of health and the cure for sickness when actually it's the body that is healing itself. in any cases where healing is observed from herbs or medications or treatment, it is usually that the patient is resting and that the body is able to use it's energies to heal. it's really not anything to do with the medications or herbs or whatever is being used. nothing can heal the body better than the body. anything else put in the body just means that our bodies have to work that much harder to cleanse themselves. we are self-healing organisms. we just need the proper rest, environment and nourishment so that our bodies have the energy to heal themselves.

    some people will say that home/herbal remedies like cranberry will work for urinary tract infections, or ginger will help with digestion, but if they are indeed eating the proper nourishing diet then they wouldn't be getting any disease that needed to be healed.

    we have to stop relying on medicines, herbs, superfoods, colonics, treatments, etc. and take responsibility for our health. it would be an amazing world if everyone knew that the best kind of health care was your own body caring for itself! everyone can afford that because it's free!

  • Well, I believe that herbs come in great handy with helping to balance hormones and cure infections. I agree that healing comes from within the body, but isn't it great that ginger tea helps pregnant women deal with the hormone spikes that are a natural part of pregnancy, that aloe reduces the swelling and pain of sunburns, that a pinch of cinnamon sprinkled on a cut reduces pain and the chance of infection, and that chamomile, garlic, or a myriad of other herbs are antibacterials that can fight infections? Even the healthiest body can become weakened by an injury and may need our plant friends to help fight it off. I'm not sure how I feel about spicing food, as I feel that many people overuse spices, but I feel very strongly that herbs are our healing allies, one of nature's many gifts to help humans survive and thrive.

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I love herbs and I use sea salt in several things. Overloading on salt is never good but our body DOES need some and if you don't get it from celery or some other sodium high food than a pinch here and there is not a problem. Remember if it's something that you're body is telling you you need than don't deprive it.......keep things in moderation though for sure.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    your body can't use sodium from extracted sodium chloride. it is an inorganic form of sodium, our bodies can only utilize organic forms of vitamins and minerals from whole foods. you really don't need that much sodium. eat a little celery and/or tomato every week and your fine. if you have to keep something in moderation then it should not be in the diet. if something is lethal in large does it should not be used in moderation.

    if you're using salt for flavor i recommend chopping up celery into really fine pieces and putting it on whatever you're trying to salt. works great in guacamole.

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I disagree with your logic kelly. There are many things in a diet that should be eaten in moderation.......avocados, mango etc. I can't eat a ton of avocados because they're really rich so I eat them in moderation.....mangoes are very sweet so I can only eat them in moderation as well.

    If you work out and sweat while doing it then you have to replenish your body with sodium. Sure, celery might be alright but I honestly can't stomach celery and the flavor makes me gag. I'm satisfied with adding small amounts of salt to my guacamole.

  • RawKarateGirlRawKarateGirl Raw Newbie

    I belive that if God made it, then he made it for a purpose and we should enjoy it.

  • RawKarateGirlRawKarateGirl Raw Newbie

    I also belive that are body's need a little salt,pepper,and herbs. just don't eat a lot of it, but a little is ok.

  • J AJ A

    God has made thousands of living things we shouldn't eat - poisonous plants that will kill you after just one bite. I find it extremely interesting to study how His creations behaves; evolution is the story of attack and defense, re-told a zillion times. There are plants whose defence capability is so lethal we better not touch them - and that, too, is something God thought was good. The whole range is there - from lethally poisonous plants to wonderfully nutritious fruits. All we need to do is find out which we should eat, and in which amounts. Everything that grows (with the notable exception of ripe fruits & berries) is poisonous, only in various degrees. Evolution shows two ways to deal with it; either develop resistence for some particularly common plant poisons in your food (as is the case with, say, cows and grass) or do as our human ancestors and eat a great variety of foods, a little of each so you don't risk getting enough poisons to affect you in an adverse way. Ripe fruit is a wonderful exception as it actually wants to be eaten - the only plant to do so. Then again, mammals and fruits evolved at around the same time, benefiting from each other. The only problem is - God created the fruits, but man decided they weren't sweet enough...

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    lulushka-I love what you said about tasting the food in it's naked form. and I love food in it's naked form but putting a few foods together(salad for example) doesn't necessarily take from that. I eat many mono meals but some times I like to make a salad or salsa and adding other things like herbs and spices don't take away from the naked form but just enhance it for me.

    I love that salt can bring another aspect to foods and I think it's lovely for our mind and souls to have it when we like to. Just like honey.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    rawkarategirl- hi! i agree with JA, there are poisonous plants, so would you eat them because god created them? i wrote a little something a while ago when one of my friends told me that i was going against god by not eating the meat from the animals he provided me. i'm agnostic, i think everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe, but i also think it's dangerous when people believe that the earth belongs to humankind. i hear time and again that god created this earth and everything on it for us, we are the caretakers of the earth, etc. i feel it's a little egocentric. if we were the caretakers of the earth we are doing an awful job, we're destroying it. if we keep using everything on this earth because we think that god created it for us then we will have nothing left.

    the world does not revolve around humans

    humans have this mentality that the earth was created for us and we can do what we want with it. this is dangerous thinking! the world was not created just for us. we share this planet. we all have a purpose. everything on this earth has a purpose. just like bees pollinate plants, or fungus recycles nutrients into trees, we have a purpose. being frugivores (our natural species-specific diet), our purpose I believe, was to spread the seeds of the fruit tree. we as a species are no more important than any other creature we share this planet with. nothing is here to serve us, we are here to serve the earth.

    sorry i know this is a little off the topic of salt haha, but i just want people to be more aware of a bigger picture.

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    YEAH WATERBABY!!!!!!!!

    Thanks for that great post!!

    having asthma and being told by my holistic lady that I was extremely low on minerals, I know the importantance of sea salt, I wont ever let that go. It has improved my life so much and brought me back to life!

  • RawKarateGirlRawKarateGirl Raw Newbie

    Kelly- hello, I think you should do what's best for your body, if you feel sick after eating,herbs,pepper, and salt, don't eat it. Are bodys are so different and we should do what we feels best. Nobody should tell you what's best for your body because they have no clue what you need and feel. I belive that God made plants to eat and plants to just look at and enjoy. Do what you feel is right.

  • emtpdmomemtpdmom Raw Newbie

    Kelly -- Would you mind posting the source (URL) for the above comments.

  • ras-saadonras-saadon Raw Newbie

    I'm not sure on this one at all, even before I gone raw I was about 3 years with salt-free vegan diet, then when I gone raw I heard about celtic sea salt, Himalayan salt, though I'll give it a try, and for 4 months now I use it in small amount in my salads, can't feel a change for the better or worse in health.

    I do know of a nomads community in Africa that live in a harsh desert environment and have little food, because of that they harvest&use salt, and according to some recent research's without salt scientists think they would have many health problems because of lacks, also many jungle animals use salt deposits that jungle elephant dig, there are many photos of animals licking chunks of salt or elephants pumping in with their trunk salt-water, so I don't know, I think if you use it in moderation it should be fine, listen to your body.

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    Mikfizzle I use Real Salt. http://www.realsalt.com I eliminated table salt a couple decades ago, due to the additives. When I occasionally now have foods that are salted with regular table salt (as when socializing) I have woke the next day puffy, and my arthritis is aggravated. I do not have that problem with the Real Salt. It is similar to Himalayan salt, just comes from a different location. Both are ancient deposits of sea salt. Sea salt that is modern harvested (fresh, rather than ancient deposits) is exposed to all the pollutants in our oceans, and waterways. Ancient deposits are from before pollution.

    The body does need salt. If you choose for yourself to forgo adding salt to your food, do be sure you include sodium rich foods, such as celery, as has been stated.

    Waterbaby Thank you for that marvelous post! Fascinating to read. :~)

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    here are some good points people on another site brought up about "healing" with herbs:

    "As to ginger 'curing' a stomach ache, NH'ists would explain that in the following way: the ginger is toxic and 'distracts' the body from the eliminating/inflammation symptoms (the stomach ache). Other processes are put on hold whilst the body is taken up with dealing with the new invader. So it may appear to 'cure', but isn't curing at all."

    "all it is is 'green' allopathy. there is a reason to their effects and claimed 'cures'. covering up symptoms, not addressing or eliminating causes."

    "Drugs, herbs, etc. can be toxic to the body. When the body is in a diseased state, it it desperately trying to clean house. Things have gotten out of hand and the normal eliminative channels are overburdened so it is storing it elsewhere or eliminating it through not so traditional channels. Introducing a new toxin to the body be it a drug or an herb will STOP this cleansing process and give it something new to deal with and try to eliminate. That's why drugs seem to "work". They are not working, the body just has a new emergency to deal with."

    http://arawconnection.ning.com/forum/topics/herbalism-vs-natural-hygeine

    using herbs is kind of like using prescription drugs to heal. now i'm not saying that herbs are as bad as prescription drugs, i'm just saying the principles are the same.

    we need to stop relying on outside sources for healing and take our health into our own hands. our bodies have everything they need to heal. if we get an upset stomach from improper food combining, we learn real fast how important food combining is. we live with the discomfort and we learn. if we get an upset stomach from improper food combining and eat ginger, it's the same principle as taking an antacid for indigestion. it's trying to get rid of a symptom, without removing the source of the problem.

    i'm not telling anyone what to eat. i'm just presenting all this so everyone can make informed decisions.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Pixx and Blue_Eyes~ YOU both are most welcome!!! smile

    Here is a little more info to digest~

    Health Benefits of Sodium

    Sodium is an important electrolyte and an essential ion present in the extra cellular fluid (ECF). The health benefits of sodium play a pivotal role in enzyme operation and muscle contraction. It is important for osmoregulation and fluid maintenance of the human body. Other health benefits of sodium include heart performance, nervous system and glucose absorption.

    Sodium is the predominant ion and electrolyte, needed for the blood regulation in the human body. Serious impairment is caused due to the abrupt dysfunctioning of sodium. It is a versatile element and occurs in more than eighty forms. As an electrolyte, it regulates the body fluid and transmits electrical impulse in the body. Unlike minerals and vitamins, heat has no effect on sodium. Thus, it can be used for heat resistive processes. Also, it is an important constituent of nerves and helps in muscle contraction.

    Though, sodium is an essential nutrient in the balanced diet, it also causes stomach cancer and hypertension. Those who are suffering from kidney problems and edema should strictly restrict the consummation of sodium in their daily diet.

    Thus, sodium is the vital component in the human diet for the correct regulation of cells and nerves in the human body. Supplemental dosage of sodium is necessary during excessive perspiration, sunstroke and adrenal insufficiency. As it is regularly excreted through urine, it does not pose life threatening risks.

    Deficiency Symptoms: Recommended intake value of sodium is 120mg/day. But its deficiency can be harmful, as it directly attacks the nervous system of human body. In general, it leads to

    * Diarrhea

    * Vomiting

    * Headache

    * Weakness

    * Low blood pressure

    * Lethargy

    * Weight loss

    * Confusion

    * Dizziness

    * Muscular irritability

    Overdose of sodium causes high blood pressure, swelling of brain nerves and cerebral edema. If it worsens, it can even lead to comma.

    Reduction in the amount of sodium also reduces the fat accumulated in the periphery. It also elevates the chances of lung infection. Sodium present in plasma provides ninety percent base to the body. Depletion of sodium layer is an invitation to diseases that can cause exhaustion, exertion and mental apathy.

    Important Sources: Some of the important sources of sodium are apple, common salt, homemade soups, cabbage, egg yolks, pulses, bananas. Even, carrot, baking powder and baking soda, turnips, leafy vegetables and dried peas are some of the essential sources. Processed cheese, smoked fish and salty meats, snacks, pickles and sauce contains ample amount of sodium.

    Benefits: Generally sodium is present in very little quantity in almost every natural food. When it is added in form of common salt, it not only increases the flavor but also completes the necessary requirement of balanced diet. The health benefits of sodium include:

    * Water Balance: Sodium is one of those minerals, which helps to maintain water level in the human body. Sodium and water balance are very interdependent. It pumps water in the cell and regulates the amount of extra cellular fluid in the body.

    * Sunstroke: It is caused due to the failure of heat regulating system of the human body. This heat exhaustion is caused due to continuous exposure to very high temperature due to which the body loses its capacity to maintain the normal temperature. This condition is further aggravated due to the loss of salt and water from the body. Thus, Sodium plays a vital role in preventing sun stroke or heat prostration by replacing the loss of essential electrolytes. Besides water, drinking fluids containing salt and sugar is favorable against sunstroke. Salt can also be mixed with the drink of raw mangoes to provide more relief. It is very important for ultra endurance athletes.

    * Brain function: Brain is very sensitive to the change in sodium level of the body, which often leads to confusion and lethargy. Sodium aids in keeping the mind sharp. It is an important element for development of brain. Sodium facilitates the improvement of brain functions.

    * Muscle cramps: These are caused mostly during the hot summer months, due to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Thus, apart from proper hydration of the body, it is also important to supplement one

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    troubles-it is not my logic. it is chemistry. the body cannot use minerals in inorganic substances. i understand that salt tastes good and a lot of people are addicted to it, but there should be no reason to mislead people to think that salts from inorganic sources build health. please understand everyone, that i'm not telling you to quit eating salt, i'm just giving you the information so that you can make your own decision.

    "Please understand these facts:

    1. Minerals are inorganic as they exist naturally in the soil and water.

    2. Minerals are organic as they exist in plants and animals.

    3. Only plants can transform inorganic minerals into organic minerals.

    4. Animals must eat plants or plant-eating animals to obtain their organic minerals.

    5. Inorganic minerals are useless and injurious to the animal organism."

    http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/minerals/organic-and-inorganic-minerals.html

    here is a great article on salt written by david klein from http://livingnutrition.com/article_samples/salt.html:

    "Avoid all salt

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