Why Water Is Awesome, How to Drink More of It, and How to Optimize Hydration
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It’s easy to think about macronutrients like protein, fat and carbs, and overlook the most important nutrient – water. Water helps the body move better, decreases pain, boosts brain function, increases alertness, relieves gas and constipation, and so much more. Did you know that water can even help you build muscle? People have written entire books about the benefits of water, and for good reason — it’s awesome.
There’s not a perfect method for knowing how much water you need every day, but most health and wellness experts (including me) will tell you that a good goal to aim for is half your body weight (lb.) in ounces of water per day. If you’re using the metric system, it’s not as easy of a calculation to remember, but still fairly simple — about 60ml per kg of bodyweight. So, if I weigh 150 pounds, I will try to drink 75 ounces of water every day. If my weight is 68 kilograms, my goal is 4.09 liters of water per day.
Did you know that dehydration actually makes people less thirsty? As you become more hydrated, you begin to crave water. If you think it seems kind of backwards, you’re not alone. But it’s not so backwards when you realize that it’s part of the body’s survival instinct that serves humans in extreme survival situations but doesn’t do a lot good if you’re a dehydrated desk jockey. I’ve talked to hundreds of people whose labs indicated mild dehydration who say the same thing — they just don’t get very thirsty. You can’t always judge your hydration based only on thirst.
HOW TO GET MORE WATER
Let’s talk about how to get more water. A few popular methods are to:
Use a cup or bottle that you really like (here’s the one I use) and keep it close to you at all times
Set timers throughout the day to remind you to drink
Refill your glass every time you get up to go to the bathroom
Use a water tracker app
Always keep water handy — you can stash it and stock it lots of places
Drink several glasses of water after waking up in the morning to get a head start on your water goal
Some people buy water bottles with goal times marked on the sides so they can stay on track all day
Set a reminder on your phone or use a special water app to stay on task
THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTROLYTES
It’s one thing to get enough water, but is your body holding on to it? Or is it just going right through you? Most people never consider whether or not their body is using the hydration they are giving it. That’s where electrolytes come in. They help the body use and store water, among many other important things. Electrolytes are minerals like potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and chloride. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes through our skin, so it’s important to keep replenishing electrolytes as we rehydrate. More on that in a bit.
There are several symptoms that people have that can be traced to low electrolytes: lightheadedness when standing up, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, twitching, and nerve problems can all be signs that you need more electrolytes. It should be noted that people under large amounts of stress and people who compete in sports or exercise vigorously lose electrolytes at an accelerated rate.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE HYDRATION
A simple DIY sports drink recipe is to add a pinch or two of unrefined salt and a squeeze of lime juice to your water.
Electrolytes are present in a lot of healthy foods including sweet potatoes, bananas, beets, avocados, dairy products, unrefined salt (Himalayan pink salt, unrefined sea salt, Redmond salt, etc.) and coconut water.
A great first step would be seeing how many of these foods you can add to your diet. Additionally, you may want to supplement with an electrolyte drink mix. Instead of going for sugary sports drinks full of artificial ingredients, try something more natural that includes a good mix of electrolytes. A simple DIY sports drink recipe is to add a pinch or two of unrefined salt and a squeeze of lime juice to your water.
There are some great electrolyte drinks out there, just be sure they have natural ingredients. Try to avoid artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners as much as possible. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
UCAN Hydrate — this one is a special blend of calcium, magnesium, sodium and chloride specifically formulated for endurance athletes (but good for anyone who needs it). Plus, it’s sugar-free (naturally sweetened with stevia), vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
ReLyte — a special blend of sodium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, potassium and powdered coconut water to set you up for optimal hydration. In addition to the powdered coconut water, ReLyte uses Redmond Real Salt (a type of unrefined sea salt) as an additional way to provide microminerals to cover all the bases.
Thorne Catalyte — Studies suggest that an amino acid-electrolyte formula can better increase cellular rehydration compared to formulas without amino acids. In addition to sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride, amino acids, this formula also contains B-vitamins, Vitamin C, zinc and chromium, which are often depleted with extended exercise. Catalyte is low in sugar, free of artificial ingredients, gluten-free, NSF-certified for sport. You can get it at my Thorne dispensary (your discount will be applied at checkout) or on Thorne’s Amazon Store.
Skratch Labs Hydration Powder — this is a blend of sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and vitamin C. It is naturally sweetened with cane sugar and it is vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
MAKE IT A HABIT
Starting new habits can be hard, so be sure give yourself lots of ways to be successful. Above all, try not to attach morality to your new habit. You’re still a good person even if you aren’t perfect at it. You aren’t a failure if something doesn’t work out for you — just make an adjustment and keep going.
If you want to learn more about habit change, nutrition and how to make it stick, check out this habit change course. It’s inexpensive and has lots of great tips and information. Happy hydrating!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.