Salt Uses

I belong to a site that has some of the best information articles.  It's mainly created for Grandparents but is useful for everyone.  I wanted to share some of the information they posted a few days ago that I found interesting as well as useful.

Salt

You probably don’t think twice about the salt that graces your table, but at one time, salt was so highly prized that it was used as currency. The Roman army is said to have paid soldiers in salt; the word “salary” has its roots in this practice, and it’s why we say someone is “worth his salt.”

Uses:

Remove a wine stain: Blot (don’t rub) the spill to remove as much as possible, then cover the stain liberally with salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, if possible, then repeat if necessary. If the spill is on a carpet, you can wait for the salt to dry and then vacuum it up.

Make drip-proof candles: Soak new candles in salt water for a few hours, then let them dry. They will burn drip-free.

I Didn't Know That - Sore Throat & Cough Remedies

Sore Throat and Cough Remedy - Best

Garbling with warm saltwater not only helps alleviate sore throat symptoms by drawing moisture out of swollen glands and bacteria, but it may also help prevent upper respiratory infections if done regularly, according to National Institute of Health.

To calm a cough, reach for the sweet stuff.  Honey soothes the back of the throat, contains free radical-fighting antioxidants, breaks up mucous and has even been shown to be more effective than over-the-counter cough suppressants, according to a study by the Penn State College of Medicine.  However, due to the risk of infant botulism, remember that honey should never be given to children under on year old.

Sore Throat and Cough Remedy - Worst

It might be hard to believe, but over-the-counter cough suppressants actually do very little to alleviate coughing due to a cold, according to The American College of Chest Physicians.  Essentially, the drugs previously thought to help reduce the severity of a cold-related cough - suppressants such as dextromethorphan or expectorants such as gualifensein - don't appear to effectively loosen mucous in the airways, according to multiple research studies.

If you're coughing up a cold-related storm, use a humidifier, take that spoonful of honey, and maybe add some of Grandma's chicken soup to your get-well regimen.

Salt - Part 3

Saltiest “Healthy” Sandwich:  Subway Footlong Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

  2,290 milligrams sodium

  770 calories

  9 g fat (2.5 g saturated)

  34 g sugars

Sodium Equivalent = 6 Beef Franks (Hebrew National, 97% Fat Free)

Also remember that the posted calorie counts at Subway doesn’t include adding cheese or any other condiments, so if you like to load up your stomach, expect to see the calorie count for this sandwich inch toward 1,000 calories.  Eat instead – Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast (6”) = 880 mg sodium, 320 calories, 5 g fat (1.5g saturated), 7 g sugars

Salt - Part 2

Saltiest Drive-Thru Mexican Food – Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito

  2,120 milligrams sodium

  680 calories

  30 g fat (10 g saturated)

 

Sodium Equivalent – 20 cups of butter popcorn

 

What’s better?  Order 2 grilled steak soft tacos (or any menu item) “fresco” style and they will replace cheese and sauces with chunky tomato salsa, cutting calories in half and trim the fat by at least 25%.  Two steak soft tacos = 1,100 mg sodium, 320 calories, 9 g fat (3 g saturated)

 

SALT

This is a statement that was passed along through our office “Wellness Update.”  I found it quite interesting and helpful so I’ll be passing it along in parts.  Some of the info I’ll be sharing really amazed me. 

 

The average American takes in about 3,400 milligrams of sodium every day.  With the ever expanding portion sizes, salty foods are taking the place of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium.  Studies show that a high sodium, low potassium diet is linked to high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis and exercise induced asthma.

 

Part 1 – Salt:

 

Saltiest Drive-Thru Meal:  Burger King Cheeseburger with French Fries (small)

  1,360 milligrams sodium

  680 calories

  33 g fat (10.5 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)

 

Sodium Equivalent – 5 Big Grab Bags of Lays Potato Chips

The dearth of healthy, well-balanced meal options for kids at chain restaurants is a serious issue in this country.  The cheeseburger, with 340 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat, gets trounced by the tenders, while the small French fries double the meal’s caloric load without adding any real nutrition to the equation.

 

Choose chicken nuggets instead:

At just 63 calories a piece, they rank among the best nuggets/tenders/fingers in the fast food world.  Add to that a genius product that is Apple Fries and you have a pretty sound kid’s meal.