Hydration Education: Simple Tips to Help You Stay Hydrated
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD.
It’s summertime and you know what that means—hot weather and sweat! I’m going to get right to the point— the color of your urine is a strong indicator of whether or not you’re dehydrated. If the color is light you’re doing a great job hydrating. If it’s looking dark, you probably need to drink more water.
Water makes up over 50 percent of your body and about 80 percent of your brain. Even mild dehydration can cause low energy, headaches, fatigue and false hunger. Not only does it flush out waste products in your body, but water also prevents and alleviates constipation and helps dissolve nutrients from the food you eat so that your body can use them. Whether or not you like the taste, the fact is, you can’t live without water.
If you’re struggling to drink enough water throughout the day, try one or more of these tips to help increase your intake with ease:
- Start a habit of drinking eight ounces of water with each meal and snack.
- Drink eight ounces when you first wake up. Because you’re in a fasting state while you sleep, it’s safe to assume you’re in a dehydrated state when you wake up.
- Carry a water bottle with you everywhere! Invest in a colorful BPA-free water bottle (make sure it fits in your car’s cup-holder) and refill as needed.
- Eat more fruits and veggies! Produce is approximately 75-95% water, so you benefit from the array of vitamins and minerals and hydrate at the same time!
When Plain Water Isn’t Enough
In addition to long, sweaty workouts and scorching summer heat, illnesses that involve diarrhea or vomiting can also cause you to lose critical electrolytes like sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.
Electrolytes are minerals that perform essential roles in the body. They help maintain healthy fluid levels, regulate blood pressure and are critical for heart, nerve and muscle function.
Electrolyte Replacement Solutions
Exercising doesn’t automatically render the need for an electrolyte replacement drink. Hydrating with water only is fine if your workout is under an hour. However, you may need to replenish your electrolytes if you’re exercising in really hot weather.
Workouts lasting longer than an hour—or even just spending a lot of time outside in hot, humid weather—should be followed up with an electrolyte replacement drink. Here are four great solutions found at your local Heinen’s.
Heinen’s Coconut Water
Coconut water is the clear liquid found inside of young green coconuts. Not to be confused with coconut milk, which is a milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts.
Naturally sweet and refreshing, Heinen’s coconut water has only one ingredient and contains naturally occurring electrolytes like sodium and potassium to get your body back in balance after a long, sweaty workout. Look for it in the Canned Beverage Aisle at Heinen’s.
Moon Juice Mini Dew Electrolytes + Minerals
This electrolyte powder tastes like organic watermelon, a pinch of minerals and a dash of pink salt. It instantly dissolves in water, has zero sugar, and offers a nice blend of sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium. Moon Juice Mini Dew is available in a jar or single serving packets in Heinen’s Wellness Department.
Trace Minerals ConcenTrace Drops
ConcenTrace is a concentrated complex of more than 72 trace minerals sourced from Utah’s inland sea. It offers a natural, easy and bioavailable way to replace the trace minerals our bodies are lacking, especially electrolyte minerals lost through sweat, like magnesium, potassium and chloride.
ConcenTrace has a very strong taste, so it helps to begin with 10 drops mixed in 16 ounces of water for 3 consecutive days. Each day thereafter, increase the serving by 10 drops up to ½ teaspoon (40 drops) once or twice daily.
If you’re looking for something with more flavor, Trace Minerals Electrolyte Stamina Power Paks may be for you. Look for ConcenTrace and Power Paks in Heinen’s Wellness Department.
BodyHealth Perfect Amino Electrolytes
Precisely formulated for complete intracellular absorption, BodyHealth’s Perfect Amino Electrolytes contain a proprietary blend of essential amino acids to help cells fully utilize the electrolytes. As a bonus, each scoop offers 80 milligrams of trace minerals from ConcenTrace. BodyHealth can be found in Heinen’s Wellness Department.
Key Takeaway
Whatever the season, staying hydrated with plenty of pure water is always crucial. Step two is eating a nutrient-dense diet filled with an abundance of vitamin and mineral-rich foods, like vegetables, fruits and leafy greens. Step three is replenishing your body with additional key electrolytes when necessary.
