Team S.J.G.R. Thursday Huddle: Cut. It. Out.

Sigh.  I'm feeling kind of salty today. I just finished clinic and seriously no less than four people told me with the straightest of faces of how they are cooking with sea salt only. "Yeah. I only use sea salt. Only!"

0_o

Dude. If I had a dollar for every patient or person who said to me that they are using "only sea salt" in their food as some kind of healthy alternative to "regular ol' Morton's salt" I'd be one rich woman. I am so mad at whoever has told the whole United States of America that somehow sea salt is curiously healthier and less sodium-y than traditional salt. Lies, I say! 

Here's what else I say:

Cut. It. Out.

Here's  the realness:  By weight, sea salt and regular ol' salt have the same amount of sodium. And sodium is what we want to limit when managing blood pressure and fluid status. Sorry to make you . .errr. . .salty.

So what is the deal with everybody saying sea salt is all healthy and stuff? I'll tell you. Basically sea salt comes from evaporated salt water. There's less processing so the texture and color is different. Regular table salt from minerals mined underground so a lot more has to go down to get it ready for your friendly neighborhood Kroger or Publix. But still. None of that process has ANYTHING to do with the sodium content. As far as your heart health is concerned, it can't tell the difference between your expensive sea salt bought out of the natural food section or the regular old kind that comes taped together with some pepper. 

So please. Don't say that to your doctor. And when your family members say that at the holidays with a big ol' proud smile on their face, drop your eyelids half mast and tell them in your flattest voice:

Cut. It. Out.

And while I'm at it. . . .

Smoothies!

Unless you want to be wearing a body smoother all day everyday, you might want to drink smoothies with care. Sigh. I'm not saying they aren't good for you. In fact, if you make a smoothie yourself at home and don't add a crap-ton of yogurt or sugary frozen fruit, it's mostly fine. But you betta recognize that even though fruit is good for you, it has calories. And a lot of calories means weight gain.

So check it. Most folks eat one banana at a time. But in a smoothie? Folks might drop two bananas, some yogurt, some blueberries, some strawberries and waaaay more than they'd normally consume. And all of it has calories. Yep. 

And worse-worse-worse is those uber expensive pre-packaged smoothies. They have SOOO much sugar and calories. So much. So read the labels. And think about how many calories is in that smoothie you're drinking. Unless you are partial to pureed kale and celery with one granny smith apple in it, I mostly say:

Cut. It. Out.

Next up? Energy bars.

With a cool 240 calories per bar, I hope you skipped lunch before you ate one of these puppies. I am all for an energy bar now and then. But only in the place of a meal or after a super hard work out or run. Looking to lose weight? I'd suggest a lower calorie snack or even a piece of whole fruit. Just ran ten miles? Okay, then fine. Enjoy your energy bar. ONE of them. Otherwise?

Cut. It. Out.

We get fit in the gym. We lose weight in the kitchen. And when we know better, we do better. Real talk for the team. Including me. 

Say word!

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Happy Thursday.