Dear Osa friends,
As we welcome summer and warmer weather, I’m taking a break from my CNS exam preparations to share a few simple tips for staying hydrated–no expensive electrolyte sachets required! Enjoy.
Proper hydration is foundational for essential bodily functions including maintenance of internal temperature, oxygen and nutrient transport to tissues, and waste removal. General recommendations for daily water consumption for men and women are roughly 3.7 liters and 2.7 liters, respectively. However, this does include the water contained in foods consumed. A rule of thumb for the amount of water to drink in ounces is half of your body weight as measured in pounds. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim to drink roughly 75 ounces of water daily, which is about 9 glasses.
Becoming dehydrated can contribute to feelings of fatigue and malaise, can impede recovery from illness, and is deleterious to tissue health in general. Hydration is also important for exercise because it maintains the blood volume needed for the delivery of oxygen to working muscle and to dissipate heat through the skin. When we’re spending more time outside and/or wearing less clothing, we lose more water through our skin. And when we’re sweating, we’re also losing minerals including sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Eating a nutrient dense diet and drinking filtered water can certainly help replenish water and mineral stores. It’s good to keep in mind that having a little bit of carbohydrate and electrolyte with water can be more hydrating than water alone because these components promote water absorption from the intestines and aid in the maintenance of proper water volume inside and outside of cells. If you find that you need to pee very soon after drinking a glass of water, you may benefit from a bit of extra mineral (i.e., electrolytes) and carbohydrate in your water, particularly between meals. Read on for a few simple and economical hydration beverages.
Osa’s 3 favorite DIY hydration beverages:
- Citrus Electrolyte Refresher 🍋
Ingredients:
2 cups (16 oz.) filtered water
pinch of unrefined salt
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice (about half of a small lemon or medium lime)
Stir together in a tall glass and enjoy!
Notes: The amount of salt in this recipe may be slightly increased or decreased, depending on your needs. If you are replenishing electrolytes lost through heavy sweating, or you tend to have low blood pressure or suffer from orthostatic hypotension, then a slightly larger amount of salt may be appropriate. If the drink tastes “salty,” then you know you’ve overdone it. If you are tracking your sodium intake, a rule of thumb is that a “pinch” of salt falls somewhere between 1/16 teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon, or roughly 150-300 mg sodium.
2. Mineral Booster💦
Ingredients:
2 cups (16 oz.) filtered water
10 drops Trace Minerals Drops
juice of roughly 1/2 lemon or lime
pinch of unrefined salt (optional)
Trace Minerals Drops are a liquid mineral supplement made of concentrated seawater. This product is easy to use, is cost-effective, and supplies a good bit of magnesium, which is a mineral nearly all of us are needing more of. It contains very little sodium, which is why I like to add a pinch of salt for flavor, but this is entirely optional.
3. Fruit + Water 🍊
Ingredients:
2 cups (16 oz.) filtered water
a small handful of berries or a few slices of apple, orange, pear, pineapple, or other fruit
few leaves of fresh herb such as mint, or 1-2 cucumber slices (optional)
Add the fruit to the water or simply eat it alongside, taking time to chew thoroughly. If adding fruit to the water, a couple of leaves of peppermint or another soft herb like tarragon can be a welcome addition, as can a couple of cucumber slices. And don’t forget to eat that fruit at the bottom of the glass!
