There's so much in the natural health world about drinking lots of water but so much of it is actually bad advice. For example:
If your urine is clear, you're hydrating wrong.
If you're drinking a gallon of water without electrolytes, you're hydrating wrong.
If you’re drinking a gallon of water without electrolytes and still having headaches, you’re hydrating wrong.
If you're using unfiltered tap water, you're hydrating wrong.
If you're only drinking alkaline water, you're hydrating wrong.
So how are these wrong and how can we hydrate RIGHT?
1. If you drink too much water, ESPECIALLY without replenishing electrolytes, you're diluting what minerals your body has left (if any) and mineral deficiencies cause a whole host of health symptoms. Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling said “You can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency."
The amount of water you drink is not as important as the quality of the water you drink.
Dehydration can happen drinking lots of water if you’re drowning out electrolytes. (Ever met your daily water goal and wonder why you still feel thirsty while peeing a ton?!!)
When you sweat, or consume caffeine, it is especially crucial that you replace electrolytes. (You lose 600 mg of sodium per 2 cups of coffee and lose 1,150 mg of sodium per liter of sweat.)
If you have adrenal issues, POTS, or low thyroid, you also have a higher need for sodium.
Potassium is another essential electrolyte that is often depleted through sweat and plain hydration and is needed more also in those with adrenal fatigue.
When these minerals are off, fatigue, brain fog, and headaches are very likely.
Did you know that sensitivity to light can also indicate a sodium/potassium imbalance?! These minerals help with pupil dilation.
2. Hopefully most of HFFG followers by now know that drinking tap water is a great way to mess up your gut, thyroid, etc. It is essential to avoid water with fluoride and chlorine. Many water systems on the market do not effectively filter these like they claim, so do your research well! Reverse osmosis, distilled water, and spring water are usually free of fluoride and chlorine.
3. I’m not seeking to cause an uproar here but the fact is that drinking alkaline water messes with stomach acid which is essential for breaking down food and nutrients properly. It will also affect the absorption of electrolytes.
Even worse, an acidic stomach pH is important to kill off harmful microbes, so alkaline water leaves the consumer more at risk of getting sick from things like stomach viruses, salmonella, e. coli, etc.
HOW TO HYDRATE PROPERLY
In addition to choosing filtered/spring water, check out some of my favorite options for replenishing electrolytes:
Vitality Electrolyte Drops from YL: My kids and I use these every day for just a very general and yummy water addition: https://sarajopoff.lifestepseo.com/resources/vitality-drops
For when we are active, in the sauna, in the hot sun, etc., we use these convenient packets (and keep them with us on the go for walks/hikes, bike riding, rollerskating, etc.):
https://www.healthyfamiliesforgod.com/supplements/pickleball-orange-electrolyte-cocktail
And for an additional boost for adrenal issues, I have had fabulous success with this:
https://www.healthyfamiliesforgod.com/supplements/jigsaw-adrenal-cocktail-wholefood-vitamin-c-capsules
https://www.healthyfamiliesforgod.com/supplements/jigsaw-adrenal-cocktail-wholefood-vitamin-c-powder
For serious exercising or other times when a higher-sodium electrolyte is needed, we use LMNT. (We get them in our Thrive Market orders. You can get 40% off your first Thrive order with this link:
http://thrv.me/F67rzT
(I also take this Mineral supplement DAILY for the best source of magnesium; it is not a "form" of magnesium since it's not isolated but the magnesium that occurs naturally in the earth: https://sarajopoff.lifestepseo.com/resources/supplement-spotlight-mineral-essence )