With the much hotter Summer days, more time spent outdoors and in the sun, staying hydrated is essential to maintaining optimal health.
Living in the desert and at high altitude, I’ve had to be way more mindful about staying consistently hydrated, whether its Summer or Winter.
To stay on top of our hydration needs, I’ve implemented a few strategies: drinking a full glass of lemon water upon waking; sipping on a smoothie for breakfast; including electrolytes; and ensuring that we have adequate and regular water intake throughout the day.
And more importantly, being diligent and sticking to it!
Read more to get the scoop on these strategies where I share: my smoothie recipe; why electrolytes are necessary for your body; sources of electrolytes; and why hydration is key for your overall well-being.
If you are pressed for time, click here for the key takeaways by topic and check out the "bottom line" for each section:
Start out the day nourished and hydrated with a breakfast smoothie
My partner has inspired me to make smoothies more often as he drinks one every morning. He went from eating granola everyday to drinking a low-sugar nutrient dense smoothie. This shift has made a striking difference in his energy levels.
I decided to follow suit because clearly he was on to something.
You ask, why a smoothie?
I find that a smoothie is a fantastic option for rehydrating after a night of your body detoxing. Did you know that your liver does its peak detoxing between 1-3am? Or that your brain is most active in its toxin removal process during sleep?
Your body does a lot of hard work while you are sleeping. So it’s only fair to give it some serious nutrition.
This is what my routine looks like — though in the Winter I am more inclined to incorporate warmer breakfast items and will switch it up.
Step 1 is right upon getting out of bed, drinking a large glass of water, generally with some slices of lemon. I have another glass shortly thereafter.
Step 2 is making a smoothie around 9am. If you want to stick to an intermittent fasting schedule, you can delay that time and make your smoothie whenever works for you.
What I like about smoothies is that they deliver an abundance of nutrients to your body in a very efficient way while giving your digestive system a rest.
It’s also a great way to pack in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in one refreshing drink — as long as you keep sugar levels low. While juicing is awesome too, the insoluble fibers in smoothies allow for a slower, more sustained energy release.
I’m excited to share our recipe!
It’s super versatile and easy. I suggest you play around with the ingredients and the quantity to find your sweet spot.
I prefer to keep the sugar content low so I only use 1/2 a banana and no other fruit. If that is not tasty or sweet enough for you, start with more fruit and over time slowly reduce the amount.
One thing I want to emphasize: make sure you include fats and protein to keep you satiated.
Ultimately, experiment, have fun with it and see what works for you!
Hello Morning Smoothie Recipe
1 cup of water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/3 of a cucumber
1-2 stalks of celery
A handful of greens (spinach, kale etc…)
2 leaves of romaine lettuce
1/2 to 1 banana
1-2 tbsp of nut butter (I love using coconut and/or almond butter)
Flax seeds (for omega-3s and fiber)
Fresh ginger (aids in digestion and is anti-inflammatory)
Here are some additional optional ingredients to add to your base:
Protein powder or collagen
Additional fruit (preferably berries or acai to keep sugar levels low)
Superfoods like maca (rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals) or camu camu (high vitamin C) or raw cacao (high in antioxidants and a great source of iron)
Turmeric (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, high in Vitamin C and B6)
Chia seeds (high in healthy fats and fiber)
Kefir (has a wider bacteria content than yogurt which is good for your gut and has less sugar than plain yogurt — but you can use plain yogurt too)
Enjoy!
Bottom line: My Hello Morning Smoothie can be a nourishing and energizing option for rehydrating in the morning.
Other than a smoothie, what can I do to hydrate?
Water is obviously the number one step you can take to stay hydrated. Our bodies are made up of 60% water — we are made of this amazing element!
A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you should aim to drink 80 ounces of water per day.
Various lifestyle factors should be taken into account. Add more to the average amount if you are physically active, sweating, eating a keto diet or living at high altitude and/or in a place where it’s hot.
Food provides about 20% of our daily fluid intake. Some foods like cucumber, lettuce and watermelon are super hydrating. Check out this list of the 20 most hydrating foods.
Not only will you benefit from being hydrated, but water is involved in so many other functions in the body such as detoxification, assisting with nutrient absorption and improving blood oxygen circulation that you will feel better overall.
So drink up!
Bottom line: Water and hydrating foods are vital for supporting overall health.
What’s the deal with electrolytes?
When your body loses water, such as when you are sweating, you are not just losing water, but you are also depleting yourself of electrolytes.
Before we dive in, what are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals that are vital for the healthy functioning of your body. These minerals carry an electric charge that allow messages to be transmitted through the cells of your nervous system.
Electrolytes are involved in bodily functions such as regulating your pH levels, supporting heart health and muscle health, managing water, toxins and nutrients in and out of the cells, and more.
To make sure you’re really keeping yourself hydrated, it’s important to focus on getting enough of both water AND electrolytes. Most people do the former, but not the latter and as a result may experience symptoms such as muscle cramps, headaches, feeling lightheaded, energy lows and impaired brain function.
Bottom line: Adequate electrolyte levels are essential for the healthy functioning of your body and a key factor in staying hydrated.
Meeting your electrolyte needs through diet and supplements
According to Kelly LeVeque and other nutrition experts, most people tend to be deficient in sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Evidence suggests that 5000 mg sodium, 4700 mg potassium, and 600 mg magnesium per day is sufficient to meet needs, but most people aren’t consuming this amount. Note that these amounts are higher than what is currently recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
So what foods offer these minerals we are most lacking?
When it comes to magnesium, nuts and seeds contain high levels of this mineral. Other foods rich in magnesium are spinach, legumes and whole grains.
The best source of potassium are whole, plant-based foods. Fruits such as bananas, cantaloupes, nectarines and oranges and vegetables such as avocados and leafy greens offer high amounts of potassium. Dairy and fish are also on the list.
And lastly, adequate sodium intake is subject to much debate as the current recommendations are considered too low for some health experts. Check out this interview and article by Dr Hyman on why low salt diets may not be all they claim to be (Taubes 2012; Kresser 2019).
And for overall electrolyte support, try bone broth. It is an excellent source of gut-healthy nutrients packed with minerals.
Supplementation recommendation
There is a huge market for electrolyte replacement drinks and powders. However, most often these products (such as Gatorade and other sports drinks) tend to be loaded with sugar, artificial colors and flavors.
My favorite electrolyte at this time is LMNT which is a zero sugar electrolyte without all the artificial ingredients or colorants. I find that it offers an optimal level of sodium, potassium, and magnesium for health and energy.
It comes in convenient individual packs that you just mix into your water bottle—easy to carry with you. They offer a sample pack so you can check out all their flavors.
Bottom line: You can stay hydrated by meeting your electrolyte needs through diet and supplements.
Tips on how to stay hydrated
Carry a water bottle wherever you go.
My water bottle goes with me wherever I go!
Flavor your water and make it delicious.
Fruits such as limes, lemons, mint, berries, cucumbers can spruce up the taste without all the sugar or artificial ingredients you tend to find in flavored beverages.
You can also give coconut water a try. This mineral-rich liquid is packed with potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, so it replenishes lost fluids pretty quickly. It does have a rather high sugar content so I would use sparingly or dilute with water.
I find that this soda replacement list from Levels has some creative ideas. Check it out!
Add electrolytes.
Sometimes I will add bubbly water to my electrolytes and it feels like I am enjoying a refreshing and fun drink, but without all the sketchy ingredients.
Eat hydrating foods.
As mentioned above, foods like watermelon, cucumber, strawberries are loaded with water.
Pace yourself throughout the day.
If you need to set a timer to remind yourself to drink, then do so. Sometimes I put a sticky note on my computer while I am working so I remember to drink my water. Find a trick that works for you.
It is best to drink consistently throughout the day. So pace yourself. Maybe decide to drink a glass of water at the beginning of each hour.
Aim to drink half of your daily intake by 1pm, and stopping a minimum of an hour before going to sleep.
Try this water challenge.
Dhru Puhorit has a 7-day water drinking challenge. He offers some great ideas. Try it and see how you feel after 7 days. It’s not a huge commitment and may be transformative for you!
Bottom line: There are many ways to encourage hydration: carrying a water bottle, flavoring your water, including electrolytes, eating water rich foods and pacing yourself throughout the day.
As always, play around with these suggestions, see what works for you. Do YOU.
Comentarios