How To Stay Hydrated

The Importance of Hydration

With the summer around the corner it is essential to keep hydrated at all times and avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated helps build Muscle and is needed to transport nutrients to your cells and transport waste out of the body. In order to move and flex your muscles, you need water. If your body is dehydrated, your muscles will be deprived of electrolytes and cramp.

Hydration and fluid balance are essential components of good health. Proper hydration helps regulate the body’s temperature, cushions vital organ systems, aids in digestion and supports the important functions of the body’s immune system. Proper hydration is essential for the transport of all nutrients and the removal of all wastes. Taking in fluids throughout the day promotes healthy hydration that supports all of our cellular functions. At the other end of the spectrum and what we must avoid is dehydration.

Dehydration Explained

Dehydration is the loss of water and salts from the body. The human body needs water to maintain enough blood and other fluids to function properly. Along with the fluids, the body also needs electrolytes, which are salts normally found in blood, other fluids, and cells. The body loses water and important blood salts like potassium. Vital organs such as the kidneys, brain, and heart can't function as they require a certain minimum of water and salt.

The symptoms of dehydration include;

• Increased thirst.
• Dry mouth.
• Tired or sleepy.
• Decreased urine output.
• Urine is low volume and more yellowish than normal.
• Headache.
• Dry skin.

• Dizziness.

The dangers of dehydration

The body loses water and important blood salts like potassium. Vital organs such as the kidneys, brain, and heart can't function as they require a certain minimum of water and salt. Other potential dangers include; Asthma, Allergies, Heartburn, Migraines, Constipation, Obesity, Fibromyalgia; High Blood Pressure, Lower Back Pain, Type II Diabetes.

If you lose enough water to be seriously dehydrated, you also become deficient in electrolytes – the mineral compounds, like salt, needed to maintain a healthy fluid balance and regulate body temperature.

A good way of checking whether or not you are dehydrated is through the colour of your urine. If your urine is darkish yellow then it means you need to start drinking some water as your body is telling you that you are dehydrated.

How to stay hydrated.

Plan to start and end your day with water. Even when sleeping, your body loses water. Drinking a glass of water when you first wake up and last thing before you go to bed can help balance what you lose while sleeping. Also, your body loses water during the day when you perspire, urinate and breathe. If you are more active or are working/exercising in a hot or humid environment, you will need to replenish lost fluids: don’t underestimate the amount of fluids you lose from perspiration. In one hour of exercise your body can lose more than a quarter of water. Therefore, you should drink before, during and after exercising. For most workouts, water is the best fluid replacement.

There are various other ways you can stay hydrated including;

Eat fruits and vegetables. We should aim to eat at least 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables at each meal.

Eat less meat. Meat is harder to digest. That forces your kidneys to work harder. If you eat less meat, you can replace it with more vegetables.

Drink green smoothies. If you add this to your daily morning routine, you will immediately feel a difference in your body. Green smoothies, if done properly, are full of liquids, fruits, and vegetables all blended up so they’re easier to digest.

Cook with a high quality salt. Loose your table salt and start using a high quality sea salt of Himalayan salt, which are rich in trace minerals. Sea salt is lower in sodium than table salt.

Drink herbal Tea. Rooibos and dandelion tea are very effective herbal teas since both provides antioxidants and keeps you hydrated at the same time.

Get juicing! Drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juice is a great way to maximise your intake of liquids with the extra boost of nutrients. Green juice is like liquid nutrients, ready to be absorbed in your system quickly and efficiently.

Drink Coconut Water: Coconut water is great for replacing any lost electrolytes and is enriched with potassium and other health benefits.

Add Lemon to Water. Lemon is full of hydration and also adds flavour to your water.

Eat more soup. “When you add water to a bowl of vegetables as in soup, the soup are known to have a greater satiety than when the vegetables are eaten alone with a glass of water.

Don’t drink more than 3 cups of coffee. Researches have shown that coffee is a diuretic and causes you to urinate more frequently. This translates to a dehydrated body. However, this only applies to those who drink a massive amount of coffee each day.

Take Probiotics: Probiotics are good bacteria that you can ingest to help repopulate your gut with good bacteria which in turns help with keeping you hydrated and avoid your body getting into dehydration mode. Probiotics are amazing and with the premium LA Muscle Probiotic, you will see such a huge difference in so many areas of your health and body.