Can you pass the herbs?

Saturday is More Herbs, Less Salt Day. It may seem silly to celebrate, but salt is taking a huge toll on our bodies and it’s time to put a stop to it.

Around November of last year, I stopped cooking with salt. My salt shaker ran empty and I simply decided to no longer buy salt to cook with. I’m sure you’re asking: But where’s the flavor?! Well, I decided to compensate with extra herbs. Black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and dried italian seasoning became the best cooking companions! Eight to nine months later and I don’t even recognize the absence of salt in my cooking.

Sure, I enjoy snacks and meals that I haven’t cooked that contain salt, but for the most part, I try to avoid too much sodium.

Why is excess sodium bad?

Your body removes unwanted fluid by filtering blood through your kidneys. The extra fluid is then deposited through your urine. (Tmi? Sorry, but everybody pees.) Your kidneys then use osmosis to draw the excess water out of your blood.

Eating foods with a high amount of salt raises the amount of sodium in your bloodstream and destroys your body’s balance of sodium and potassium. This can cause difficulty for your kidneys when trying to remove fluid, resulting in your body retaining water and making you feel swollen and bloated.

So that’s why I can’t get my rings off after I eat pizza!

Excess salt can also result in clogged arteries and high blood pressure. None of that sounds fun.

Afraid of going “saltless?”

Here are a few recipes to try out for your first salt free meals:

Vegan Friendly:

Polenta Pizza

Mushroom Pizza

Arrabiata Pasta Sauce

What’s your favorite salt-free meal?