The Himalayas – the tallest mountains in the world – span 2400 kilometers across Asia at the joining of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Where these proud peaks now stand, 250 million years ago was a primordial sea. Within that ancient body of water existed a perfect, pristine ecosystem. As the plates of the earth moved and over the ages pushed the Himalayas toward the heavens, the sea evaporated and all of its life-sustaining minerals crystallized under the heat of the sun to form what we now know as Himalayan pink salt.
Because of the conditions by which it was formed, this purest of sea salts one of the best sources of natural minerals on the planet and exponentially healthier than the bleached and processed table salt that most people use daily. In this post, we take a look at some of the incredible benefits of Himalayan pink salt (HPS) and how you can use it boost your health.
1. Mineral Soak
Salt and mineral baths are a great way to relax at the end of the day while simultaneously infusing the skin and body with minerals and hydration. Through the process of dermal absorption, skin soaks up minerals from the water – often better than if the same minerals were consumed internally. Because it contains so many of the different minerals our bodies need to stay healthy, when it comes to the best things to put in your bath water, Himalayan pink salt is at the top of the list.
2. Soothe Away Soreness
A warm bath infused with Himalayan pink salt is also great for relaxing cramped muscles. The magnesium and some other trace minerals found in HPS absorb through the skin to help heal damaged muscle and other soft tissues. Minerals in HPS also work to fortify bones, skin, and connective tissues that may contribute to body soreness in other ways.
3. Detoxification
When HPS is added to a bath of warm (preferably about the same as body temperature) water, it not only provides much needed nutrients to your body. Himalayan pink salt also works as a powerful detoxifier. When dissolved in water, HPS becomes an ionic solution that helps to draw the toxins out of skin and adipose tissues. This process combined with the healing mineral infusion offered by a good Himalayan pink salt soak will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.
4. Purify Air
Not only does Himalayan pink salt detoxify the body, you can also use it to clean the air you breathe.
You may have seen one before and not known what you were looking at – a big chunky pink crystal lamp sitting on a table or desk. This decorative bit of lighting is actually made of HPS, which acts as a natural air purifier by pulling moisture from the surrounding environment into the salt. Heat from the bulb quickly evaporates the water back into the air, but any toxins that were previously carried in the cycled moisture are left behind, trapped by the salt ions.
5. Sinus Irrigation
If you’ve ever used a Neti pot then you know how well salt water can work to clear up your sinuses. Try using HPS saline in your pot for an even healthier cleanse. Himalayan pink salt kills bacteria and bonds to many contaminants that may be stuck in your nasal cavities due to breathing polluted air. Alternately, if you don’t like the idea of running water through your nasal cavities, you can also use a Himalayan crystal salt inhaler to cleanse your respiratory system.
6. Regulate Hydration
When consumed as a sole (pronounced ‘solay’) – a brine solution of water that has been fully saturated with natural, unrefined salt – HPS provides the body with electrolytes which regulate hydration, among other things.
Read the label on a sports drink bottle and you will see some of the major electrolytes listed in the ingredients – sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and chloride (Cl−) – in one or more of their forms. This is because the body absorbs electrolytes faster than water by itself. When these two occur side-by-side, your body takes up the water and electrolytes together, resulting in faster hydration. Sadly, most commercial sports drinks are also full of sugar and chemical preservatives that we don’t want in our bodies.
The good news is that HPS is about 85% sodium chloride with the other 15% featuring notable amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as bicarbonate. These six minerals are all electrolytes that are necessary for proper functioning of the human body, or more specifically for bodily fluid regulation.
Essentially, creating sole made with Himalayan pink salt is like mixing your own perfect sports drink. For a great step-by-step guide, check out this website.
7. Lower Blood Pressure
Because of its high sodium content, saying that Himalayan pink salt has the ability to lower your blood pressure makes a lot of people skeptical. After all, we’ve been told our whole lives that too much salt makes your BP skyrocket, but do a little digging and you will find that there are holes in the research on this topic. That said, when all natural HPS is used in lieu of (but not more than) processed NaCl table salt, your body actually has an easier time processing the minerals. Your system won’t need as much water to clear out the excess sodium, therefore you won’t retain as much water, and your body won’t have to work as hard. Remember that natural is always better than processed and the same holds true for salt. So swap out that old salt shaker for a Himalayan pink salt grinder.
8. Balance pH / Reduce Acid Reflux
Unbalanced pH is a problem for many people that can lead to all kinds of health problems from immune deficiency and loss of bone density to kidney stones and weight gain.
You can test your body’s pH using test strips. Urine should have a pH around 6.5 with it being lower in the morning and slightly higher in the afternoon. Saliva pH should maintain between 6.5 and 7.5 throughout the day. The majority of people with a pH imbalance lean toward acidity (lower pH number) and can fix this problem fairly easily by drinking sole made with Himalayan pink salt.
As a side note – due to its alkalinity, sole made with HPS can also be used as an antacid. Just mix about one teaspoon in a glass of room temperature water and drink to neutralize excess stomach acid.
9. Improve Digestion
Nutrients in HPS can actually increase the ability of our gastrointestinal tract to absorb other nutrients. For this reason, trading your shaker of table salt for Himalayan pink will help you to better digest your food. Better digestion means you’ll feel less hungry which – especially for those wanting to shed a couple of extra pounds each week – is very good news, indeed!
10. Strengthens the Body
Many of the minerals found in HPS are also vital for the human body to maintain strong bones and connective tissues, as well as proper muscle regeneration and blood circulation. If you are prone to chilled extremities, arthritis, broken bones, or even mental fatigue – regular use of Himalayan pink salt to season your food may be just what you need to jump start your body back to good health.
Original article and credits: naturallivingideas.com
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