Words By: Ivana Chiles
As summer quickly approaches, staying hydrated is becoming more and more important in preventing heat related issues and overall health. If we get properly hydrated, then we are going to feel a whole lot better and we are going to detoxify a whole lot faster.
This month I will share with you some tips about how to stay hydrated with some exciting drinks you have probably never even considered.
H20
Water is the basis of all life. While you can survive for weeks without food, without water you would not last for more than few days.
Optimal hydration is essential for the body to function correctly, especially during an exercise in hot weather. You need extra water if you are active, because your muscles generate heat and the body perspires to stay cool. Water also transports energy-providing glucose to muscles and carries the waste away from them, which helps to prevent muscle fatigue. To maintain endurance, you need to drink 15-30 minutes before, during and after your workout.
Warning signs of dehydration are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even more severe, heat stroke. The common signs and symptoms are muscle cramps, high body temperature, headache, lethargy, nausea and you may even pass out and become unconscious.
If you have become dehydrated, it is important to restore your body’s water balance as soon as possible. Just remember, drinking plain water is not sufficient. The water in your body contains electrolytes, which are important minerals that allow your body to carry out critical chemical reactions. They are responsible for muscle contractions and neural activity.
Getting your fluid replacement issue right means that you have made one of the most important and powerful steps in taking control of your health.
To be properly hydrated, you need to replace fluids lost from the body with one that is similar to the body’s natural composition.
Why is being hydrated so important?
Dehydration generally means that you have lost more than 1% of fluids. But why is it so important to stay hydrated?
- In the blood, water helps to transport nutrients and oxygen to all cells of the body.
- In sweat, water removes body generated heat and toxins out of the body.
- In saliva and stomach juices, it helps to digest food.
- Proper hydration helps to lubricate joints and cushions organs and tissues.
- In urine, water carries away waste products.
- Salt helps with regular bowel function; small and large intestines require mineral salt in order to retain moisture in those environments to stop constipation and to allow bowel movements to occur regularly and for detoxification to happen smoothly.
How much water is actually enough?
Have you ever questioned the general recommendation to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day? I personally agree with the fact, that we are all different and the key is how you are feeling about your own hydration. Also remember, that about 20% of your daily water intake comes from food you eat.
Your body has in fact a built-in mechanism that tells you when you need to replenish your water supply. Hydration needs are very individual and vary from day to day. They depend on the duration and type of activity you are involved in, environmental conditions and even the clothes you wear. Generally, if your workout lasts longer than one hour, then you need more than just plain water to rehydrate.
Are you hydrated?
There are two factors to tell you how well you are hydrated:
- The colour of your urine. If your urine is dark in colour or you have not urinated for several hours, it is an indication that you are not drinking enough water. I recommend that athletes weigh themselves before and after exercise. The goal is to stay hydrated and weigh the same before and after workouts or races.
- Use thirst as a guide to determine how much water you need. Once your body has lost between 1-2% of its total water, the thirst mechanism will let you know that it is time to drink some water.
Contrary to that, drinking too much water can cause hyponatraemia (sodium levels in the blood dangerously low). While most of your body cells can handle the excess water, your brain cannot and starts to swell. This condition is commonly known amongst athletes.
Hydrate for optimal performance
There are two things you should be adding to your hydrating drink along with water:
- Carbohydrates (no more than 14g pre 8oz.)
- Electrolytes
Electrolytes lost through sweating can be replaced by adding small amounts of natural, unprocessed salt like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt (contains more than 84 naturally occurring minerals and trace minerals) into your drink. Sodium holds water so it helps with rehydration.
Coconut and chia
Coconut water is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man. High in potassium and fat free, some remote areas of the world use coconut water intravenously to hydrate critically ill patients as it has a similar content as blood plasma!
Next time, try to add one tablespoon of chia seeds to your coconut water. Chia seeds were traditionally used by the Aztecs to increase stamina, strength and endurance on battlefield. Besides being packed with healthy Omega 3 and 6 acids, this superfood is coated with unique soluble fibre, which is hydrophilic (absorbs water). Water-soaked chia will prolong hydration and will help you retain electrolytes.
Types of coconut water to look for:
Always look for coconut water with no added ingredients. Your best choice will always be fresh coconut, but if you find it difficult to locate it in your grocery store, these are the healthier ones. You can add one teaspoon of chia seeds to your coconut water to stay hydrated for longer.
Drink and eat watery vegetables and fruits that will hydrate you more effectively than the water alone
Cucumber contains 95% water and is an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and folic acid. Blend them in a powerful blender like Vitamix to keep the fibre in to stay hydrated for longer. Add green apple, freshly squeezed lemon, a piece of ginger and a handful of mint leaves to make yourself a super hydrating drink! You can also add 2-3 organic celery sticks!
Some fruit juices are better than others; I recommend watermelon for its high content of Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and 8% sugar content. It also contains lycopene and beta-carotene to give your body protection from UV light!
Make a mint/ lemon cooler to hydrate during hot summer days or after exercise
Herbal teas
Next time you are preparing for a race or long workout, prepare yourself a tea from your favourite herb (mint, elderflower, lemon balm, etc), let it cool down and add some more water, honey, lemon and chia seeds. You can also use green matcha for a small dose of caffeine.
Elderflower drink
I remember my first ever marathon where I ran comfortably with bottles filled up with mum’s homemade elderflower syrup diluted with water, some honey and one teaspoon of sea salt added. Perfect electrolyte!
Eat avocados or make them part of your race smoothies
Avocados contain more potassium than bananas and are source of healthy fats and fibre that will hold on to water for longer.
Eat food containing electrolytes
One medium banana contains about 400mg of potassium
Drink thin soups
My ever favourite organic, reduced-sodium miso soup or organic chicken broth is certainly something which will replenish your energy stores in a fast and healthy, efficient manner.
I know some of you will now comment that most of these drinks will be difficult to sip on from your drinking bottle. Remember you can always alternate between thin drinks and other nourishing beverages like smoothies. You just need to find the right balance.
Drinks to avoid
Sports drinks/ energy drinks/ vitamin water
If you have recently switched from soda to highly popular “vitamin water” because you believed it to be a healthier choice, you might be disappointed. It is unfortunately nothing more than a marketing trick designed to promote a product.
Most people believe that sports drinks are the best alternative to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes during and after exercise. Sadly, just like vitamin water, they are full of sugar and unwanted substances which certainly do not contribute to optimal health. Furthermore, they contain high amounts of sodium in the form of processed salt and are very likely to give you stomach pain. I personally do not recommend any processed energy drinks. They contain dangerous high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), additives, preservatives, artificial colours and caffeine. I have been simply discouraged from them by the fact that they leave my water bottle or drinking bladder nastily coloured and that is what they do inside your precious body. They have certainly have no place in the diets of children and adolescents.
Distilled water is one of the worst types of water you can put into your body. It is completely free of minerals; however, it is an active absorber. When in contact with air, distilled water quickly absorbs carbon dioxide and becomes acidic.
Beware of bottled water
Besides massive environmental destruction, bottled water is likely to contain chemicals like BPA and phthalates, which mimic hormones in your body and are major cause of breast cancer in women. If you have tried to do something for our environment and got yourself one of the water fountains, think about how often was your water delivered to your door step warm, especially in summer.
Other tips:
- Always drink slowly to avoid stomach upset. Drinking too fast will cause your body expel a significant amount of urine, which will slow down the rehydration process
- Drink at regular intervals throughout the day, especially in the morning
- Drink in between the meals
- My philosophy is not to drink with your meals, as you will be diluting precious stomach acids and slow down digestion
- Slow down towards the evening to ensure good night sleep
- Carry a re-usable bottle on you at all times, preferably a glass bottle rather than a plastic bottle. Do not leave your car in the heat as the heat will cause chemicals from plastic bottle to leach out into the beverage.
- Sip tepid water, because your body has to expend energy to bring cold water to body temperature before being absorbed. Cold water cools you off, but does not hydrate you as quickly.
- Install a water filter in your home. Reverse osmosis water treatment is the principle they are based on and also work on. In addition of removing chlorine, they will also remove most of the fluoride. Just make sure that you add the mineral back in after filtration.
Banana and Mango Pre-race Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 medium banana
1 small mango
2 cups coconut water
1 cup Greek yogurt (has more protein than regular yogurt)
1 tsp maca powder (excellent for endurance!)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp honey
1 tsp flax seed
1 tsp bee pollen (increases performance by up to 40%, fights the fatigue)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (helps muscle recovery)
Optional: 1 tsp protein powder
Method: Blend all ingredients together and drink at least one hour before the race or workout. Use as recovery drink within 30 minutes after the physical activity.
