WHAT?! I should drink SALT water?

When I first learned about using salt water for health benefits it was way back in my marathoning days around 2008 when I was still eating a crappy SAD (Standard American Diet) and the recommended endurance training diet of lots of processed inflammatory carbs (translate to bagels, pasta, and then more bagels and pasta), drinking Gatorade, and taking ibuprofen to mask the pain from my never-ending stream of recurring injuries. Bah!

My naturopathic doctor sold me these little one ounce vials of what she proclaimed to be a magic ionic salt water tonic at an embarrassingly high price, and told me that it would help my adrenal function (What the hell were adrenals anyway, I wondered at the time.), muscle recovery from my training, and hydration during long-runs. She suggested I pack a vial along with me during my longer runs of 16+ miles, and to chug it down when I started feeling fatigued during the higher miles. She swore it would give me a boost of energy by rehydrating me. What? Rehydrate…with SALT?!

Watch my 14 Benefits of Himalayan Salt Sole Water YouTube Video Here:

 

I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. I mean, haven’t we always been told that salt is the enemy? And wouldn’t salt make me more, not LESS thirsty? But given that I was sick, run-down, and basically desperate at the time, I figured what the heck. And she was a natural healer afterall, and the reason I’d gone to see her in the first place is because all the medications that the doctors had given me up until that point not only hadn’t helped, but seemed to be making matters worse.

I was SOLD on SOLE!

The first time I used that magical elixir about 16 miles into a 20-mile run, I was sold. Within two minutes of swigging it down, it was as though old worn-out batteries in a flashlight had been replaced with brand new fresh, top-of-the-line batteries! My energy skyrocketed and I finished that last four miles with nearly the same energy I had when I’d trotted out of my driveway at the start of the run. I was sold. From that point forward, I always carried small baggies of Himalayan salt with me during all of my long endurance training events, as packing along a vial of liquid wasn’t very convenient.

I’ve been a long-time advocate of the health benefits of real salt or Himalayan salt because of the 84 trace minerals it contains, but using ionic salt water, sole (pronounced solay) made from Himalayan salt crystals for health benefits had been off my radar until several months ago when I needed help recovering my adrenal function and fatigue I was experiencing after the mold poisoning I experienced on my cruise.

After some research, I came across the magical elixir my ND had recommended all those years ago. Sole is water that has been completely saturated with natural, unprocessed salt. And as it turns out, it is a whole lot cheaper to make it at home than it was to buy it in those little vials.

I keep a jar of it on my counter and add half to a full tablespoon to a large glass of water as soon as I wake up in the morning. The recommended dose I’ve found in my research is 1 tsp, but I use more since I sit in my sauna each morning and probably sweat more than the average person each day, so I am using it to replenish salt I am losing in my sauna sweat sessions.

1 tsp Sole is Not Equal to 1 tsp of Salt!

Please note that adding a teaspoon of sole to a glass of water is not the same as adding a teaspoon of salt to a glass of water and drinking it. According to this source, a teaspoon of sole contains 478 mg of sodium, while regular table salt contains 2300mg, which is your entire limit for the day according to the American Heart Association. Not only that, but regular table salt is highly processed and completely devoid of 82 of the 84 trace minerals that are contained in Himalayan salt, which is why I stopped using regular table salt years ago. It is important to understand that processed table salt and Himalayan salt are NOT the same; the former leads to health detriment, while the other contains elements that support health.

Here are 14 reasons you may want to consider adding sole to your daily routine:

1. Supports thyroid function –  Your thyroid needs several different minerals to function properly and for adequate thyroid hormone to be produced.
2. Supports adrenal function – As with the thyroid gland, minerals play an essential role in healthy adrenal function and the body’s stress response, including calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, silicon,  sulfur, and zinc.
3. Helps to rehydrate the body after the repair and detoxification that your body goes through while you sleep.
4. Improves energy because of the minerals and ionic energy in the solution help to support the adrenal glands. This was a miracle during my endurance training days, endurance events, and for my recovery from mold illness.
5. Helps to detoxify the body by supporting the body’s natural detoxification system and assisting in flushing out bad bacteria from the body.
6. Improves the body’s mineral status – note that most people today are mineral deficient because our food sources are devoid of minerals.
7. Hormone balance – because minerals are essential for producing hormones, when we are mineral deficient (which most of us are in our modern world), our hormones will be out of balance; adding sole to your daily regimen may be an important piece of the puzzle in balancing out your hormones.
8. Powerful natural anti-histamine – got allergies? Adding a teaspoon of sole to a glass of water each day just might help to keep those itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezes at bay!
9. Balances blood pressure – I know, this is contrary to what you might expect since salt has been so demonized. This is likely due to the improved mineral status of the body.
10. Improves blood sugar regulation in some people. I would guess that this is likely due to improved mineral status improving the body’s hormone balance.
11. Improves sleep. Again, this is likely due to the improved mineral status and hormone balance. Our bodies actually NEED salt, and consuming a low-sodium diet could be a contributing factor to sleep disturbance.
12. Improves digestion by stimulating the digestive system and supporting the absorption of nutrients from food.
13. Improves skin, hair, and nails – because…minerals and improved hydration!
14. Reduces muscle cramps and helps the body recover from intense workouts because the body’s mineral status and hydration are improved. Speaking from my own experience here, sole is a MIRACLE elixir here! I have participated in multiple intense endurance events, including marathons and Spartan Beast races and had very minimal soreness following the events. My recovery almost seemed too easy!

How to Make Himalayan Salt Sole:

As I mentioned above, making Sole at home is a whole lot cheaper than those one ounce vials I purchased from my ND all those years ago, and it’s easy too!

You need only four things:

1. A glass jar. I just use a wide-mouth quart jar.
2. A plastic lid. PLEASE do not use a metal lid, as the salt water will react with the metal, causing the metal to oxidize (rust).
3. Himalayan crystal salt. Don’t use the fine ground, use the crystal form.
4. Pure filtered water. Again, don’t use city tap water.

Instructions:

1. Fill your quart jar about ¼ – ⅓ full of the salt crystals.
2. Add filtered water to fill the jar.
3. Put the plastic lid on the jar and shake well, then leave jar to sit on counter overnight to allow the salt to dissolve.
4. Check your jar the next morning. There should be some undissolved salt crystals remaining in the jar. This is an indication that your water is fully saturated with salt, and that your sole is ready. If there is no salt remaining in the jar, add more and re-check after several hours, and continue adding more salt until crystals remain in the jar.
5. As the level of sole in your jar becomes low, you can continue adding salt and water to maintain your jar indefinitely.

To Use Your Sole:

Add 1 tsp to 8 oz. of room temperature water first thing in the morning before food, and drink at least 30 minutes before consuming any food.

Still convinced that salt is the enemy? I recommend checking out the book Water and Salt: The Essence of Life: The Healing Power of Nature. Not only is natural salt loaded with trace minerals not the enemy, it is essential for life!

If you found the information in this article useful, and you’ve given sole a try, I’d love to hear your comments below!