Salt: All salt comes from the sea. However, not all salt is the same and this difference can either heal you or harm you.

Table Salt, or sodium chloride, is a refined sea salt. Nearly all of its sixty trace minerals present in its natural state have been removed and replaced with dextrose, a sugar, to stabilize the added iodine, anti-caking chemicals, potassium iodide, and aluminum silicate. Aluminum is toxic and has been linked to one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease. Some serious health complications may arise without these essential minerals that have been removed. Magnesium is one of these. Without it, calcium cannot be absorbed into the body. Calcium is needed for strengthening bones, nerves, heart and muscles, and for brain development. Without magnesium, the kidneys and gall bladder are affected, making them more susceptible to the formation of stones. An additional imbalance created by insufficient magnesium is an incessant craving for salt.

Just a note on kidney stones: Kidney stones are comprised of calcium and oxalates. Foods highest in oxalates are red meats, rhubarb, Swiss chard, beet greens and peanuts. As a preventative measure for kidney stones, eat high fiber grains and vegetables and avoid table salt like the plague.

Refined sea salt has a fine, white grain. Essential minerals have also been refined out. Beware that most of the sea salt that is sold, even in health food stores, is this highly refined variety.

Unprocessed sea salt has a grayish color and is slightly damp. It is vital to our health, if not overused. It contains many essential minerals and trace elements, which are very similar to that of our blood. Its alkalizing quality helps to balance an acidic condition as well as acid-forming foods such as meats, legumes, fruits and grains, and allows the body to easily digest them. Biologists claim that in order for us to maintain a healthy immune system, we must regularly replenish the naturally occurring trace elements in unprocessed sea salt.

Eating too much or not enough salt will cause health problems. The right amount is different for each individual, while the following remains a constant:

• Use natural sea salt cooked into the foods, not added at the table.
• In cooking, salt should not dominate the taste of food. Use it to bring out the food's natural sweetness.
• Most canned, packaged and prepared foods contain too much salt.
• Read labels.