We are used to thinking that craving for sweets is the most common problem among people who are trying to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. But as research shows, Americans are lovers of salt. They consume twice as much salt as is necessary for a healthy diet. Various salted foods like chips, crackers, salted caramel, and salted popcorn take up a huge share of food products.
Therefore, if you ate one of the salt lovers, pay attention to what you will eat during the day and what taste preferences you have.
Scientists argue that craving for salty as well as for sweet can be transmitted at the genetic level. Studies have shown that each person has unique taste receptors, and the same product can cause different reactions in different people.
Therefore, some people like sweet taste, others bitter, and some salty. We all know that excessive consumption of sugar is harmful to our health, so we try to exclude it from our diet by replacing unhealthy sweet foods with natural ones. We can find sweet taste in fruits or berries. But lovers of salt are looking for taste in the salt and add it to excess in every dish.
But, in most cases, the craving for salt is a consequence of the low level of calcium in your body. The imbalance of minerals causes a desire to replenish their supply, and your body sends a signal to the brain that the body needs salt. You start looking for salty food assuming that it is a need that you cannot handle. After you eat another portion of salt, your brain calms down, but unfortunately, this does not last long. After some time, you are again looking for salt, because the sodium level remained in the same place, and you did not solve the root of the problem. You only removed the symptoms for a short time.
As a result, you become addicted to salty foods. Also, it solves addiction to her taste and you cannot feel other tastes. It seems to you that food is tasteless if there is no salt in it. As a result, you eat salt in large quantities, adding it even to desserts.
The food industry is also to blame for the fact that Americans consume a lot of salt. Food manufacturers use salt to enhance flavor. Such an additive does not require large financial costs, and this makes it the most popular food supplement in food production. Crushed salt is used as a preservative, which extends the shelf life of food. Salty food retains its taste longer, which is beneficial to the manufacturer.
Each addiction can be defeated if you put a little effort into it. If you are embarrassed that you cannot eat without adding salt, then take action.
- Slowly replace salt with spices. They have a rich smell, which makes the food more delicious. You will learn to appreciate their taste and stop needing a salty taste.
- Change your taste habits gradually. If you give up the salty taste sharply, this can lead to a breakdown. So take your time.
- Drink electrolytes during workouts. Perhaps you lose salt when you sweat, and your body tries to restore it.
- Add fresh and unprocessed foods to your diet. They saturate you with essential microelements and balance the minerals in your body.
- Eat fully. If you follow the rules of a strict diet with restrictions, then maybe you have a shortage of some kind of mineral.
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