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good advise there Dave! I live on a diet of salt and red meat. Not that healthy but all my blood results are A1 
(apart from low level diabetes )
(apart from low level diabetes )
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Beware travelling in Spain!
- Thread starter Dave2000
- Start date
Ah yes, have to have my red meat as well. 
I am generally good with avoiding salt to keep my blood pressure in check, the spanish seem to love it though, I was advised against the product alternative 'Lo sal' which apparently is not good for you?
Re the diabetes, we are supposed to avoid sugar and eat fibre, so beans it is....er wait a minute, ingredients on bean can shows........sugar!
I guess we will all have to live just on air but alas, that is contaminated as well.
Regards
Dave
I am generally good with avoiding salt to keep my blood pressure in check, the spanish seem to love it though, I was advised against the product alternative 'Lo sal' which apparently is not good for you?
Re the diabetes, we are supposed to avoid sugar and eat fibre, so beans it is....er wait a minute, ingredients on bean can shows........sugar!
I guess we will all have to live just on air but alas, that is contaminated as well.
Regards
Dave
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just cant win!
Good advice there Dave, this mineral depletion creeps up unawares, and down you go.
What sort of temps are you talking, 40+?
I'm off to Qatar tomorrow for a short visit, but the 33 - 36 odd degrees were having here won't prepare me for that very well, I'm guessing it's peaking at least mid 40s there.
What sort of temps are you talking, 40+?
I'm off to Qatar tomorrow for a short visit, but the 33 - 36 odd degrees were having here won't prepare me for that very well, I'm guessing it's peaking at least mid 40s there.
Your right about it creeping up on you Clive, ATM we are around 35 - 37 on the coast but, even a simple walk around the block with the dog leaves your clothes soaking in sweat, if there is a breeze you stay dry...ish but your sweat is being carried away and before you know it your in trouble, dark clothes once dry show white salt stains so not at all nice.
I normally hide away with the AC on by about 13.00 during July/August however, a house sitting stint in a very nice apartment WITHOUT AC is taking it's toll hence getting caught out over the weekend, of course drinking water is the right thing to do but then the depletion of minerals takes over.
Had mid 40's in the desert s few weeks back on a reccie trip with @Rodger and his wife, that was only a couple of days but hard graft.
Safe travels mate,
Regards
Dave
I normally hide away with the AC on by about 13.00 during July/August however, a house sitting stint in a very nice apartment WITHOUT AC is taking it's toll hence getting caught out over the weekend, of course drinking water is the right thing to do but then the depletion of minerals takes over.
Had mid 40's in the desert s few weeks back on a reccie trip with @Rodger and his wife, that was only a couple of days but hard graft.
Safe travels mate,
Regards
Dave
Thanks Dave, sitting at gate 2 ATM, waiting for the call. This trip is a doddle, there and back for a meeting, returning tomorrow, but I spent 18 months there working in the desert 10 years ago, and if you spend any length of time outside in 55 C as it was quite regularly, it does catch you out.
It's windy too, the gulf winds are steady and relentless, and warm with it. It's deceiving, because the atmosphere is humid, 98% at times, making it hard to breathe, but you'd think that would lessen the effects of dehydration, but it doesn't.
I know all about the white stains on dark clothes, one reason the Qatari Arabs wear white!
Cheers...
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Quick update.
Many may or may not know we have several areas in Spain now on fire. Main cause is being laid at the feet of people throwing out lit cigarettes ftom moving vehicles. Fines if caught can be horrendous and mentions of prison time abound, I know it seems incredulous that people do this but have to assume it is simply a blonde moment?
In an effort to reduce the fire risk, authorities have workers with tractors and strimmers cutting down the dried grasses and weeds along the edges of roads, this is the norm every year but this year it seems they are really going to town, the speed limits are varying from 20 kph up to 60 kph, no doubt the Gaurdia Civil will be enforcing this with some vigour, and again fines will be issued, last confirmed fine was 600 euros for 30kph over the POSTED limit! It is not uncommon to see a single speed limit sign and then travel another 3 or 4 kilometres before coming upon the works, I am sure I am not the first to speed up a few kilometres after the sign has been passed?
Regards
Dave
Many may or may not know we have several areas in Spain now on fire. Main cause is being laid at the feet of people throwing out lit cigarettes ftom moving vehicles. Fines if caught can be horrendous and mentions of prison time abound, I know it seems incredulous that people do this but have to assume it is simply a blonde moment?
In an effort to reduce the fire risk, authorities have workers with tractors and strimmers cutting down the dried grasses and weeds along the edges of roads, this is the norm every year but this year it seems they are really going to town, the speed limits are varying from 20 kph up to 60 kph, no doubt the Gaurdia Civil will be enforcing this with some vigour, and again fines will be issued, last confirmed fine was 600 euros for 30kph over the POSTED limit! It is not uncommon to see a single speed limit sign and then travel another 3 or 4 kilometres before coming upon the works, I am sure I am not the first to speed up a few kilometres after the sign has been passed?
Regards
Dave
Last edited:
We are now seeing the worst fires in Spain for 30 years, the tarmac is catching fire as the flames blow across roads. Incredibly people are still trying to drive through the flames, one driver felt it was clever to drive complete with the family in a car along a tarmac road that was actually on fire, they were uploading it to social media when all of a sudden the tarmac flared up blocking their path, unsure if the filming was stopped by the occupants or the news channel showing it this morning but it did not look good?
Advice is check your route and plan for delays and diversions, with the temps now at 40 in the shade (47 in Cordoba last week), fires are expected to spread, new fires are being started and despite warnings on the TV and radio, overhead gantries on motorways and so forth, people are being filmed still throwing lit cigarettes from car windows.....incredible!
Be careful out there.
Regards
Dave
Advice is check your route and plan for delays and diversions, with the temps now at 40 in the shade (47 in Cordoba last week), fires are expected to spread, new fires are being started and despite warnings on the TV and radio, overhead gantries on motorways and so forth, people are being filmed still throwing lit cigarettes from car windows.....incredible!
Be careful out there.
Regards
Dave
People in general are idiots, and they seem quite proud of it these days. It's Sad.
Luckily, we've had a relatively wet summer, so the dry grass syndrome is reduced. Asphalt temps can exceed 200C in direct sunlight, so it doesn't take much to ignite the bitumen, at those temps.
Take care Dave.
Luckily, we've had a relatively wet summer, so the dry grass syndrome is reduced. Asphalt temps can exceed 200C in direct sunlight, so it doesn't take much to ignite the bitumen, at those temps.
Take care Dave.
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Swambo tells me off for putting salt on everything which allows me to point out that i'm not the one who suffered kidney stones through dehydration and is often told by the doc to drink more liquid . Without salt our bodies can't retain water that's why we are as dry as a nuns **** the day after drinking 20 pints and pissing 30 , we washed all the salt out.
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Dioralyte sold as runny bum tablets in sunny Britain at most supermarkets are the equivalent .
Yep Shayne similar stuff here but, I know they all pretty much work in the same way. If your specific about wanting for being dehydrated, or for the 'threepenny's' they will give you something to target the probkem more directly.
Just purchased one that is flavourless, it is called 'FLECTOMIN' 10 sachets about €7.50, just in case someone does not like the usual orange flavour.
Just finished 12 days house sitting, no AC not a nice gig that one, hence drinking shedloads of the stuff! Now back to the house I recently moved into which has an ageing AC system but better than nothing.
Regards
Dave
Just purchased one that is flavourless, it is called 'FLECTOMIN' 10 sachets about €7.50, just in case someone does not like the usual orange flavour.
Just finished 12 days house sitting, no AC not a nice gig that one, hence drinking shedloads of the stuff! Now back to the house I recently moved into which has an ageing AC system but better than nothing.
Regards
Dave
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2010
- Messages
- 5,517
There was an army survival specialist on the telly the other day talking about fighting in extreme temperatures like those in Iraq. The army does not have any packs of salts for replenishing lost ones. All lost salts are replaced by eating a normal diet. Plenty of water is needed of course.
As mentioned earlier by Shane, the body needs salt to help it retain water. perhaps the military cook with plenty of salt Frank?
I think if you sweat enough salt out of your body then it simply has to be replaced, at present a ten minute walk will net me a soaking wet T shirt, as my body does not manufacture sodium it must be replaced. I would be the first to concede I do not eat a balanced diet but, I know of many who do and they still suffer in particular during July and August.
Right, off to get a low calorie burger!
Regards
Dave
I think if you sweat enough salt out of your body then it simply has to be replaced, at present a ten minute walk will net me a soaking wet T shirt, as my body does not manufacture sodium it must be replaced. I would be the first to concede I do not eat a balanced diet but, I know of many who do and they still suffer in particular during July and August.
Right, off to get a low calorie burger!
Regards
Dave
I thought this looked like sensible commentary...
The myths and facts about salt
A new report shows half of Britons eat dangerous amounts of salt, risking heart problems, strokes, kidney disease and cancer.
Our nutrition expert Angela Dowden takes a look at some of the myths, and truths about salt.
Fact: We eat far more salt than we need
At least 26 million people in the UK are eating more than the recommended adult daily salt intake of six grammes. Men eat an average of 11g of salt a day, equivalent to almost two level teaspoons, while women consume around 8.1g.
Children also have more salt than recommended.
Babies below the age of six months should have less than 1g of salt per day and seven to 12-month-olds should have no more than 1g per day. For ages one to three, the recommendation is 2g; for four to six-year-olds it is 3g; and for seven to ten-year-olds it is 5g. Children over 11 have adult requirements.
Myth: Sodium and salt are the same
Chemically, salt is sodium chloride - and every 1g of salt contains just 0.4g sodium. This means that if a food label gives only sodium information, you need to multiply it by two-and-a-half to get the salt content.
While we cannot live without sodium - it regulates the body's fluid balance and is crucial for nerve and muscle function - too much is harmful. The chloride part of salt isn't deemed harmful, though.
Fact: Salt isn't the only source of sodium
Sodium is also found in additives including sodium nitrite, sodium bicarbonate and monosodium glutamate. So read the label of processed foods and medicines.
Myth: Salt is the primary cause of high blood pressure
Too much salt can cause cause blood pressure rises in people who are already prone to hypertension (high blood pressure).
But whether healthy people who don't have blood pressure problems need to reduce their salt intake is a matter of controversy.
In launching its latest campaign, however, The Food Standards Agency has decided that population-wide reductions in salt are to be recommended, citing the Intersalt trial - the world's largest salt investigation - as evidence.
This study involved more than 10,000 people from 32 countries and showed a general correlation between sodium consumption and blood pressure - a pattern which was strongest in the middle-aged, but also persisted weakly across the whole age and blood pressure range.
Experts involved in the study estimate that a blanket reduction by one third in sodium intake could reduce strokes in the UK by 22 per cent, and heart attacks by 16 per cent.
Fact: salt can make you heavier
According to Professor Graham MacGregor, of St George's Hospital in London, salt consumption results in us carrying around 3lb of excess fluid (salt attracts water like a sponge, and this can be especially troublesome for women before their period). High salt intakes are also associated with a greater excretion of calcium in the urine - which some researchers think may compromise bone strength and increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
A correlation has also been found between salt and asthma, and salty foods and stomach cancer.
Fact: Some people may not need to reduce their salt consumption
This is possibly the case - a review in the Journal Of The American Medical Association concluded that salt reduction has little benefit for many healthy individuals with normal blood pressure.
Other, arguably more important factors in keeping blood pressure healthy are reducing weight and alcohol intake.
In the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hyper-tension) trial in the U.S., those who ate more potassium, calcium and magnesium through a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products showed significant reductions in blood pressure even if they didn't restrict salt.
However, the effects were better still when salt was minimised as well. One estimate is that ten to 25 per cent of those with normal blood pressure are sensitive to the effects of salt, but what's incontrovertible is that most of us eat far more salt than we need, so reducing intake is probably wise for all of us.
This is especially so if there is a history of high blood pressure in your family.
Myth: You should not cut down on salt if you sweat a lot
It's often been suggested that manual workers and athletes need extra salt, or that it's dangerous to cut down on salt when the weather is hot. But you need very little salt to be healthy - and many people in tropical countries eat far less salt than we do.
The Salt Manufacturers' Association argues that at-risk groups for low salt include the elderly and pregnant women.
But if you're in one of these groups you'd have to be eating a very low salt diet indeed (and in the hottest weather) to run into problems. In practice, it's extremely unlikely to happen.
Myth: Most salt is added at the table
About 80 per cent of the salt we eat comes from processed foods. Supermarkets and manu-facturers have pledged to reduce salt, but they aren't doing it quickly enough for either the Government or Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which represents the views of the leading medical experts on salt in the UK.
The food industry has been asked by both the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health to come up with plans to make a 40 to 50 per cent reduction.
Fact: There's a commercial interest in keeping our food salty
According to Professor MacGregor, salt is by far the cheapest flavour enhancer and can make cheaper foods more palatable. "Salt also helps food to retain water and bulks up products extremely cheaply," he says. "Salt intake is the main driver to thirst and, therefore, soft drink consumption. It is, therefore, of huge commercial interest to many companies."
Myth: Eating just 6g a day is impossible
No - there's a lot you can do while manufacturers plan to make salt reductions. Start by checking the label on processed foods to see how much sodium they contain. More than 0.5g sodium (1.25g salt) is "a lot"; less than 0.1g sodium (0.25g salt) is a little. Also try following these tips, from Sam Church, a nutritionist at the Food Standards Agency:
The myths and facts about salt
A new report shows half of Britons eat dangerous amounts of salt, risking heart problems, strokes, kidney disease and cancer.
Our nutrition expert Angela Dowden takes a look at some of the myths, and truths about salt.
Fact: We eat far more salt than we need
At least 26 million people in the UK are eating more than the recommended adult daily salt intake of six grammes. Men eat an average of 11g of salt a day, equivalent to almost two level teaspoons, while women consume around 8.1g.
Children also have more salt than recommended.
Babies below the age of six months should have less than 1g of salt per day and seven to 12-month-olds should have no more than 1g per day. For ages one to three, the recommendation is 2g; for four to six-year-olds it is 3g; and for seven to ten-year-olds it is 5g. Children over 11 have adult requirements.
Myth: Sodium and salt are the same
Chemically, salt is sodium chloride - and every 1g of salt contains just 0.4g sodium. This means that if a food label gives only sodium information, you need to multiply it by two-and-a-half to get the salt content.
While we cannot live without sodium - it regulates the body's fluid balance and is crucial for nerve and muscle function - too much is harmful. The chloride part of salt isn't deemed harmful, though.
Fact: Salt isn't the only source of sodium
Sodium is also found in additives including sodium nitrite, sodium bicarbonate and monosodium glutamate. So read the label of processed foods and medicines.
Myth: Salt is the primary cause of high blood pressure
Too much salt can cause cause blood pressure rises in people who are already prone to hypertension (high blood pressure).
But whether healthy people who don't have blood pressure problems need to reduce their salt intake is a matter of controversy.
In launching its latest campaign, however, The Food Standards Agency has decided that population-wide reductions in salt are to be recommended, citing the Intersalt trial - the world's largest salt investigation - as evidence.
This study involved more than 10,000 people from 32 countries and showed a general correlation between sodium consumption and blood pressure - a pattern which was strongest in the middle-aged, but also persisted weakly across the whole age and blood pressure range.
Experts involved in the study estimate that a blanket reduction by one third in sodium intake could reduce strokes in the UK by 22 per cent, and heart attacks by 16 per cent.
Fact: salt can make you heavier
According to Professor Graham MacGregor, of St George's Hospital in London, salt consumption results in us carrying around 3lb of excess fluid (salt attracts water like a sponge, and this can be especially troublesome for women before their period). High salt intakes are also associated with a greater excretion of calcium in the urine - which some researchers think may compromise bone strength and increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
A correlation has also been found between salt and asthma, and salty foods and stomach cancer.
Fact: Some people may not need to reduce their salt consumption
This is possibly the case - a review in the Journal Of The American Medical Association concluded that salt reduction has little benefit for many healthy individuals with normal blood pressure.
Other, arguably more important factors in keeping blood pressure healthy are reducing weight and alcohol intake.
In the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hyper-tension) trial in the U.S., those who ate more potassium, calcium and magnesium through a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products showed significant reductions in blood pressure even if they didn't restrict salt.
However, the effects were better still when salt was minimised as well. One estimate is that ten to 25 per cent of those with normal blood pressure are sensitive to the effects of salt, but what's incontrovertible is that most of us eat far more salt than we need, so reducing intake is probably wise for all of us.
This is especially so if there is a history of high blood pressure in your family.
Myth: You should not cut down on salt if you sweat a lot
It's often been suggested that manual workers and athletes need extra salt, or that it's dangerous to cut down on salt when the weather is hot. But you need very little salt to be healthy - and many people in tropical countries eat far less salt than we do.
The Salt Manufacturers' Association argues that at-risk groups for low salt include the elderly and pregnant women.
But if you're in one of these groups you'd have to be eating a very low salt diet indeed (and in the hottest weather) to run into problems. In practice, it's extremely unlikely to happen.
Myth: Most salt is added at the table
About 80 per cent of the salt we eat comes from processed foods. Supermarkets and manu-facturers have pledged to reduce salt, but they aren't doing it quickly enough for either the Government or Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which represents the views of the leading medical experts on salt in the UK.
The food industry has been asked by both the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health to come up with plans to make a 40 to 50 per cent reduction.
Fact: There's a commercial interest in keeping our food salty
According to Professor MacGregor, salt is by far the cheapest flavour enhancer and can make cheaper foods more palatable. "Salt also helps food to retain water and bulks up products extremely cheaply," he says. "Salt intake is the main driver to thirst and, therefore, soft drink consumption. It is, therefore, of huge commercial interest to many companies."
Myth: Eating just 6g a day is impossible
No - there's a lot you can do while manufacturers plan to make salt reductions. Start by checking the label on processed foods to see how much sodium they contain. More than 0.5g sodium (1.25g salt) is "a lot"; less than 0.1g sodium (0.25g salt) is a little. Also try following these tips, from Sam Church, a nutritionist at the Food Standards Agency:
- Be sparing with sauces, especially soy sauce, because they are usually very high in salt.
- Cut down on salty snacks such as crisps - go for low-salt snacks such as dried fruit, sticks of vegetables and unsalted nuts instead.
- Try to eat less of heavily salted foods such as bacon, cheese, pickles, smoked fish and many ready-prepared meals.
- Choose canned vegetables and pulses that are marked "no added salt".
- Make your own stock or choose lower salt stock cubes, because stock cubes tend to be high in salt.
- Add less salt to cooking - use herbs and spices to add flavour to cooking, instead of salt.
- Get out of the habit of adding salt at the table - try to remember to taste food first.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2013
- Messages
- 16,248
And everybody who ever so much as seen a cigarette is already dead 
Fact is life is too fickle to make even the most comprehensive study suitable to enforce widespread prescription .
Westerners in heat and people with the shits don't want to eat so where does that leave the above commandment ?
I guess the army ain't eating macdonalds low salt cardboard or supermarket sandwiches Frank .
Fact is life is too fickle to make even the most comprehensive study suitable to enforce widespread prescription .
Westerners in heat and people with the shits don't want to eat so where does that leave the above commandment ?
I guess the army ain't eating macdonalds low salt cardboard or supermarket sandwiches Frank .
Some interesting reading there Clive. I do avoid salt normally due to minor blood pressure issues, but do add a little to meals during July and August but it is clearly not enough in my case. The dehydration caused by salt or sodium depletion is a very real problem in hot climates by people not used to it, perhaps it is a DNA 'thing'?
Interesting that two of my (English) manual worker friends along with myself all were unwell during the same week when temperatures were around 45C. Given our bodies do not produce salt or sodium, and we know we lose it by sweating, which then reduces our ability to absorb water eventually must mean we dehydrate unless it is replenished by diet or supplements.
As I have expereinced this on more than one ocassion means I am able to recognise the symptoms and act accordingly.
Regards
Dave
Interesting that two of my (English) manual worker friends along with myself all were unwell during the same week when temperatures were around 45C. Given our bodies do not produce salt or sodium, and we know we lose it by sweating, which then reduces our ability to absorb water eventually must mean we dehydrate unless it is replenished by diet or supplements.
As I have expereinced this on more than one ocassion means I am able to recognise the symptoms and act accordingly.
Regards
Dave
Last edited:
I avoid adding salt to food at the table, mainly because I don't like all my food to taste of salt! There are exceptions of course, who can eat chips or potatoes in general, without a little bit of salt on them, but I'm talking in terms of grains not grammes!
I once foolishly commented on my 97 year old father-in-law's habitual lathering of salt all over every meal he ate, as 'unhealthy' and immediately wanted to eat my words, after all, he is 97 and as fit as any 97 year old fiddle could be expected to be!
I agree that DNA has a lot to do with it, as it does with the way our bodies deal with other aspects, such as cholesterol.
Anyway, I think we've done dehydration matters to death here, where the conclusion has to be to try to recognize it in advance, and deal with it appropriately, before it knocks you to the ground, when in certain circumstances it may be too late.
I flew to Qatar last week, and the stewardess was very tolerant of me asking for more water and fruit juice (than the standard one drink issue) on the aircraft. Never be afraid to ask for more (although demands for more beer and Scotch may raise eyebrows
).
It was 47 C when we landed and as usual, some 98% humidity and windy with it. I was glad to have some advance hydration inside me!
Take care...
I once foolishly commented on my 97 year old father-in-law's habitual lathering of salt all over every meal he ate, as 'unhealthy' and immediately wanted to eat my words, after all, he is 97 and as fit as any 97 year old fiddle could be expected to be!
I agree that DNA has a lot to do with it, as it does with the way our bodies deal with other aspects, such as cholesterol.
Anyway, I think we've done dehydration matters to death here, where the conclusion has to be to try to recognize it in advance, and deal with it appropriately, before it knocks you to the ground, when in certain circumstances it may be too late.
I flew to Qatar last week, and the stewardess was very tolerant of me asking for more water and fruit juice (than the standard one drink issue) on the aircraft. Never be afraid to ask for more (although demands for more beer and Scotch may raise eyebrows
).It was 47 C when we landed and as usual, some 98% humidity and windy with it. I was glad to have some advance hydration inside me!
Take care...
