So there reader, how much water do YOU drink?
Don't worry. This isn't one of *those* posts that informs you that you definitely don't drink enough forcing you to guiltily acknowledge the glass sitting on your desk that hasn't been touched since 1.45pm...
Some of my clients are so proud when they tell me they drink over three litres a day like good little water drinkers, but when I ask them how often they are going to the toilet as a result, it's quite a lot and they often still don't feel like they're really getting all the benefits of all that water consumption. The realisation really starts to hit in when I ask them if they still feel thirsty. Most of the time they admit they do, accompanied by some degree of astonishment because we've all been taught that hydration is down to just drinking more and yet, the more we drink, sometimes the thirstier we become. So what's up with that? Hydration is actually a bit more complex than just drinking more water.
What I've learned in my research is that we actually need to help that water stay in our cells rather than just pass straight on through taking important electrolytes and minerals with it.
Electrolytes are essential minerals that hold an electrical charge and are in all of our body fluids, tissues and cells. Maintaining the right balance helps our bodies function as they should. Electrolytes are primarily composed of the minerals sodium, potassium and magnesium (as well as calcium, chloride, phosphates and sulfates) and we get them from the foods we eat and the fluids we drink. Electrolyte balance is vital for proper hydration, and proper hydration is critical for good health. We happen to be made up of a lot of water that supports our bodily functions and our natural healing processes, which is why electrolytes and minerals in general are referred to as the spark plugs of life - it turns out essential minerals are in fact, essential.
So to get hydrated, we need good quality clean water AND electrolytes/minerals. Unfortunately many of us are lacking even with the best diets thanks to soil depletion and modern farming practises, so when we just drink more water we can easily disrupt that delicate electrolyte balance.
This is also why I don't agree with distilled or reverse osmosis water as they have a tendency to strip the electrolytes out.
So if you want to improve your hydration try this.
When you wake in the morning, have a glass of room temp water and add a teeny pinch of good quality himalayan, sea or celtic salt with a squeeze of lemon for electrolytes and trace minerals. I've bought this salt before and really liked it!
This can help the water get to where it really needs to go and this can spark your energy, improve your digestion and increase hydration especially after a period of fasting overnight.
As you drink water throughout the day (small amounts regularly and ideally not with meals as we want to preserve stomach acid while we eat), you can add a few more grains. I'm not talking about drinking salty water - literally just a few teeny grains of good quality salt. Some people also like to add trace mineral drops and many followers of the ketogenic diet will find they need to support their electrolyte balance during this lifestyle.
This should help the water actually hydrate your cells, rather than just send you to the loo!
If this resonates with you, try it and please let us know how it goes down.
Happy drinking!
Maryana x
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