Salt is the essence of life. Over the centuries it's been gifted to Kings and Queens. Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba were well familiar with it as a beauty enhancer. Wars were fought over it, islands invaded, Indians or Africans forced to mine the it for European countries. Sayings were attributed to its benefits. "You are the salt of the Earth," meant you were beyond good. "Take it with a grain of salt" was to practice preventive medicine. It was high praise to be said you were "worth your salt". The word salary comes from the word salt as Roman soldiers were given salt as part of their pay. In fact Hippocrates and other healers bathed their patients in salt water as part of the healing ritual. The Chinese, always up on natural healing, were using it in medicine in 2700 BCE. What's the point? The point is it is one of the most vital elements for your health, has gotten a bad rap the last several years, and as a result, in the name of "health", many people are avoiding the thing that they need the most. Salt, in its natural form, is harvested in one of two ways, either the evaporation method or underground mining. In the evaporation method, ocean water is allowed to flood shallow basins. When the water evaporates, the crystal left behind is harvested. This is unrefined and is mainly used in cosmetics and bath products for its healing and therapeutic benefits. Underground mining produces rock salt, which is generally considered not to have the healing properties of sea salt. The kind you use normally for cooking is refined through heating, stripping of minerals and the addition of iodine. Iodine was added in the 1920's as a way to combat iodine deficiency that was showing up in Americans, particularly in the Northwest, and in the Great Lakes area. It worked to cure iodine deficiency, but this over processed salt started the health risks we are experiencing today. You want salt as natural as possible. But, as in most nutritional foods today, you need to be sure what you are buying is actually pure. Unfortunately, not everything labeled pure actually is. Even labels in health food stores are not totally accurate. Read the labels, and buy from a reputable dealer. Also, know what you will be using it for. Sea salt for eating is different from the best sea salt for bathing, healing purposes. To season food, look for a moist, clumpier salt, usually more gray than white in color (think the exact opposite of the white, "when it rains it pours" Morton table salt). Celtic sea salts, coming from France are generally your best bet. For your bath, beauty or healing needs look for Dead Sea salts. Cleopatra was so enamored with Dead Sea salt that she secured exclusive rights to the Dead Sea area, establishing production areas for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Dead Sea salts work wonders on health issues, especially hard to heal psoriasis. Again, pay attention to what you are buying, and make your purchase from a reputable dealer. Salt is the essence of life itself. Every living person, plant, animal on earth needs salt. They just need the right kind. They need it the way it was meant to be, in its natural state. So be kind to yourself and your body. Throw out your table salt, and replace it with sea salt. You'll be glad you did.
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