Dr.'s Blog

American’s (and most people around the world) are CHRONICALLY dehydrated.

[60-75% of American’s, to be exact.]

A staggering percentage when you consider how vital water is to our overall well-being. Water is a necessary component for every cell and tissue in the body; for most physiological functions that occur and has even been referred to as the FIRST piece of building material.

As little as 1% loss of body mass due to dehydration (which can happen in as little as 4-8 hours) can significantly impact cognition, mood, memory and motor coordination.

Dehydrated?

· Decline in cognitive performance, physical performance

· Fatigue

· Weightloss resistance

· Dry skin, wrinkles, and other skin issues.

· Cardiovascular stress and loss of blood volume

· Cellular shrinkage

· Inability to effectively control core body temp

· Headaches, muscle tension and cramps

· Slow recovery

Each of us has about 4 million sweat glands that excrete a mixture of water, salt, amino acids, proteins, and other substances. The exact composition varies based on our hormone balance, physiological changes, and what bacteria and viruses are in the body.

WATER

Important Roles:

· Regulates internal body temp

· Lubricates Joints

· Carbs and proteins are metabolized and transported by water

· Detox and flushing wastes

· Surface tension of water plays dynamic functions of the body

· Polarity . blood flow.

· Proper metabolism

HYDRATE PROPERLY

High quality water:

·Ideally: High quality spring water

Properly filtered, contains broad spectrum of minerals, neutral to alkaline.

· Void of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other nasty contaminants (common in tap water and even well water)

Other considerations:

· Bottle water: Typically overly priced, for what you get. Many brands are just ‘filtered’ tap water. It’s not ideal to be constantly drinking out of plastic bottles, as plastic contains many chemicals that are harmful to our body, particularly our hormones and nervous system.

· Do your research before buying a filter; there are many out there that make impressive claims, but many are just crafty with their marketing techniques.

· If you drink reverse osmosis (RO) water, make sure you add in full spectrum minerals as the RO water will strip the filtered water of those essential minerals.

-More info on water filtration at:

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/using-ewgs-water-filter-buying-guide

How Much?

Ideally, shoot for about half your body weight in ounces of water, per day.

Depending on your activity level, muscle mass, outside temperature, etc, you made require more.

Tips:

· Get your day started with water! Drink 16-24 oz before leaving the house, and before you eat your first meal. It will energize you, and help your body flush things out.

· Drink plenty before and after a workout. (Avoid sugary ‘sports’ drinks!!)

· Don’t drink a TON before a meal – it may dilute stomach acid levels and inhibit proper breakdown and digestion of your food.

· Don’t disrupt your sleep!  Avoid chugging water right before bed. Get those OZ’s in at least a couple hours before.

· Find your favorite, BIG water bottle! Glass or stainless steel. Bring it everywhere. Fill it up before you leave the house. And USE IT!

· Feel like snacking during the day? Even shortly after having lunch? DRINK. Sometimes our body is just craving some fluid, and not a bag of chips.

· Yes, it’s tough at first. But, you’re body will adapt quickly and you’ll realize how much better you feel being well hydrated. Then it’ll be tough to turn back!

Next level:

Hard workout?

Pre-load your body with high quality water and minerals. 30-60 minutes prior.

Re-Load after the workout!

And no… Gatorade or most other sports drinks do NOT count as ‘electrolyte replenishers’. The vast majority are filled with sugar, artificial dyes and flavors, and other toxic stuff that is only going to hinder your performance and recovery. You can hydrate much more efficiently (and spend less money) with good quality water.

Tasty ways to Hydrate

• Fizzy water with fresh squeezed citrus juice
• Lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, tangerine (zest from the peel is potent too!)
• Citrus essential oils (only need a drop or two!)
• Add in a little organic stevia or monk fruit for a naturally sweetened, zero calorie, zero effect on blood sugar, beverage! (Your kids will love it too 😉
• Coconut or watermelon water are viable options, but do contain moderate amounts of naturally occurring sugar.

Hydrating Foods

YES- Foods can be very hydrating for the body.

Only fresh foods, as they are made of mostly water. Have you ever seen a raisin? Yea, that use to be a grape. Ever tried making kale chips? Yea, they shrink by 1/20th of their normal size. These fresh foods also contain natural

● Coconut water or coconut milk

● Celery

● Watermelon and other melon

● Cucumber

● Kiwi

● Bell peppers

● Citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit

● Carrots

● Cultured pasture-raised dairy foods (including yogurt, kefir, etc)

● Pineapple

Basically– most fruits and veggies. Notice the tropical ones tend to be very hydrating! — although, these ones tend to come with higher sugar content.

Favorite Brands:

Ionized Minerals

https://prlabs.com/ph-minerals-premier-1.html

Hydrate

https://myessentials.idlife.com/shop/products/fitness/hydrate

Redmond ancient salt

Real Salt