My Secret Salt Addiction

I have a confession to make. I decided to come out in the open with this secret addiction of mine, mainly because they say the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting you have one. Well, here's my problem...my addiction...I eat too much salt. There....I said it....I told you...I feel better already.

I'm not out-of-my-mind-addicted to salt. I mean, I don't put salt on watermelon or pizza, which I have seen people do. But I cannot eat scrambled eggs or eggs in any form for that matter, without adding salt. And a baked potato? Forget it. Even if I load up on butter or sour cream or butter AND sour cream, (we're talkin' loads of fat here folks)...I still crave that salty flavor.

The other day, I thought I was making a perfectly healthy breakfast. Cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl and immediately reached for the seasoned salt. Not even regular salt...but seasoned. I knew what I was doing but couldn't stop myself. I used cooking spray instead of butter to cook the eggs. Do I get points for that? I had a scoop of non-fat cottage cheese on the plate and to compliment it all, I added 3 slices of a red, juicy, delectable tomato. No, I did not add salt to the cottage cheese, but since I am in confession mode, I will admit that I added salt to the tomato. Why? Why did I need to ruin this incredible gift of nature? It was perfect exactly as it was. But I have to tell you, I love salt on a tomato. It's fantastic.

I love putting all the flavors in my mouth at the same time: the eggs (with seasoned salt), the cottage cheese, sans salt, and the salty tomato. That is my breakfast Nirvana. So how bad can it be? Well, that depends on who you talk to. Our bodies need salt since it is an essential nutrient; however, everything in moderation, right? According to WikiAnswers.com, "....most Americans consume many times more sodium than they need in a day. Too much salt can raise one's blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Processed foods are notoriously high in sodium- just a can of soup can contain more than a days worth of salt!"

I mentioned that I add salt to eggs, potatoes and tomatoes, but the fact is that even though I may not add it to my pizza, I do consume pizza every now and then. Not every day, not even every week, maybe only once a month...maybe. But what the heck am I doing eating pizza in the first place? My point is that I'm almost certainly exceeding the maximum amount of salt that is necessary because my food intake isn't as "clean" as it should be. Oops...there goes another confession. I do not eat nearly enough fresh produce. I love fresh fruits and vegetables, why don't I eat them more often? I know I eat far too many canned goods like soup and tuna fish, which of course are packed to the brim with sodium. I do like fresh broccoli, but I like putting soy sauce on my broccoli. Soy Sauce equals mass amounts of sodium. Even the "lite" soy sauce has more milligrams than I have a right to consume. Oh man, am I doomed or what?

The truth is, my eating habits could be a lot worse. Gone are the days of fast-food binges and sugary snacks. I don't need or want to eat that way anymore. Nor do I want to deal with stroking out or acquiring high blood pressure. I guess I could wean myself of salty eggs and tomatoes. I suppose I could find flavor in salt substitutes like Mrs. Dash or Spike. I've tried them before and they were pretty good. Salt is just a bad habit that I've fallen back into. I'm glad I confessed. I'm glad the salt thing is out in the open. And I'm definitely going to try to cut back. No, I won't try to cut back, I will cut back on my salt intake. I know what the healthier alternatives are and I will implement them into my daily life. I will eat eggs, cottage cheese and tomatoes and it will all taste delicious without adding any salt. What a healthy breakfast, right? Of course, I shouldn't be eating that every day. Because now that I think about it, maybe I'm eating too many eggs.