3 Tips For Battling The Pandemic Salt Cravings

During the pandemic, sales on salty foods has increased considerably. Even prior to this pandemic, salt intake among many cultures is quite high. At most we need about 2-4 grams of salt per day. Many cultures consume more like 9-10 grams/day of salt. This high salt intake is associated with many health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Here are three simple tips to help you reduce your cravings for salt. Please be aware that if these do not help you may have a medical problem. I recommend you check with your doctor if these tips do not help you see improvement.

Tip# 1 Stop Skipping Meals

Eating two to three regular meals a day ensures you are getting all the macro and micro nutrients your body needs to stave off hunger and cravings. It is when we skip meals, breakfast being a popular skipped meal, that our cravings for salt and sugar get worse. The reason for the cravings is when we are famished our bodies crave something that provides quick fuel. Salty and sugary foods meet this quick fuel requirement. They are also very addictive because they provide a big dopamine rush. The problem with this dopamine rush is that following the rush there is a major drop, leaving you quite depressed, leading to seeking out another dopamine rush. This is a viscous rollercoaster ride that I do not recommend you get on.

Tip# 2 Plan Your Meals

Planning meals for the day will help you decide to eat whole foods with adequate protein, whole grains, fiber, and vitamins, and minerals. Unplanned meals for the day will invariably lead you to go to your default plan which is to snack on the easy access, processed foods like chips and crackers, or worse yet, to order the Big Mac at McDonalds. These processed foods will put you on that dopamine rollercoaster ride mentioned in Tip# 1. By planning for the whole food meals you can also plan for a small amount of sweet, salty stuff you like and avoid the cravings that put you on the dopamine rollercoaster ride.

Tip# 3 Reduce Stress

Find ways to reduce the stress in your life by taking up a hobby and starting an exercise program. Excess stress produces fatigue which overloads the adrenal glands which can impair its ability to regulate sodium, leading to salt cravings.