Hydration!

We have all heard about the importance of hydration. However, sometimes, when we hear things so often from so many different voices, we can be inclined to tune it out. In fact, roughly 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated! That is a staggering statistic! Don’t let this be you! In this blog post, we are going to help you understand why it is so important to hydrate and give you some guidance on how to help this become a daily routine.

WHY HYDRATE?

When our bodies are properly hydrated every system benefits! Let’s go over a few things that happen in our bodies when we take in enough fluids!

1.       Our body temperature is regulated as water is essential for functions like sweating, blood circulation and respiration.

2.       Our joints are less painful-the cartilage in our joints contain 80% water!

3.       Immune systems functioning-proper fluid balance is needed for active immune cells, healthy mucus membranes, and a properly functioning lymphatic system.

4.       Lowering inflammation-when hydrated, our bodies can flush out toxins, lubricate our joints, have proper lymphatic drainage, and have healthy nutrient exchange between cells-all key parts of lowering inflammation.

5.       Our sleep is regulated with hydration! The sleep-wake cycle and deep, restorative sleep are all helped or hurt through hydration.

6.       Brain health-mental clarity, alertness, concentration, and short-term memory all suffer with just a small decrease in hydration levels. Hydration decreases our cortisol levels and synthesizes neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters, in turn, regulate our emotions, mood, and cognitive function. And even mild dehydration can cause the brain to contract away from the skull which leads to headaches and migraines.

7.       Digestion-water is essential in breaking foods down and helping the many-step act of digestion operate smoothly.

               I could go on! Our skin health, circulation, urinary tract health, heart and detoxification systems all need proper hydration if they are going to function properly. Conversely, if we are dehydrated a headache is not the only thing that will happen. We will likely not recognize the domino effects of systemic issues, especially if we are chronically dehydrated.

HOW MUCH?

Many formulas are out there to help you figure out how much water you should drink. They often take into account how much you are exercising and whether you live in a hot climate. But these formulas are often complicated and confusing. To make things simple, a general recommendation for every adult is to drink around half your body weight in oz. per day.

CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER

There are a few factors that might make that number change. For instance, if you are exercising you should add 12 oz. of water for every 30 minutes of exercise. If you live in or are visiting a hot and humid climate or even a high-altitude climate you will also need to increase your fluid intake. There are certain life stages where you need to hydrate more like pregnancy, breastfeeding or if you are in the 2^nd half of your life. As you age your body’s ability to hold onto water decreases and your sense of thirst becomes less acute. So, as you can see, the answer is very personal. If you feel like there are too many factors you are working with, you can also go by the color of your urine. Pale yellow urine indicates proper hydration. If your urine is dark yellow or amber colored your body needs more fluids, even if you are hitting a certain number of oz.

ELECTROLYTES

Electrolytes are minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium. These essential minerals regulate water’s distribution through and retention in the body. A lack of these essential electrolytes will result in dehydration. This is because your kidneys will excrete water if they lack electrolytes.

We often get enough electrolytes from our food. Eating foods like bananas, spinach, avocado, dairy products, and nuts will help you to get a balanced amount of electrolytes. However, if you are going to be doing heavy exercise, be in the heat for long periods of time, are recovering from an illness or have certain medical conditions, powders will help restore unusual amounts of electrolyte loss.

               What do those electrolytes actually do in your body? Let’s go over each mineral inside a typical electrolyte packet to see what it does!

1.       Sodium: regulates amount of fluid outside of cells and maintains blood volume

2.       Potassium: balances sodium’s effects and helps regulate the amount of water inside your cells

3.       Magnesium: crucial in over 300 enzymatic reactions, cellular energy and transportation of water into cells

4.       Chloride: works closely with sodium to regulate blood volume, blood pressure, and the amount of fluid inside your cells

It is important to remember that not all electrolytes are created equally. Many electrolyte mixes have added sugars, preservatives, colors, and flavors. Find a mix that is either raw-just the electrolytes with no additives or one whose flavors are all-natural.

We love the LMNT brand and sell both the packets and sparkling drinks. We also sell Perfect Amino Electrolytes. Both brands are free from junk and will help your body stay hydrated!

WHAT KIND OF FLUIDS

While you want most of your fluids each day to come from water there are other things that can contribute to hydration. Freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juice, milk, broth, and herbal teas contribute to your fluid intake each day.

If you are sick of water and want to look at other options for your daily fluid intake, be aware that many of us Americans are “conditioned” to expect everything to taste extra sweet. And we do not have to look far to get this taste satisfied-most energy drinks, vitamin waters, juices, sodas, and teas that you buy in the store will be full of sugars and often contain artificial flavorings and colors. There are many reasons why you should keep these additives out of your body. One of them is that consuming sugar can make your kidneys work hard to filter out excess sugars which will lead to increased urination. This in turn will eventually dehydrate you.

So, your best bet is to have the majority of your fluid intake come from plain old water!

DAILY ROUTINE SUGGESTIONS

Maybe you know all this information but have never found a good routine for making sure you are staying hydrated. Depending on your personality different systems will work.

1.       Choose times in your day where it feels natural to take a break and drink a glass of water.

2.       Always carry around a water bottle to sip on.

3.       Set reminders on your phone.

4.       Make sure there are water bottles stashed in different places at home, in your car, and at the office.

5.       Make yourself drink water before you do something you look forward to each day.

6.       Have a full glass of water first thing when you wake up-before you have your morning coffee-to get yourself off to a good, intentional start.

And if the taste of plain water isn’t your favorite, add some fresh fruit or a lemon slice, mint, and a little salt. Getting a high-quality electrolyte and putting that in one of your glasses for the day is also a great way to make the experience more enjoyable!

CONCLUSION

Hopefully this has helped you understand the reason hydration is so important as you work toward a healthy lifestyle each day. It is worth putting effort into building a hydration routine, your body will love you for it! As always let us know if you have any questions!

Blessings on your journey!