What if I told you we had one simple tip to help you be even better hydrated, curb cravings, sleep better, AND lose weight? Well we do, and thats how to properly hydrate – it’s more than just drinking more water.
Do you struggle to drink enough water? Or when you do drink a lot of water, you have to pee every 2 hours and are up at night? We got you covered. To most effectively stay hydrated, we need 2 important factors OTHER than just more water.
Hydration Formula
- We want quality water. This means we pay attention to the water we drink daily and weekly. We want at least some level of filtered water, that is stored in either glass or stainless steel. Forget the plastic water bottles that literally leach cancer causing chemicals into the water, and find yourself a quality water bottle that you can take with you everywhere. For on the counter, we love Berkey filtration system, and for under the sink (and shower), we personally use Hydroviv – they make a custom filter based on your location!
- And even more underrated, electrolytes! Do you ever have cravings between meals? Light headed from sitting to standing? Trouble sleeping through the night? Poor energy in workouts? Get yourself some high quality electrolytes to add to your water first thing in the morning, or before physical activity. You can simply add quality salt to your whole food meals and/or water, and you can also add in more electrolytes via LMNT supplements. We love this brand because of the quality of the supplements (only brand to have the proper kind of magnesium, a good amount of sodium, enough potassium, AND no sugar!) We have anywhere from 1 to 4 packets a day. The more you fast, the lower carb you go, the more electrolytes you need, especially sodium. This will help with what some call the “keto flu”, or lack of energy, when going lower carb. It’s likely not the lack of calories, it’s the salt! Check out our blog on salt to learn more about its importance.
So, you may be wondering how much to drink…
Start off with half your body weight in ounces. Drink at least a third of that in the morning if you can. We tend to be most dehydrated right when we wake up, and best to get some water in before any coffee or food. Set a glass out in front of your coffee maker or anywhere you go to each and every morning as a reminder. Your daily water intake includes sparkling mineral water, herbal tea, or flavored water (like Zevia or Spindrift). Ideally most of that is from filtered water though! When you add in diuretics like coffee or alcohol, you actually need more water than that typical intake, so take note of that for yourself.
Remember the signs and symptoms of dehydration due to electrolyte imbalance…
Short-Term Effects:
- Muscle cramps
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Flu-like symptoms
- Exhaustion
- Digestive issues
- Brain fog
- Dizziness
Long-Term Effects:
- Bone mineral loss (osteoporosis)
- Heart damage
- Cognitive damage
Recap
Try out our hydration formula with 1. Quality water, 2. Added electrolytes, and 3. Half your weight in ounces sipped on throughout the day. Let us know how it goes! This is one very simple habit, yet extremely effective in so many of our clients daily lives.
BONUS TIP: Try the chocolate LMNT at night as a treat instead of dessert – with warm water, or on the rocks!
