As Dear As Salt

vapika — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:50:48 +0000

There is a credible amount of research that suggests that we eat less fat, salt and sugar in our diet in order to prevent chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer amongst others. I practice this in my cooking, whether I am teaching or catering. But in my personal practice, even though I am eating oil and sugar free food, I do like my salt. And I always have, all my life.
In my childhood, living in India, I remember we had a convenience store in our apartment building and the shopkeeper would keep a sack of coarse sea salt outside his store. I easy access to it. So when passing by the store I would ask the storekeeper if I could take some and he would always generously say yes. I would suck on these chunks of salt as if they were a treat. And in the hot Indian summers, to cool off from the long walk home from school, I would make myself a cold drink of chilled water with salt and pepper and crushed ice. I did not learn this from watching anyone else do it. And the food at home was also not overly salty. None of my family or friends had as much salt as I. It was my own cravings for salt that drew me to creat this salt soda and to snack on salt.
Research also suggests that sugar, fat and salt can be addictive. In my case I believed that it was my body’s need for salt that made me crave it. I had low pressure all my life and when I would skip a meal I would feel shaky and dizzy. This would go away once I would eat something salty. So I assumed that I needed more than the average amount of salt in my diet. Gradually I started adding salt to all my meals whether I was eating out in a restaurant or at home or at friend’s home, most of the time without tasting the food first to see if it needed more salt. I did not have any weight problems all my life. Most of my life I have weighed between 108-110 lbs and since I turned vegan its been between 104-108 lbs. I have to point out that I did not loose that little weight after turning vegan because of dietary restrictions but because for the first time in my life i felt really strong and energized to engage in more physical activity like dance, yoga, hikes, biking and workout at the gym. I have never felt as strong in my body as I do now.
As I have been continuously learning about, studying and imbibing clean healthy lifestyle and diet, I have eliminated many things that are considered unhealthy as per modern research. The food that I prepare for myself and others is free of oil, sugars, refined flours or any other refined ingredients. There is this one ingredient that I have not restricted myself and that is salt, even though my intake has been much less than it was when lived in India.
According to CDC the average American consumes around 3400mg of salt per day. The recommended range is 1500-2300mg and the actual requirement is about 180-500mg per day. I would say I was consuming around 1000mg per day.
So I decided to find out whether I can live without salt. ”As Dear As Salt” has always been one of my favorite stories from my childhood. I wanted to know whether this love for salt is an addiction or a necessity. I could already tell from the fear that crept up when I made this decision that whichever it is, salt has a strong hold on me.

Day 1

So my 2 weeks without salt started today. Although it was not easy, it was not as hard as I expected. I started the morning with a fresh green juice which turned out to be naturally high in sodium and so delicious. Here is what was in it:

1 cup spinach
2 cups swiss chard
1 small radish
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 lime

Then mid morning I had my early lunch of quinoa, yoghurt soup (vegan, of course!) and sautéed chinese spinach. No salt in any of these and yet I was enjoying every bit of it. Had the same for the late afternoon lunch and it all still tasted good.
It was only in the evening when I had khichdi for dinner that i really missed the salt. I could see that saltless chichi was going to be the hardest to adapt to.
Eating an apple for my late evening snack was very good, it took away the craving for salt for a few hours.

Day 2
I must say it was not easy today and I gave in at the end of the day… I had been getting this constant hunger pangs, all day long, even when I had just eaten a meal. I had this strong cravings for salty food. I made some new dishes, white bean stew with veggies and wild rice; potatoes and bok choy in peanut dressing, all oil and salt free. I had 2 meals breakfast and lunch without salt. But in the evening, I could not take it so I added a 1/2 tsp of tamari to the potatoes and it helped. I could barely taste it but it was enough. Gave in also to the temptation to have bread even though I have been avoiding wheat for months now. Was really happy once I had some salt free peanut butter and bread.

Day 3
I woke up feeling a bit under the weather so spent the morning resting and ventured into the kitchen at noon to make myself some lunch… When I looked into the refrigerator I realized that cooked vegetables did not appeal to me and I was drawn towards the bread again. So I had some bread with tahini. Later had some apples and then some khichdi with Wildwood plain soy yoghurt that is salt free and has probiotics. As the day progressed I realized I was getting tired and had a mild headache. I make myself some more toast and hemp butter. Feels like the only thing that I can take at the moment is bread or khichdi with yoghurt. The sudden hunger pangs continue and are more like memory flashbacks of what food with salt tastes like in various forms. My mind is a little foggy.

Day 4
This state of mind I am experiencing is similar to the time when I was in the process of giving up smoking. The sudden urge to light up is similar to the sudden urge to eat salty food and the mind trying to reason with itself why its stupid to give up smoking or salt. There are moments when I feel there is a war inside me… although in certain ways its not as strong as when I was quitting smoking… because I am still eating and enjoying other flavors like sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent and salty to a certain extent when I am having my green juices.

Day 5
Was difficult to get out of bed but once up I felt strong and energitic. Made myself some green juice to start the day. Today’s combination was:

1/4 cup spinach
3/4 cup swiss chard
1 small radish
1/8 cup cilantro
1/8 cup parlsey
1/8 cup mint leaves
2 medium carrots
1/4 cup purple cabbage
1 tbsp lime juice

As I packed lunch to take to work today, I realized that cooked vegetables do not appeal to me right now. Thankfully I find grains, lentils and rice palatable… so I packed some leftover black-eyed pea stew and rice from last nite. I am also enjoying fruits a lot. In fact, I find that it helps to have a fruit when I am having salt cravings.
My mind is a bit foggy, but functional most of the time. I think I am getting enough sodium but not from salt. Its just that my taste buds want SALT!!!! I am a bit cranky and exhausted by the end of the day. Although I am not going to the gym since I don’t feel like exercising, this feeling has not hampered my normal life too much, I was able to to go to work and finish a few chores on the way home in the evening and cook myself some dinner. I am feeling lighter in my body, although my weight is the same.

Day 6
Today was a struggle as was yesterday, the most difficult part was when it was time to eat. I was so tempted to stop this fast. My reasoning was if it creates such a struggle then it is not worth it. But I had to remind myself again and again that this struggle is the part of the journey, in fact it is the journey. The journey will end when the there is no struggle, when I will not care whether there is salt in my food or not. My body wanted food but I was not interested in food because I knew I would not get the taste of salt in it. I had the same food for breakfast and lunch.
Masala Rice:
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup potatoes small cubes
1/2 onions small cubes (white preferable)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger grated
1/2 tsp garlic crushed
1 pinch asefatida

Wash the rice thoroughly. In a pan roast the mustard seeds till they start to pop approx. 2 minutes, add the cumin and peppercorn roast for another minute. Add asafetida, ginger, garlic and onions. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, rice, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil about 5-7 minutes. Simmer on low for 10-15 mins. Add a few tbsp of water if needed and let sit for a few minutes. Serve hot with veggies and lentils.

with Brown Lentils
1 cup brown lentils
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/3 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach

Soak the lentils for 1/2 hour. Add 2 cups of water and cook on high heat till the water comes to a boil about 4-5 minutes. Add the spices and continue to cook on low heat for or about 20-25 minutes till the lentils are soft. Remove from heat, add lime juice and garnish with the fresh spinach. Serve with rice or chappatis and vegetables.

Cooking/ preparation time:30 mins
Serves 2-3 persons

I had the same experience at both the meals, I had to force myself to eat but after 4 to 5 bites the food got more and more palatable. In the evening I cooked some khichdi and butternut squash with green peas and spinach for a friend who is recuperating. I found for first time that the khichdi was quite bearable without salt. So I got a glimpse of hope that my addiction to salt was getting weaker!!!

Day 7
Now I see signs of change. I no longer get that disappointment after taking my first bite of a meal. I think that a major hurdle is over in that I can eat more often and I don’t avoid meals.

Day 8
Today I had to cheat a bit because I was invited to a friend’s home for dinner. I was hoping to get something that was salt free and the steamed broccoli salad was just delicious without any salt, and the rest of the dishes were very lightly salted so I didn’t really feel the different between this food and what I had been eating, just a little more tastier.

Day 9
I was pretty good with my fast today as I had a salad without any dressing for lunch and made a big pot of khichdi for dinner.

Day 10
The day started at 4 am with 12 hrs of singing the Hanuman Chalisas, 108 times, in honor of Hanuman the Monkey God’s Day at the Vedanta Temple in Hollywood. The Chalisa is a 40 verses song by poet Tulsi Das praising Hanuman. I cooked a big pot of Chocolate Walnut Oatmeal for breakfast for everyone.
1 cup Oats (soaked in filtered water 1 hour)
1/4 cup walnuts ( small pieces)
1/2 cup dates (soaked 1 hour)
1 apple (small cubes)
1 tbsp raw Cacao powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Bring all ingredients together in a pot, add 1 cup of water and cook till it comes to a boil, approx. 4-5 mins. Simmer on low heat for 5 more minutes, covered. Let sit for another 2-3 mins and serve hot with some fresh bananas on top.

Cooking/ preparation time:15 mins
Serves 2-3 persons

I also broke my fast and ate my first real salty meal since I started it. After 12 hrs of chanting, there was a feast for everyone at the temple. I could not refuse this blessed food. There were a lot of dishes, a mixed salad with vinaigrette dressing, lemon rice, chickpea curry, fried vadas, coconut chutney and roasted padads. I dont know if it was

Day 11
Today was another day of breaking the fast. Although I found there was a way to eat salt free or almost salt free when eating out, there is something about eating together with family and enjoying the same food. This was one such day of food being part of that celebration of life, of friendship and family. And I am not sorry that I broke my fast early because of this even though I had salt free options.

Day 12
I was curious to see how I was going to feel after eating so much salt yesterday. And one thing I observed today was that my hunger pangs were accompanied by feeling shaky and weak. Before I started my fast, this used to be an indicator that I needed to get some salty food quickly. During the fast I had observed that this feeling had not occurred even when I was avoiding eating, in fast I was hungry most of the time in the first initial phase of the fast. So I have a feeling this shaking could be a kind of withdrawal symptoms from not getting the amount of salt my body is used to. I can definitely tell the different when I am eating less salt, mainly my body feels lighter. And that in itself has very subtle advantages, I feel fresher and more agile and alert.

Day 13
I know from this experiment that I will not be adding salt in my cooking. However, I do prefer salty food, which is natural since I am a Vata. So I bought Braggs Liquid Amino to help me transition back to eating salty food once this fast is complete. I have decided I will add Braggs to the food but only if I feel the need for it. I have a feeling that I will not enjoy salty food as much as I used to.

Day 14
Its my last day of the fast, but I can tell I am not that excited to going back to the eating as much salt as I used to. My preference is going to be a spray of Braggs over the food, just enough to have a tinge of salt in the food to make the meal complete with all the 6 taste.
Today to end my fast I made the most delicious Fava Bean Stew.

1 cup fava beans
1/2 cup raddish finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow beet small cubes
1/2 cup potatoes
1/4 cup spring onions
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garlic grated
1/2 tsp ginger grated
1/2 tsp greek seasoning
1/2 tbsp lime juice

In a pan, boil the fava beans in 3 cups of water. Let it cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or till the beans are halfway done. Add the raddish, beets, spring onions and potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the spices except for the lime juice. Cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add lime juice and serve hot with bread or rice and salad.

Cooking and Preparation time : 60 mins
Serves 4 persons.

VaPiKa Spirit

As Dear As Salt