The salt of life

For today, I’ve decided once again to answer e-mails from my readers.

For my answers on their queries, I to Jeanne Jones’ Eating Smart, ABCs of the New Food Literary.

My first e-mail is from Ricci of San Juan: She asked me to give her information on salt.

Salt is sodium chloride. Salt does not contain calories but eating too much of it leads to your feeling bloated because fluid accumulates in your body.

Excessive sodium intake has been linked to many health problems like strokes, damage to arteries, high blood pressure and hypertension.

Did you know that salt is not a seasoning? In olden times, salt was used as a preservative until people acquired a taste for it.

According to the American Heart Association, one should consume no more than 3,000 milligrams of salt per day. One level teaspoon of salt already contains 2,000 milligrams.

So, try to minimize your salt intake. Enjoy the real flavor of your food. You may use herbs and spices instead.

The next e-mail is from Amanda of Quezon City. Her concern is whether to take vitamins or mineral supplements.

If you live in an area where fresh fruits and vegetables are not readily available, many doctors and dietitians will recommend taking a daily dose of vitamins.

This is alright as long as you don’t overdo it. Many tend to overdose themselves of these supplements. One must remember that the benefit of vitamins and minerals is derived from taking the daily minimum requirements and not having them in large quantities.

Too much of any vitamin or mineral may cause a chemical imbalance to your body and may pose a danger to your health.

Then, Nelson of San Juan asked: How long after you eat can you exercise?

Twenty to 30 minutes is long enough for most people. If you’ve eaten a little more than you should have, however, you can wait longer – maybe between 45 minutes to an hour.

Digestion requires an increase in blood and oxygen to the digestive organs, which means exercising too soon after eating could deprive the muscles you are working of needed nutrients (blood and oxygen).

And finally, Purita of Coloocan queried: Is it possible to reduce the amount of sugar you use in cooking without giving up sweetness?  The answer is YES. You can raise the level of sweetness in many foods by using vanilla extract or cinnamon or both.

The level of sweetness in many fruits can be increased by cooking them, which concentrates the carbohydrates.

Broiling a sliced banana until it’s bubbling and starting to brown will make it sweet enough to use as jam. It’s wonderful to put on cooked cereal in place of sugar.

Thank you to all those who have e-mailed me. I will be answering more next time.

(Keep on writing at babyjackster@yahoo.com. With your queries, I get more inspired to research and write. 

Take care and God bless!)