Do You Crave Salt

[JBaby]

Just wondering how many of you crave salt when you are gluten-free. I never craved salt in the BAD days.

[sandsurfgirl]

You are probably dehydrated and low on electrolytes. A doctor I went to said that dehydration is a key issue for people with an autoimmune disorder.

I have tried natural electrolyte drops and packets and they made me feel sick and dizzy so I'm just drinking Gatorade and lots of water. But you might try them and see if they help.

[CecilyF]

I am too! I salt stuff that I've NEVER salted before.

[huenix]

Since going gluten free, my salt intake has dropped significantly, but I am not sure a correlation is provable. Its winter, and I have been monsterously busy with work and family and stuff, but last spring and summer, when I was running a lot, I was to the point that I was craving salt all the time. I'd pour salt on anything and everything. I would shake salt onto my hand and eat it. My wife would go insane at me about how bad it was for me.

As this is my first gluten free training cycle, I am really curious to see if my salt cravings, as well as persistent cramping, goes away. I know its not really dehydration, because I am way too familiar with the symptoms, but its possible it was electrolyte issues.

[JBaby]

I am too! I salt stuff that I've NEVER salted before.

Glad its not all in my head. I never ate a tube of lays Stax chipsin 1 siting before or half a bag of regular Lays chips. I agree, it is likely dehydration. I drink way to much coffee and hot teas every day. Even pre gluten-free diet with the coffee drinking and tea, i never craved salt. Now I do.

[sandsurfgirl]

Coffee, tea and soda all dehydrate you and throw your electrolytes off. You are supposed to drink something like 2 glasses of water for every one glass of coffee, tea or soda that you drink.

I drink tea but cut coffee right now while my gut is healing. I drink a big glass of half water and half Gatorade in the morning before I have my tea to get a leg up on the dehydration. I wish I could use the natural electrolytes but I just can't so this is working for me right now.

[luvs2eat]

My tastes have totally changed over the years I've been gluten free. I don't bake much anymore... can't reconcile myself to the cookies and the flavor of cakes we can have. I want crunchy chips way more than candy/cookies anymore.

[DownWithGluten]

I've always been a salt-mongering fiend and still am. I know it's not healthy. It's like my tongue doesn't want to eat something unless there's those granules of tangy salt on it. (Unless it's chocolate or something sweet, lol.) What's that about electrolytes? Don't even know what those are.

I always figured it was a taste palate thing. I remember learning that there are different taste bud sections on the tongues, and some people have stronger buds than others, etc., allowing for different 'tastes.' So I thought maybe I had a weak tangy bud that needs salt on everything to have flavor.

It would be good if it was something else I could fix because it's a bad habit. But I had it pre-going-gluten-free and after.

[bluebonnet]

yes!! ... and i think its so strange because i never craved anything salty and pretty much avoided it purposely! now though i find myself wanting it. wierd.

[larry mac]

I am drinking more margaritas!

best regards, lm

[huenix]

Coffee, tea and soda all dehydrate you and throw your electrolytes off. You are supposed to drink something like 2 glasses of water for every one glass of coffee, tea or soda that you drink.

This is a fallacy. People who consume caffeinated beverages regularly have no diuretic effects from it. And the sodium in most sodas adds to electrolyte levels, not removes them.

[larry mac]

This is a fallacy. People who consume caffeinated beverages regularly have no diuretic effects from it. And the sodium in most sodas adds to electrolyte levels, not removes them.

I'm not disputing the statement above, I'm not an expert about it.

But, on the rare occassions that I drink iced tea, it seems to make me P a lot.

best regards, lm

[missy'smom]

I am watching this conversation with interest so I'll add my thoughts and experience. I have been craving salt lately too and never did before. I don't know what's behind it but I do know that if I drink my day's alottment of water I do better overall. I haven't come to a conclusion about the influence of tea and wine but the days when I am not consuming it and the days when I am functioning better go hand in hand and I tend not to munch on the salty food on those days as well. I find that I mostly crave it in the evenings. I don't drink alot of tea, just one to three cups per day and many times that 2nd and third cup will be brewed from the same tea bag or leaves, resulting in less caffiene. Wine is another story sometimes:unsure: One thought I had was that I being on a very restricted diet I reach for the same things that I have deemed "safe" if I want to stray off plan, so I was wondering if I trained myself unknowingly to reach for salt via that particular food. However I think that the body is always trying to achieve some balance and for some of us that is a more delicate balance than others so I feel that it might not take much for some.