I sold seaweed last weekend at the NOFA summer conference. I attended a few workshops on natural beekeeping and apitherapy (healing with bee products). Sally Fallon Morell was a key note speaker. The focus of her talk was salt. In case you don’t know Sally, she’s written a well known whole foods cook book called Nourishing Traditions and she is all about consuming animal fats. The oils from animal products, according to Sally, are necessary for many functions of our bodies, brain function finding it’s way to the top. She emphasizes the importance of vitamin D, it helps curb depression. There is a TON of vitamin D in lard. She’s also a proponent of fermented foods. I Just got some homemade miso and home brewed rhubarb beer from my friend Michael. Tonight I made a so so so delicious seaweed miso soup. Michael and I also peeked into his top bar beehive.

Talk about nourishing foods! Seaweed, animal fats and miso! Lots of fresh veggies from the garden and farmer’s market. So back to salt, according to the FDA’s up to date dietary guidelines people should be eating less salt. They are pushing the low sodium foods. A new synthetic salty flavoring will be taking the place of salt. Eeek! Sounds like a similarly evil cousin of Aspartame. Salt is essential! So many people ask me about the salt in seaweed. Do you wash it off? Should I? no… sea salts are complex- full of minerals, and they are beneficial to our health. Salts activate digestive enzymes. The brain not only need fats (non hydrogenated) but it needs salt. Kombu (laminaria digitata) is recommended for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Kombu and Kelp are high in potassium and chloride which help prevent heart disease. They also strengthen the nervous system and reduce hypertension. Less stress and a stronger nervous and circulatory system sound much better than cutting out salt. Ugh! The nerve of the “experts”. But! No fear. I, seaweed girl, (my 6 year old friend Gillis made up a super hero after me) and other seaweed mongers are here to protect you from the evil corporate backed fools that so many people trust to tell them what their bodies need. So, buy up your seaweed and sea salt and indulge, please. Salt definitely does your body good. Protect your internal ocean.

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