Why You Need to Eat More Salt on Paleo
2 CommentsThe title of this article may come as a bit of a shock to some, especially with the range of ailments an increased salt intake has been linked to. Salt is vilified by conventional wisdom; but then again, so is saturated fat. We know that the ‘experts’ don’t always get it right, and it seems that this is true once again when it comes to salt.
Sodium, the mineral that makes up approximately 40% of table salt, is an essential nutrient for human health. It regulates your fluid balance, improves muscles function, and allows your nerves to send impulses throughout your body. Sodium maintains the balance of other minerals, such as calcium and potassium, in the bloodstream. It also helps to maintain sugar levels in the bloodstream, thus reducing the need for insulin.
Salt itself is also an important part of the process of digestion. In the mouth, salt activates the enzyme salivary amylase, which provides signals to the brain that digestion is due to take place. In the stomach, it assists in the creation of hydrochloric acid, which helps break down your food.
Studies show that people with a higher sodium intake are at greater risk of developing heart and blood problems and suffering from strokes. However, this correlation is not a fair one. The majority of people in Western society who consume a higher level of salt are generally doing so through a higher intake of processed foods. There have been no studies that directly show the link between the sodium itself and the problems it is said to cause; so could this in fact be the processed food that is the root of the problem? It’s highly likely.
When choosing your salt, look for a salt rich in trace minerals such as Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. As with everything, the key is moderation. Too much salt is likely to put excess pressure on your kidneys; however, anything up to 1tsp of high quality salt each day and you’re definitely in health promoting territory. As processed foods are not on the menu in any Paleo household, you can afford to be a little more liberal with your seasonings.
Understanding the Difference: Natural Salts vs. Processed Salt
When it comes to salt, not all varieties are created equal. The type of salt you choose plays a crucial role in whether it supports your health or contributes to imbalances. Highly refined table salt, often used in processed foods, is stripped of beneficial minerals and typically contains anti-caking agents and additives such as aluminium. In contrast, natural salts like Pink Himalayan Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, and Redmond Real Salt are minimally processed and retain valuable trace minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and iodine in their natural forms.
These natural salts not only enhance the flavour of your meals but also offer genuine health benefits that are synergistic with a Paleo lifestyle. Many advocates of ancestral diets report improved hydration, better digestion, and fewer muscle cramps when they replace refined salt with mineral-rich alternatives. That’s because our bodies evolved alongside a natural intake of whole, unrefined salts — not the bleached and engineered table salt you find in most supermarket aisles.
Signs You Might Be Salt Deficient
While much of the mainstream advice focuses on reducing salt intake, some people may actually be consuming too little — particularly those who are physically active, following low-carb diets, or sweating heavily in hot Australian climates. Here are a few signs your body may be craving more salt:
- Persistent fatigue, even after a good night’s sleep
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Light-headedness when standing up quickly (low blood pressure)
- Muscle cramps, especially during or after exercise
- Increased salt cravings
These symptoms can often be relieved by increasing your intake of high-quality, mineral-rich salt and ensuring you remain well-hydrated with filtered water throughout the day.
Salt, Electrolytes, and the Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet is naturally low in processed foods — which means it’s also low in sodium by default. This can be beneficial, especially when coming from a standard Western diet, but it also means that intentional sodium consumption becomes more important, particularly for those who engage in intermittent fasting, regular exercise, or ketogenic-style eating.
Electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and potassium work together to maintain fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. When you sweat, urinate frequently, or reduce carbohydrates significantly, you also lose electrolytes. Many people following a clean Paleo lifestyle benefit from consciously adding salt to their meals — whether through sprinkling over roasted vegetables, adding to bone broth, or blending into post-workout hydration drinks with lemon and water.
Creative Ways to Use Natural Salt in a Paleo Kitchen
If you’ve only ever used salt to season a steak, there are countless other ways to enhance your dishes with it. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of quality natural salts:
- Salt-Crusted Vegetables: Coat whole vegetables like beetroots or sweet potatoes in a salt crust before roasting to intensify their flavour and sweetness.
- Fermented Foods: Salt is an essential ingredient in homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables. It supports the fermentation process and boosts gut health.
- Finishing Touch: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt just before serving dishes like avocado salad, seared meat, or dark chocolate Paleo treats to enhance taste and texture.
- Salted Bone Broth: Don’t forget to season your homemade bone broth with a pinch of sea salt to bring out the umami flavour and provide electrolyte support.
Salt and Blood Pressure: Re-examining the Evidence
One of the key concerns about salt consumption in mainstream nutrition is its supposed link to high blood pressure. However, current research paints a far more nuanced picture. For individuals with normal kidney function who are eating a nutrient-dense, whole food diet, moderate salt consumption does not typically result in harmful elevations in blood pressure.
In fact, some studies have shown that people with the lowest salt intakes had higher rates of cardiovascular events. This may be because sodium helps maintain volume and pressure in the circulatory system. When sodium is too low, your body may increase adrenaline and renin levels to compensate, creating a more stressed state overall. As with cholesterol and saturated fat, the salt-heart disease link seems to have been based more on early correlations than robust long-term studies.
Salt and Hormonal Health
Salt can also impact hormonal health, particularly when it comes to adrenal function. The adrenal glands regulate stress hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone, and they also help control sodium retention. If your adrenals are overworked — perhaps due to chronic stress or poor sleep — your sodium balance can be disrupted. Cravings for salty foods might be your body’s way of signalling that it needs support.
Incorporating a balanced amount of salt in your diet may help reduce symptoms of adrenal fatigue, including fatigue, dizziness, and blood pressure swings. It’s another example of how natural salt, when consumed mindfully, supports overall resilience and vitality.
Rethinking the Salt Shaker
For years, we were taught to fear salt — lumping it in with fats and red meat as dietary villains. But with increasing awareness around ancestral health, we’re beginning to understand that salt in its natural form is not only safe but essential. As long as it’s not accompanied by refined oils, artificial preservatives, or sugar (as it so often is in processed foods), it can be a powerful health ally.
So if you’ve banished the salt shaker from your table, it might be time to welcome it back — filled with a beautiful, mineral-rich sea salt that your great-great-grandparents would have recognised. Like so many other Paleo principles, it’s not about going overboard, but returning to balance and real, whole ingredients.
What’s your favourite type of salt — and how do you use it in your meals? Have you noticed any benefits since switching from refined salt to natural varieties? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below.
Jamaican Goat Curry in the Slow Cooker
2 CommentsEver tried goat? I’ll admit, it can be a bit of a challenging meat. It took me quite a few visits to my butchers before I finally learnt how to use it properly. Through experimenting, I’ve learnt that it requires an extended, slow cooking method in order to make it tender. The meat itself is incredibly flavoursome, and excellent when paired with bold flavours. Goat Curry is a popular dish in the Caribbean, so that’s exactly where my influences came from when creating this recipe.
Slow Cooker Jamaican Goat Curry
Equipment
- Large pan
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large white onion finely diced
- 8 garlic cloves crushed
- 100 g ginger grated
- 4 scotch bonnet chillies use less if you prefer your curries less spicy, deseeded and chopped
- 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 500 g goat shoulder meat chopped into cubes
- A few sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 x 400ml can chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml beef stock
- Juice of half a lime
- Fresh coriander for garnish
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilli, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Brown the Meat: Add the goat meat to the pan and lightly brown on the outside. Throw in the allspice, cumin, and coriander, ensuring the meat is evenly coated.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Transfer the contents of the pan into your slow cooker. Add the thyme, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes, and beef stock, and stir. Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Finish and Serve: When ready to serve, squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with plenty of fresh coriander.
Notes
- Adjust the number of scotch bonnet chillies based on your spice preference.
- This curry pairs well with steamed vegetables or cauliflower rice.
- Goat meat can be substituted with lamb if preferred.
Why Choose Goat Meat?
Goat meat, while less common in Western kitchens, is one of the most widely consumed red meats globally. It’s incredibly lean, lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork, or lamb, and high in protein, iron, and B vitamins. For anyone following a Paleo lifestyle, it fits right in — especially if you can source pasture-raised or organic goat. Because of its lower fat content, it benefits from gentle, moist cooking methods to really shine.
What Makes Jamaican Goat Curry So Special?
Jamaican cuisine is known for its rich, bold, and aromatic spices. When applied to goat meat, these flavours complement the natural richness of the meat and balance it with warmth, heat, and depth. The traditional blend typically includes allspice, thyme, ginger, and Scotch bonnet chillies. In this Paleo version, we skip any sugar, legumes, or processed ingredients — but the essence of the dish remains intact: deeply satisfying, fragrant, and hearty.
Slow Cooking: The Secret to Tender Goat
One of the most important things to know when working with goat is that it really needs time. This is not a cut-and-fry kind of meat. It thrives when it’s left to gently bubble away for hours, allowing the connective tissue to soften and the meat to fall off the bone. A slow cooker or crockpot is ideal, but you can also use a heavy cast-iron pot on the stovetop or in the oven on low heat. In fact, letting the curry cook low and slow ensures all the spices have time to mingle and infuse every bite.
What to Serve with Jamaican Goat Curry
While traditional versions may come with rice and peas, in keeping with a Paleo approach, there are plenty of satisfying alternatives:
- Cauliflower rice – a light, low-carb substitute that soaks up the sauce beautifully.
- Mashed sweet potato – offers a slightly sweet contrast to the spices in the curry.
- Roasted plantains – a nod to Caribbean tradition, and a delicious, naturally sweet pairing.
- Steamed greens or sautéed spinach – a nutrient-dense and colourful addition to your plate.
Tips for Cooking with Goat
Here are a few extra tips to help make your Jamaican Goat Curry a consistent success:
- Brown the meat first: A quick sear in a hot pan before transferring to the slow cooker helps add depth and a slight caramelised flavour.
- Let the curry rest: Like most curries, the flavour improves even more if you let it sit overnight and reheat the next day. Great for meal prep!
- Remove excess fat: Goat is lean, but some cuts still contain connective tissue and bits of fat that are best trimmed before cooking.
- Adjust the heat: If you’re sensitive to spice, reduce or omit the chillies — you can always add a little more later.
Customise Your Spice Blend
Every Jamaican household has its own version of curry goat, and you can easily make this recipe your own by adjusting the spice blend. Common additions include:
- Fresh ginger and garlic
- Ground cumin and coriander
- Bay leaves and cinnamon
- Lime juice or zest for brightness
Feel free to play around with what you have in your pantry — just keep the bold, earthy base flavours intact for that authentic Jamaican taste.
Where to Buy Goat Meat in Australia
Goat meat is increasingly available in Australia, especially from independent butchers, farmers markets, and online meat suppliers. Some areas with larger African, Caribbean, or Middle Eastern communities also have specialty butchers who carry goat regularly. Ask your local butcher if they can source it for you — many are happy to bring it in upon request. Look for cuts like shoulder, neck, or leg, which are best for slow cooking and rich stews like this one.
Leftovers and Freezing
This curry stores beautifully, and in fact, the flavour often improves after a day or two. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply warm on the stovetop over low heat until bubbling, or microwave gently, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
A Dish Worth Sharing
If you’re entertaining friends who’ve never tried goat before, this is a fantastic recipe to showcase it. It’s warming, generous, and pairs perfectly with all sorts of sides and condiments. Serve it at your next dinner party or family lunch, and you might convert a few goat-sceptics in the process!
Goat: A Sustainable Choice
Beyond its culinary appeal, goat meat is also a more sustainable red meat option. Goats require less feed and water compared to cattle, and they can graze in arid conditions unsuitable for other livestock. Supporting local goat farmers contributes to more diverse, regenerative agricultural practices — all while enjoying a delicious, nutrient-rich meal that supports your health.
Try It and Let Me Know
If this recipe has inspired you to try goat for the first time, or if you’ve already made your own twist on this dish, I’d love to hear about it. Share your feedback or variations in the comments below — and don’t forget to let me know if you’ve found any other unusual meats that are worth slow-cooking Paleo-style!
Sweet Potato & Choc-Chip Muffins – Paleo Treats
6 CommentsI find myself wanting to eat baked goods like muffins, cookies and cakes very rarely now I’m Paleo. There’s always an abundance of ‘real food’ like meats, veggies, eggs, fruit and nuts sitting in my fridge, and nine times out of ten I will always go for something from this list rather than starting a batch of Paleo brownies or cupcakes. There are times, however, when the aspiring chef within you wants to make a sweet treat for the whole family; but it's often a battle finding a recipe that is full of goodness.
These sweet potato muffins are one of the exceptions to the rule. They pack in a ton of goodness from the nutrient dense eggs, coconut flour, flaxseed and the sweet potatoes themselves. The sweet potato and cinnamon combination is divine, and the chocolate chips add an extra bit of indulgence. Give them a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Sweet Potato and Chocolate Chip Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tray
- Paper or silicon muffin cases
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups roasted sweet potato mashed and left to cool
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup raw organic honey
- 2 heaped tbsp ground flaxseed
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 100 g dark chocolate chips at least 70% or a 100g bar of dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Line an 8-hole muffin tray with paper or silicon cases.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the sweet potato mash with the coconut oil, eggs, almond milk, and honey. Whisk together until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Combine Ingredients: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make a batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Fill the Muffin Cases: Pour the muffin batter into the cases, filling to about 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake: Bake on the top shelf of your oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
- Ensure the sweet potato is fully cooled before mixing to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Use dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa for a richer flavour.
- These muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.