The word "salary" comes from old farming times, when salt was so valuable that people earned their wages in it. Our bodies need salt for its important sodium chlorine (NaCl) content, as well as for valuable trace minerals.

But not all salts are equal. According to Jonn Matsen, ND, author of Eating Alive, The Secrets to Great Health, and Eating Alive II, common table salt, and even some sea salts, have been bleached and their valuable minerals removed. "The sodium chloride in the average everyday diet is a highly processed, industrial grade that is as much a toxic irritant as it is beneficial," he says.

At the Northshore Naturopathic Clinic, in North Vancouver, BC, Dr. Matsen recommends unrefined Caribbean Sea salt, which has been hand-harvested and tested for contaminants. Unprocessed sea salts are distinguishable by their grayish or pinkish tones. Himalayan crystal salt, for example, is coral-coloured. This relatively unknown up-and-comer contains up to 84 minerals and trace elements in a colloidal form that's quickly absorbed and assimilated into the body.

So, what colour is in your salt shaker?

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