Flavor without danger: help break the salt habit

Likewise, salt is not 100% unhealthy. Although a moderate amount of sodium is needed in the body to help balance cell health and fluid levels all over the body, extra salt in the diet is a big cause of increased blood pressure. Salt-free spices like those by Penzy’s introduce new flavors without added sodium. When my blood pressure increased before heart surgery, my family added a new seasoning—Arizona Dreaming—on the dinner table and even to air-popped popcorn.

iStockFlavor without danger: giving salt as a gift

To help your gift recipient learn to cook with less sodium, make the use of salt more purposeful: a special salt like pink sea salt, or a grinder for coarse salt, helps patients use pinches visible during the cooking stages or to top the finished dish in the kitchen, not at the table. Coarse finishing salts also have a lot of texture and immediate flavor on the tongue, so they make a bigger impact with smaller amounts. Remember that 1 teaspoon of salt daily is more than enough for adults.