http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/health_and_beauty/270993/what_type_of_salt_is_best.html

“…Unrefined salts, whether mined from the earth or harvested from the sea, contain a broad spectrum of trace elements, often in the same balance as are found in human blood. These include magnesium and potassium, necessary for health and which help the body metabolise the sodium better. Indeed, potassium and magnesium work synergistically with sodium to regulate water balance and nerve and muscle impulses. The more sodium you eat, the more potassium and magnesium you need to maintain balance. Few of us get enough of these elements in our diets, yet we eat high amounts of sodium in salt.

Refined, industrial grade table salt, on the other hand, has had all of these trace elements removed. It is pure sodium chloride, with an anti-caking agent and, in some cases, iodine added in.

If the concept of table salt as an industrial product jars, consider that like so many of the products we use, the popular form that salt eventually takes depends on what is most profitable for industry. Only around seven per cent of the salt produced goes for food; the other 93 per cent goes to industry, which requires chemically pure sodium chloride for the manufacture of explosives, chlorine gas, baking soda, fertilisers and plastics.

The addition of iodine to table salt is a real problem and makes the ‘simple’ table salt so many of us rely on little more than a poison.

In 1995 the World Health Assembly adopted the concept of universal salt iodisation (USI), – the iodisation of salt for human and livestock consumption – in order to eliminate iodine deficiency disease (IDD) and related disorders such as goitre, cretinism, myxedema in adults and neurological disorders in children. As a result countries around the world routinely require all salt to contain added iodine (apart from kosher salt, which contains no additives).

The problem is that iodising salt is a crude form of prevention more appropriate for those living in conditions of famine. People eating a relatively well-balanced diet are not at risk of iodine deficiency because iodine is widely available in sea fish, shellfish, eggs, cereal grains, legumes and dairy products from cows fed with iodised salt. Certain food additives also contain iodine.

But there are also hidden sources of iodine that mean most of us get too much. These include cough expectorants, antiseptics, certain drugs such as sulphonamide, lithium, dopamine, steroids, aspirin and certain heart and antidiabetic drugs. Natural supplements such as kelp and seaweed also contain high
levels of iodine.

Enforced medication with iodised salt adds greatly to our iodine intake, and as a result people in the West are risking iodine overload. As much as 75 per cent of the body’s iodine is stored in the thyroid gland and is used for the production of hormones that regulate metabolism. Too much iodine and levels of these hormones catn become dangerously unbalanced, leading to metabolic as well as immune disorders.

In Galicia, in northwest Spain, where iodised salt is mandatory, there is an abnormally high incidence of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), particularly among women. In Japan and the US, where intake of iodised salt is highest, the problems of too much iodine are responsible for health problems such as including thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid) and hyperthyroidism, which can produce, among other symptoms, increased heart rate and blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), excessive sweating, hand tremors (shakiness), nervousness and anxiety, and difficulty sleeping (insomnia).

As with everything you put in your body, it is worth being both inquisitive and demanding when it comes to salt choices.

Better choices include mined or rock salt and sea salt – as long as they are unrefined. The labels on salt packaging aren’t always clear in this regard. If you look at the ingredients and the only thing on it is sodium chloride, however, then you know that your so-called ‘healthy’ natural salt is just as refined as regular salt.

Unrefined salt is generally not the pure white colour that most of us are used to; it tends to be off-white, or pink – like the rose-coloured crystals of Himalayan rock salt, for instance – or grey as in Atlantic or Celtic salt (some sea salts also take on unique tints from the clay pans in which they crystallise). The colours hint at the minerals within. In fact, genuinely unrefined rock salt can contain more than 90 different trace elements.

Unrefined salt without an added anti-caking agent also tends to clump over time as it absorbs moisture from the air – so it can‘t be put in dainty salt-shaker. It’s chemical make-up is far more balanced than that of industrial salt, though, and some nutritionists believe it is as healing for our bodies as table salt is damaging, though there is a frustrating paucity of research to back this up….”

** Salt 'linked to immune rebellion' **
The amount of salt in our diet could be driving our own immune systems to rebel against us leading to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, very early research suggests.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/health-21685022 >

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juIfyucDSNQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

In this episode, Dr. Joel Fuhrman talks on the dangers of sea salt, particularly for vegans and raw foodies. There’s an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke that has been documented.
Whether you believe this or not, it’s worth checking out and passing along to your friends who eat salt every day.
Take a look…”

Motoi Yamamoto – Saltscapes

Nice video about this artist’s work -salt installation artist -http://vimeo.com/52553020

“I want to feel. I want to be in my work.”

“1994, my sister died of brain cancer. I want to heal my grief. I want to research my work around death. Salt is a funeral material in Japan. I feel salt has a force to heal grief….”

More important (than art) is feeling life, death, re-birth.”

Epsom Salt Uses & Benefits

http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/epsom-uses-benefits.asp

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/outdoor/use-salt-and-vinegar-for-natural-weed-reduction-the-brick-house-143419?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+apartmenttherapy%2Fre-nest+%28Re-Nest%29

Salt Scrub
8 Cups coarse Red Sea Salt, Dead Sea Salt or Epsom Salts
2 Cups raw almond or avocado
1 Cup sesame oil or peach oil
1 Cup raw cacao powder
1 T vanilla powder or 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
! 3/4 c. raw honey for smoothing the texture
Mix all together and blend in enough honey until it’s the texture you like. Use for an all-over body scrub, before or during a shower, on the face, feet and hands particularly, or anywhere that’s dry, as an exfoliator.
For a foot soak, pour boiling water over 1/4 c. of the Salt scrub. When it’s cooled enough to soak your feet, immerse feet for 20 minutes.

http://www.freebeautytips.org/body-scrubs.html

It is so simple to make your own body scrub
You may have noticed that you’re paying a lot of dough for a handful of scrub. Read the ingredients: you’re paying for sexy packaging! Most scrubs contain salt, sugar or nut shells and you can buy any of those things for well under fifty cents a pound. But the seven ounce coconut scrub from The Body Shop sells for $17. How long does it take to use up less than one cup of body scrub? Not long!

–Editors Tip ———————————————————————-
Make Your Skin Glow With Smoothing Salt Scrubs

Salt scrubs should be an integral part of any woman’s regular beauty regimen. Using salt scrubs as a body treatment can help to exfoliate, moisturize, and smooth dry and damaged skin, leaving it feeling soft and virtually glowing. Go ahead, you can easily turn your very own bathroom into a relaxing spa experience by adding luxurious, oil-free salt scrubs with natural extracts to your bath or shower a few times a week. Whether you have a problem with dry or oily skin, or you’re just looking for some added bliss in your beauty routine, you’ll find that a salt scrub can help make your skin feel smoother and silkier. Have a summer-ready body all year long. Get your skin ready for shaving or for tanning by exfoliating first with a salt scrub. Follow up with a good moisturizer and you’ll have that smooth, silky feeling last for days!

Treat yourself to a smoothing salt scrub today!

—————————————————————————————–

You choose the natural ingredients to exfoliate
Make your own body polish! Choose your favorite fragrances, control the granularity of the scrub, avoid ingredients that you may be allergic to, and create a big potful of body polish with about $10 worth of ingredients. Or you can make a cupful for under a dollar and decide if you like the recipe. It’s a breeze: you’ll need a spoon, a bowl, and a container for storage.

Sugar as the Exfoliating Ingredient
Try it sweet. Sugar isn’t as harsh as ground nut shells: it melts fast when it hits moisture, so if your skin is delicate, you’re probably not going to over-scrub it. The other benefit is the fact that sugar, unlike pumice, ground shells and other insoluble ingredients, will melt instead of sticking in your bathtub drains. Here’s what you need to make a large batch:

Homemade Sugar Body Scrub Recipe
8 Cups turbinado (raw) or light brown sugar
1 ½ to 2 Cups avocado, untoasted sesame oil or jojoba oil
½ to 1 Cup apricot or peach kernel oil
essential oil (we used ginger and vanilla)
honey for smoothing the texture

If you use turbinado, you will probably want more oil because turbinado has a coarser texture than light brown sugar. Turbinado, being a specialty ingredient, also costs a lot more than brown sugar. You can use either form of sugar, just make sure that with the brown sugar, you’re keeping a careful eye on the liquid ingredients so your scrub doesn’t dissolve into a thin paste. Use honey only if you find your scrub is too dry, or just increase the amount of oil you use instead. Mix oils into the sugar slowly, stirring to keep the consistency smooth, and stop when you can form the mixture into a slightly wet ball without it dripping through your fingers. Add the essential oils last: they are for fragrance, not moisture, and you’ll only need a few drops—maybe eight—to get the aroma strong enough. Never use “fragrance oils”—they are chemical fakes that have never been near a plant and can cause irritation or even allergic symptoms. Instead, make sure to use essential oils, which are the true plant oils expressed by pressing or by steam distillation from the actual plants. Before choosing an essential oil, make sure that it is considered to be good for the skin—some essential oils are irritants and are meant for other purposes. Some skin friendly oils include rose, rosemary, lemon, mandarin, lavender and chamomile.

Salt to exfoliate your skin
Salt recipe. In this body scrub, you can substitute 8 cups of coarse or kosher salt for the sugar in the recipe above. The nice thing about do it yourself scrubs is that you can then vary the ingredients to make your own favorite scents. Instead of essential oils, you may decide to add cocoa or coffee for a chocolate or mocha body scrub. Add vanilla; your scrub will smell fantastic. Here’s how:

Salt Scrub Recipe
8 Cups coarse pickling or Kosher salt.
2 Cups avocado, untoasted sesame oil or jojoba oil
1 Cup apricot or peach kernel oil
1 Cup unsweetened cocoa or ¼ Cup freeze dried coffee crystals
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
honey for smoothing the texture

When you make your own scrubs, you can afford to use the best ingredients. Add a handful of ground dried white tea leaves to your body scrub and follow it up with natural cucumber extract for a soothing, summery fragrance. With some practice, you’ll understand how to make practically any scrub you want. And they make terrific gifts: buy some pretty jars and labels and package your own recipes for your friends!

Health Benefit of Sea Salt

http://www.health-benefit-of-water.com/sea-salt.html

We all know already that our body is 75% water. Well, maybe not all of us know is that this water contained in all of our tissues, cells, blood, etc. is a salty water solution, very similar to the seawater…

So, why are we often told that salt is not good for our health?

Is salt good or bad for us?

Let’s see:

saltAs seen on the health benefit of drinking water page, our body needs water in order to insure life.

Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD, the author of “You are not sick, you’re thirsty!” explains that salt has many other important functions than just regulating the water content of the body. Here are only a few of it’s invaluable benefits:

*

First, Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD explains that salt is not bad for you. It does not raise the blood pressure. It is the insufficiency of other minerals that normally hold on to and keep water inside the cells that causes a rise in blood pressure. Given in conjunction with other minerals, salt will actually lower blood pressure to normal levels.
*

Salt can be very effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats and, contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure (in conjunction with water and the other essential minerals).
– One or two glasses of water with a little salt will quickly and efficiently quiet the racing and “thumping” heart and, in the long run, will reduce the blood pressure.
– Talk with your doctor about the right balance of water and salt for your diet.
*

Salt is a strong antihistamine.
– It can be used to release asthma. Put it on the tongue after drinking a glass or two of water. It is as effective as an inhaler, without the toxicity.
– it can also stop persistent dry cough and clear the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis sufferers.
– Salt is a strong antiseptic
*

Salt is vital for extracting excess acidity from inside the cells, particularly the brain cells.
– if you don’t want Alzheimer’s disease, don’t go salt-free and don’t let them put you on diuretic medications for long!
*

Salt is vital for the kidneys to clear excess acidity and pass the acidity to the urine. Without it the body will become more and more acidic.
*

Salt is a strong anti stress element for the body. It is essential in the treatment of emotional and effective disorders.
– Lithium is a salt substitute that is used in the treatment of depression.
– It also essential for preserving the serotonin, melatonin and tryptamine levels in the brain – essential antidepressant neurotransmitters.
*

Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD also believes that salt is vital for the prevention and treatment of the cancer. Cancer cells – he explains- cannot leave in an oxygenated environment. When the body is well hydrated and salt expends the volume of blood circulation to reach all parts of the body, the oxygen and active immune cells in the blood reach the cancerous tissue and destroy it.
*

Salt is also important for sleep regulation – it is a natural hypnotic
– If you drink a full glass of water, then put a few grains of salt on your tongue and let it stay there, you will fall into a natural, deep sleep.
*

Salt is a vitally needed element for diabetics.
– It helps balance the sugar levels in the blood and reduces the need of insulin.

*Warning! At the same time you must not overdo on salt. Always make sure you drink enough water to wash out the excess of salt.

As a rule of thumb, per day you need about 3-4 grams for every 10 glasses of water. An easier calculation is a quarter teaspoon of salt per quart of water.

Consult your doctor to determine the correct balance of salt and water for your diet!
Table salt vs. unrefined salt:

Sea salt obtained from solar evaporation of sea water is entirely different from modern refined salt, and it contains a variety of minerals that play a role in keeping the body’s electrolytes in a healthy balance.

The Salt Conspiracy
Unfortunately, the common table salt, we use today is primarily kiln-dried sodium chloride with anti-caking agents added. Trace minerals, as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium salts are removed in processing. Kiln-drying involves scorching salt at high heat to remove moisture. This refining process creates a product that is unnatural and hard on the body. It is the true culprit that contributes to high blood pressure, heart trouble, kidney disease and eczema, among other problems.

Even many salts labeled “sea salt” are washed or boiled, which removes minerals and trace elements from the salt. These salts are absolutely toxic to the body. Beware of “Sea salt” labels.

Today many people cannot tolerate the amount of salt required to remain healthy. As a result getting sick from time to time has become an inescapable aspect of the human condition we take for granted.

http://www.naturalnews.com/029397_epsom_salt_magnesium.html

(NaturalNews) Epsom salt is a pure mineral compound composed of magnesium and sulfate which has long been known as a natural remedy for many health conditions. Epsom salt can also relax the nervous system and soothe the body, mind, and soul.

The magnesium content in Epsom salt is particularly valuable. Magnesium helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and is essential in orchestrating a number of bodily functions. It aids in calcium absorption and plays a key role in the formation of bones and teeth. It also plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular health by stabilizing heart rhythm, preventing abnormal blood clotting, and supporting normal blood pressure levels.

Magnesium lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes and helps in recovery from heart attacks and strokes. Magnesium also maintains proper muscle function. Sadly, most Americans are deficient in this important mineral. Therefore, it is no wonder that the incidence of serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis, stress-related illnesses, and chronic fatigue are so prevalent.

Sulfates flush toxins, improve the absorption of nutrients, help form joint proteins, mucin proteins and brain tissue, and help prevent and ease migraine headaches.

Epsom salt also has valuable beauty benefits in that it softens and exfoliates skin, and gives hair extra body. Epsom salt in the bath is a perfect way to ease stress. It replenishes the body’s levels of magnesium as it is absorbed through the body. Studies indicate that the magnesium absorbed during the bathing process may raise serotonin levels (the chemical in the brain that creates a feeling of wellbeing), and may also offset excess levels of adrenalin caused by everyday stress. Studies have also found that soaking in Epsom salt at least three times a week increases energy and stamina. Overall, it makes you feel better and even look better.

Following are some of the ways a person can benefit from the use of Epsom salt:

To relieve stress: Add two cups of Epsom Salt to a bath and soak for at least 12 minutes. For a refreshing scent, you can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil.

To exfoliate: After showering, massage handfuls of Epsom Salt over wet skin.

To pamper weary feet, add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt to a basin of warm water. Soak for 20 minutes. You can then continue with your pedicure as usual, such as rubbing calluses away with a pumice stone. After drying your feet, you can add two drops of peppermint essential oil to a natural moisturizer and massage into the skin until it is thoroughly rubbed in.

Now that summer is upon us, as we enjoy nature and have fun in the sun, we become more susceptible to skin irritants, such as bug bites, sunburn, and for those of us who like to camp, that dreaded poison ivy, poison oak, and related plants. Epsom salt can help to relieve the discomfort by soothing itching and swelling. In such cases, the following remedies should bring welcome relief:

*Making a compress: Mix cold water and two tablespoons per cup of Epsom Salt. Soak a cotton washcloth in this mixture and apply to the affected area.
*Making a paste: Add a teaspoon of Epsom salt to a cup of hot water, making sure it dissolves. Put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Clean the affected area and pat dry. Apply the paste.

Besides its numerous health benefits, it also has household and gardening related uses. Examples are cleaning and fertilizing houseplants.