Salt: the pixie dust of deliciousness

Salt possesses magic powers. No lie. Sprinkle it on almost anything and guaranteed, the food's flavor shifts into overdrive. That's why it's added to everything from canned vegetables to restaurant fare to the uber-natural offerings at Whole Foods. Which makes avoiding salt all the more difficult. And while finding low-salt alternatives isn't too hard, hunting down no-salt prepared food borders on the impossible. 

That means a lot more cooking from scratch. Forget about take out. If you're the sort who thinks the microwave takes too long, or if you only use your oven to store shoes, then sticking to the Brentwood Diet and managing your high-blood pressure will be tough. For everyone else, you'll save money, eat obnoxiously wholesome meals without any added preservatives or chemicals and learn nifty tricks like how to roast peppers. 

After a few weeks of salt-free eating, your taste buds will re-set themselves to zero. So when you eventually eat something seasoned with the forbidden condiment, it may actually taste too salty. Like Grey Poupon mustard. But, everything else will taste damn good. 

Pathetically Short List Of Salt-Free Foods:

• Westbrae Natural Stoneground Mustard No Salt Added

• Alessi Balsamic Capers

• Trader Joe's Alaskan Pink Salmon No Salt Added

• Trader Joe's Tongol Chuck Light Tuna No Salt Added

(Giving up salt isn't the only way to help control hypertension. Dialing up on your potassium, calcium and magnesium intake makes a difference, too.  Learn more about it at www.dashdiet.org)