Hickory Smoked Pyramid Sea Salt Flakes - Just Natural Bulk - 150g

What is Celtic Sea Salt? Deriving from the coastal regions and estuaries of Brittany, France, Celtic Sea Salt (or Sel Gris as translated in French) is a grey salt, harvested traditionally from solar-evaporated ocean water. Inhabited at the bottom of clay ponds, Celtic Sea Salt has a complex flavouring that naturally enhances the taste of fruits and vegetables. Why is Celtic Sea Salt trending? The artisanal salting technique goes back centuries, linking back to traditions and rituals. The ecosystem has been preserved for many years, making the production very authentic. Over the last few years Celtic Sea Salt has found its way onto social media because of how uncomplicated the processing is. The natural salt has been recommended by influencers all around the world. Creators have invested in the product and have been talking about all of its advantages. Celtic Sea Salt Benefits Hydration By adding the salt to fruits and vegetables, and eating the whole foods (not the sea salt) in large doses, it allows for a larger electrolyte intake, and eventually an electrolyte balance in your body. This, as well as the trace minerals, could help aid the functioning of hydration in your organs, and wash out the toxins in your body. Digestion Celtic Sea Salt is minimally processed compared to other salts; therefore, it contains a lower amount of sodium, a higher amount of minerals, and it includes lots of natural moisture. With this being said, it is far lighter to digest because of its natural elements and could potentially improve your gut health in the same process. Nutrients In discussing Celtic Sea Salt’s harvesting, the minimal processing keeps most of the nutrients and minerals in the salt, thus giving the body nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, (maintains bone, muscle, and nerve health) potassium, (regulates blood pressure, and heart health) Iron, (supports transportation of red bloods cells and oxygen) and Zinc. These elements also help promote clearer and hydrated skin, by balancing out the PH levels, ultimately reducing acidity, inflammation and irritation. HINT: A pinch of Celtic Sea Salt in warm water before bed could help soothe your muscles, strengthen the body, and the calming properties could even promote a better night’s sleep. History of Salt Dating back to 6000BC, parts of China would fight over salt reserves. The Shangxi province contains a salt river, civilians would wait till the dry seasons where the water would dissolve, and salt would be left behind. Eventually, hunters and gatherers found large amount of salt in animal meats and started to understand the concept of flavouring and seasoning. This is when the concept of ‘pickling’ and ‘brining’ foods began. During late 400 BC, Hippocrates used salt for medicinal reasons. He used salt for respiratory treatments, and it was also pressed into the skin to help heal diseases. Salt also became an expensive investment during ancient times, because of the preservation and seasoning elements. Communities would trade for salt and economies thrived off the transactions. In fact, the Latin word for salt, ‘sal’ became the term ‘salary’ in Roman times, as many soldiers were paid in salt. Hence where the term ‘not worth his salt’ comes from. Moving to the 14th century, large amounts of rock salt started to get mined, in what is now considered Austria. During this Celtic era was also when the French collected spring water and first boiled it to extract salts from ‘brine water’ in order to collect chunks of pure salt, and also boiled it to create separate drinking water. In the 18th century the United Kingdom took on salt for the chemical industries. Taking on Prussia’s clever organisation of salt mining, the UK were quick to adapt to the monopoly of salt trade and were the biggest manufacturer and consumer of Salt. By the 19th century many chemists began experimenting with other compounds and ‘Salt’ became a popular additive for many products, such as- soda, soaps, fertilizers, and textiles. Now in the 21st century, salt is a cheap everyday product, however, it is still mined and harvested in the same traditional ways as centuries before. Types of Salt As seen in the paragraph above, salt has been and is still used for lots of different reasons. It is a useful and versatile mineral that can be bought in different states and types. Table Salt (The most commonly used salt in cooking, predominantly made up of sodium chloride.) Sea Salt (Evaporated Sea water, available as fine granules and crystals. Less processed than table salt.) Rock Salt (Mined salt from its original form. Excellent home remedy for digestive issues.) Pink Sea Salt (The same type of salt as sea salt, the pink colouring comes from natural minerals and clay.) Fleur Del Sel (Wind-dried, hand harvested salt from the French marshes of Guerande.) Himalayan Salt (Mined from ancient deposits in the Himalayan mountains, rather than from evaporated water. Smoother taste than table salt.) Black Salt (Synthetic salt made from different types of sodium and charcoal, or activated charcoal and sea salt.) Kala Namak (Black salt that is manufactured from the outer regions surrounding the Himalayas.) Why Celtic Sea Salt? Aside from its unusual grey colouring, Celtic Sea Salt is a great salt to invest in because of how natural its sold state is. Alike Himalayan salt, Celtic Sea Salt is also traditionally gathered, giving it that authentic edge over other salts. Compared to other salts, Celtic Salt has the lowest amount of sodium. Sodium in small doses help balance out your electrolytes, and help your nerve impulses function. Too much sodium can have a negative effect on your liver and kidneys and lead to de-hydration and fluid retention. Food experts have talked about how Celtic Sea Salt has a curious flavour and texture to it. The saltiness is delicate, allowing the true flavours of the food to push through to your palette, and the texture is satisfyingly crunchy adding to its complexity. Although it is sometimes suggested as being an expensive salt, chefs have said that it is a great restaurant ingredient and a great pantry ingredient to keep in your house. Why Is Celtic Sea Salt So Moist? Celtic Sea Salt is very moist because of its natural mineral-rich brine. Not to be confused with water, this salt has a brine that is low in sodium and high in nutrients. Celtic Sea Salt is dried in the sun; therefore, its moisture is not fully removed. Compared to most salts, Celtic Salt contains more natural minerals because of its extra moisture. NOTE: If wanting to grind this salt, remember to cook your salt in the oven for a few hours to dry it out. This should make it easier to grind and the texture should be more of a powdery form. Cooking With Celtic Sea Salt As we now know, Celtic Sea Salt has an unusual flavour that enhances our whole food recipes. Celtic Salt can be used in baking and cooking, it dissolves very quickly so it is great seasoning for soups, stews, casseroles, and curries. As well as this, Celtic Salt is a great finishing salt for meats, fish, and plant-based meals. It is a popular salt to use for home fermenting. It also works as a great savoury flavouring with dark chocolate and caramel desserts. It is suggested that humans should only ingest between 1 and 2 teaspoons of the salt a day, anymore could lead to potential hydration issues. What Is The Best Celtic Sea Salt We recommend purchasing Celtic Sea Salt from smaller businesses who focus on the organic side of products. This way you will have a better idea of the quality. Some of the best Celtic Sea Salt brands include: Celtic Sea Salt (This Celtic Sea Salt shop was founded in 1976, and is a worldwide brand) Le Paludier Celtic Salt, Sel de Guerande, Food Alive, Whole Food Earth (You can buy this Celtic Sea Salt online)

White sugar doesn't have any nutritional value but supplies us with extra calories. That's why more and more people are looking for healthier and natural ways to replace it. There are sugar alternatives that you can easily buy online and enjoy your meals and drinks with a little bit of sweetness that is less harmful. This list includes dates, erythritol, agave syrup, maple syrup, organic coconut sugar and stevia. 1. Dates Dates are fruits of the date palm tree. In the Western countries mainly dried dates are consumed, that are available as: whole, pitted or chopped dates. The most popular varieties are Medjool dates and Deglet Noor dates. Dried dates are sweet and chewy with a caramel-like flavour. You can also easily buy date syrup made of heated dates mixed with water and blended into a sweet nectar. Both whole dried dates and date syrup are a great alternative for sugar in cooking and baking. Nutritional value of dates Dates consist of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruits. Dried dates are much healthier than normal sugar. They are high in important nutrients such as fibre, vitamin B6, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. Organic dates are packed with antioxidants: flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic acid that help fight inflammation and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Dates have a low glycemic index. The fibre in dates can help to control blood sugar levels and prevent them from sugar spikes. However, since they are dried fruit, they quite high in calories. Buy organic dates in bulk 2. Erythritol Erythritol is a natural sweetener that tastes exactly like sugar but it has no calories. It can be used just like white table sugar in drinks, and for cooking and baking. Erythritol contains 70% of the sugar sweetness but only 6% of its calories. How is erythritol made? Erythritol belongs to sugar alcohols that are used as sugar-free sweeteners (such as sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol). They can stimulate the sweet taste receptors on your tongue. Most sugar alcohols are found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables. Nutritional value Erythritol is different from the other sugar alcohols as it contains fewer calories and doesn’t cause any side effects. Most of it gets absorbed into your bloodstream and it's excreted with the urine. Erythritol acts as an antioxidant and helps the blood vessel function in people who suffer from type 2 diabetes. It is also a great sugar alternative for those who want to lose weight. Unlike table sugar, erythritol doesn't feed the bacteria that cause cavities so it helps to stop the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Buy erythritol in bulk 3. Coconut sugar Organic coconut sugar is the less-processed type of sugar. Sometimes called coconut palm sugar it is made in a natural way from the dehydrated sap of the coconut palm tree. How is coconut sugar made? Liquid sap is collected from a cut made on the coconut flower. Then, it is heated until the liquid evaporates. The result is a brown granulated product. Don't confuse it with palm sugar which is made in a different way. Nutritional value of coconut sugar Coconut sugar contains very small amounts of minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, zinc, plus polyphenols, antioxidants and fibre. Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index and slow down the absorption of glucose. This is thanks to inulin. Coconut sugar consist of sucrose (70-80%) which is indeed fructose. Similarly to normal sugar, coconut sugar is high in calories. Although coconut sugar's nutritional profile is slightly better than of normal sugar, consuming too much of it is not very healthy and may lead to many serious diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Buy coconut sugar in bulk 4. Agave syrup Agave syrup or agave nectar, is a plant-based sweetener made from a different species of plant called agave (Agave Tequillana, Agave Salmiana, Agave Americana). Agave has a mild sweet and neutral flavour which makes it a great sugar substitute for delicate dishes. It is also one and a half times sweeter than white sugar, so you can use less of it when replacing sugar. How is agave syrup made? To make agave syrup from the Agave Americana and Agave Tequilana, the leaves are cut off the plant (the plant is seven to fourteen years old). The juice is then extracted from piña - the core of the plant. Later the juice is filtered and heated until it becomes a thick liquid. In case of Agave salmiana, the syrup is made differently. As the plant grows, it starts to develops a stalk called a quiote. The stalk is cut off before it fully grows, creating a hole in the middle of the plant. This hole fills with a liquid called aquamiel. The liquid is collected daily and heated up. Agave syrup may have different colours from light to dark brown, depending on the degree of processing. Nutritional value of agave Agave syrup composition depends on the species from which the syrup was made. In A. tequilana, the syrup contains up to 60% fructose, 20% glucose, and little bit of sucrose. In agave syrup made from A. salmiana, sucrose is the main sugar. Agave syrup also contains very small amounts of vitamin C and B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, and selenium but the serving size provides little benefit from these micronutrients. Buy agave 5. Maple syrup Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple tree. Maple syrup is graded based on its colour and taste. It is used as topping and sweetener for tea, coffee, porridge, oatmeal, waffles and pancakes. How is maple syrup made? The sap is collected from drilled trunks of the tree. Then the sap is heat up to evaporate most of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup. Nutritional value of maple syrup Maple syrup consists mainly of sucrose. It is rich in antioxidants when compared with other sweeteners and it has a lower glycemic index. Buy maple syrup 6. Stevia Stevia is a plant-based sweetener that is intensely sweet. Indeed, it is 50 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It can be used as sugar alternative in baking or in any way you want to replace sugar. It has mild, a bit bitter flavour, similar to licorice. How is stevia made? Stevia is made from Stevia rebaudiana, a plant from chrysanthemum family. Many stevia products are made from a highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside A (Reb-A) which is about 200 times sweeter than white sugar. They are sold in form of powder, granulated or liquid (stevia drops). You can grow stevia plants at home and use the leaves to sweeten meals and drinks. Nutritional value of stevia Stevia sweetener has no nutritional value and no calories so it doesn't impact blood sugar levels. It is a good sugar replacer for those with diabetes and those trying to lose weight. However, as a nonnutritive sweetener its impact on an individual’s health may depend on the how much of is consumed, and the time of day it is consumed. European Food Safety Authority has concluded that stevia products are safe for consumption within the moderate daily intake, both for healthy adults and children.

What is Sodium Bicarbonate? Sodium Bicarbonate, more popularly known as Baking Soda or Bicarbonate of Soda, is most well known as a pure leavening agent. It’s a chemical compound that is technically classified as a type of salt that is crystalline, but usually appears as a fine white powder. Sodium bicarbonate has a slightly salty, alkaline taste to it that somewhat resembles washing powder. Although its name may imply this product is used solely as a baking ingredient - that could not be further from the truth! Sodium Bicarbonate can be used for a whole host of things, from an ingredient to a medicine, to a cleaning product and even a bath bomb - it has so many benefits! Sodium Bicarbonate Uses Here at Wholefood Earth, we have compiled a handy list of just some of its many uses, so you can discover why you need this multi-purpose product in your life 😊 Baking Sodium bicarbonate is probably most commonly known for being a rising agent in baking, hence the alternate name - baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate becomes activated when it’s combined with both an acidic ingredient (such as lemon juice or buttermilk) and a liquid. Once it is activated, it produces carbon dioxide which allows the batter to rise and gives baked goods such as bread, cakes, cookies, and muffins a light, fluffy texture. Yummy! Multi-purpose Cleaner After baking, cleaning is probably considered the next most popular use for sodium bicarbonate. From descaling kettles and cleaning silverware to unblocking drains and neutralizing any unsavoury odours around the home – sodium bicarbonate does it all! If you want to use it for cleaning, just mix a paste of sodium bicarbonate with an equal amount of lemon juice and a bit of water. Then use a sponge or cloth to apply the paste to your desired appliance or surface and it should soon be as good as new. Garden There is a wide range of reasons for using sodium bicarbonate in your garden. It can be used for treating mildew or fungus, clearing pathways, discouraging pests, getting rid of weeds and cleaning garden furniture. Certain plants and flowers prefer alkaline soil, so sprinkle some sodium bicarbonate in your soil to amend the pH balance which can stimulate blooming and give your plants a real boost! Bath Bombs If you didn’t already know, sodium bicarbonate, along with citric acid, are the main components when it comes to making bath bombs. Just mix 2 parts sodium bicarbonate to 1 part citric acid and you're ready to go! For a handy ready-made kit, we’ve got you covered with our very own Bath Bomb Kit. Antacid Sodium bicarbonate can be used as a fast-acting but temporary, remedy for treating heartburn, acid reflux, upset stomach, and indigestion. Due to its high alkaline pH, it works by neutralizing excess acid in the stomach which causes these symptoms. Using it for this purpose classes it as an antacid. Oral Health Sodium bicarbonate has a few uses when it comes to your mouth. It has become a popular at home treatment for teeth whitening. This is due to the fact it has mild abrasive properties that can break the bonds of molecules that stain your teeth. Along with whitening your teeth, sodium bicarbonate can also be used as a replacement for mouthwash. Some studies show that it may help freshen your breath and can even expend antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, as well as increasing the saliva’s pH level. Exercise Did you know sodium bicarbonate is also a prevalent supplement among athletes? Some studies show that sodium bicarbonate helps you perform longer at your peak, especially during anaerobic exercises or high intensity training and sprinting. Sodium bicarbonate may also help in delaying fatigue due to its high pH, helping you perform longer at maximum intensity. Deodorant Natural deodorants have become more popular of late due to some worries regarding the ingredients present in conventional deodorants. One of these natural alternatives is sodium bicarbonate. Studies suggests that it may contain antimicrobial benefits, which could potentially mean it has the ability to fight off odour-causing bacteria under your arms. However, make sure to do a patch test first as sodium bicarbonate can be quite drying, especially if you have sensitive skin. Alternatively, you can try mixing it with shea butter or coconut oil to offset some of the dryness. Stain Remover Whether it be tough carpet stains or keeping your laundry whites, white - sodium bicarbonate can assist in both! Sodium bicarbonate is an alkali, which is a soluble salt, meaning it can help eliminate dirt and stains. It works by interacting with the acids present in stains when dissolved in water. Combining sodium bicarbonate with vinegar forges a compound known as carbonic acid, which is a common ingredient found in cleaning products – perfect for cleaning stained carpets! The reaction between the two creates a lot of fizzing, which can aid in breaking down tough stains. Removes Pesticides Some people have concerns regarding pesticide residue on food and the sometimes harmful effects they can have on our health. You can eliminate the pesticides by removing the skin on fruit and vegetables, but this means you will not be getting the full nutritional benefit found in the skin. However, soaking the fruit or veg in sodium bicarbonate before consuming it has been shown to remove nearly all the residue from the pesticides. Cosmetic Uses Sodium bicarbonate is also good for your skin. It has a variety of cosmetic uses such as exfoliating dry lips, soothing inflammation, treating fungal infections, improving acne and removing dead skin cells. It may also alleviate any itchiness, redness or stinging caused by bites from insects such as mosquitos, bees and wasps. Additionally, sodium bicarbonate may help soothe skin that’s been sunburnt. As mentioned previously, we do recommend doing a patch test first before applying it to your skin.