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Writer's pictureGrant Johnson

I used to LOVE salt. Now I hate it. How did that happen?

Well, ...by not using it due to a medical condition and orders from a doctor that required a change, or a consequence you don't want to have. Imagine that for a motivator?

When I first saw the doctor, my blood pressure was reading as "CRISIS MODE!" which was the worst reading output on my little home machine as the robot voice said those words outloud in the most annoying way.


For months I tried to keep it at "HYPERTENSION STAGE 2" by eating a little better, thinking that was some kind of an accomplishment. But I just didn't have the will power to say no to the chips, the chili, the gazillions of delicious HIGH-sodium foods, even salads! with their tasty dressings were very high in sodium. Just go through the store and see for yourself, read the lables, and see the high levels of sodium in what appear to be the healthy foods like salads, on the "healthy" aisles. Fact is, its a ruse.


In fact, read the labels on packages even more carefully because these food manufacturers are HIDING important impacts by using bogus serving sizes that are ridiculously small and unrealistic in an effort to disengenously make their product look more "healty." Like a half cup being called a "serving size" for ice cream when a bowl is more like it. Or a tiny amount 1/4 cup of mixed nuts being called a "serving size" when a whole cup is more like it. Multiply by FOUR (4) Or two taquitos as a "serving size" when 3 or 4, or 5... are more like it. What it means, is that you have to do some mental math and just multiply that CALORIE count by TWO (2), multiply that SODIUM mg amount by TWO (2), the number of grams of SUGAR by at least TWO (2) you get the idea. Except it is often more like FOUR. Then you know what this store-bought package of food is really doing to you. You get the truth.


For most of my life I have really enjoyed SALT. When I went to the fast foods like McDonalds or In and Out Burger, I would get the delicious fries, that were already salted, and I would ask for more salt packets so I could really douse it up wiht the salt. Catsup too. For me, it made the flavor come alive, and it really did.


Update: I actually hate salt now.

I have a big bag of Kirkland extra fancy SALTED mixed nuts from Costco, and I can’t stand it. It makes my mouth pucker and I can hardly taste what should be delicious nuts. Give me those unsalted ones instead! I also could not eat the fried bacon we had on Thanksgiving, it was way too salty and I did not enjoy it at all! I had to muscle it down, slowly, drinking water to make it happen. SO strange!


I have changed and this is a good thing. My blood pressure is pretty much under control somewhere in the range of 117/65 or so (as measured by the doctor's office at my last visit), which compared to the "CRISIS MODE" from just months before, is a complete 180 degree turn-around.


I used to just saturate everything with salt, especially steak or hamburger. Once you stop doing it, you actually develop a dislike for salt if it is introduced back to you at those same old levels. It becomes repulsive. Salt is an acquired taste for sure. I have learned that many of the foods that we purchase and eat nowadays are chocked full of salt and people have just become accustomed to it. But for me? Not anymore! Not used to it. Didn’t see that coming . Now if I could only get my craving for sugar to disappear. That one’s a little bit harder.


EXERCISE IS SO IMPORTANT.


Still working out at the gym. I missed a few days this week because of some big deadlines at work. And I felt it at the gym when I returned after 5 days. I ran out of steam quicker. Still got about 1600 cal burned and wanted to go even farther but just didn’t have anything in the tank. I was spent! It’s the very real human factor.


See those calorie burn bars in red?

You see how there is this two hour plus range of 15 minute bars up around 170 CALs? The rest of the day is pretty much empty and that's because I am sitting at a computer doing my job. How to change that? That is the question. I've tried treadmill desks and I just can't give the level of concentation I need to my work or my exercise. BOTH are demanding more than the 50% level. I can't do work in the background of exercising, and I can't do exercise that requires heavy motivation when I am trying to give my motivation to keep working, because computer work, brain work, analysis, etc., is something that can fry the brain and overheat it, and also exhaust you.



How to find the "kill two birds with one stone" method(s) that can help you get more done. THAT is what I am still seeking for!! 


A desk that goes up and down?

A treadmill under the desk?

A foot massager while you work?

Music to motivate? Definitely!!

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