Hydration is a crucial part of maintaining optimal health and wellness. While many people may take it for granted, believing they don’t need to drink unless they feel thirsty, keeping yourself hydrated actually helps your body perform important biological functions.
For instance, hydration plays a huge role in maintaining your body temperature. When you’re properly hydrated, your body finds it easier to regulate your temperature through sweating. Sweating helps cool your body down, preventing it from overheating. This is extremely important not only during hot summer days but also when you engage in intense physical activities. [1]
Being well-hydrated also benefits your heart, allowing it to pump blood more easily. When you’re dehydrated, the volume of blood that circulates through your body decreases, forcing your heart to pump harder. Dehydration also makes your blood thicker so it doesn’t flow as freely as it should; to keep the blood moving, your heart rate increases, which can lead to palpitations. [2]
Constant dehydration overtime can also increase your chance of getting kidney stones. Kidney stones are formed when the concentration of crystal-forming substances in your urine is too high. [3] Drinking plenty of water helps dilute these salts and minerals, preventing stones from forming in your urinary tract. [4]
Staying hydrated is also a good way to support your body’s natural detoxification process. At the same time, it supports healthy digestion and helps nutrients get transported to parts of your body that need them the most. [5]
That’s why it is so crucial to prioritize hydration to maintain optimal health and wellness. Hydrate first thing in the morning and remember to drink water even before you begin to feel thirsty. Experts at the National Academy of Medicine recommend healthy men drink 13 cups (8 ounces each) of water daily and healthy women 9 cups to ensure proper hydration. [6]
Physically active individuals should adjust their water intake (drink more) and so should people who live in areas with warm climates. Older adults should also drink more water than they used to when they were younger since they are more prone to dehydration due to age-related body composition changes and a decrease in their thirst and appetite. [7]
Easy yet effective ways to stay hydrated this spring
Maintaining optimal hydration is not a complicated task. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that emphasizes proper nutrition and hydration is an excellent way to achieve this. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy and hydrated this spring:
Eat foods with high water content
Spring is the perfect season to introduce hydrating foods into your diet. With its abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, you won’t lack edible sources of hydration. Here are some fruits with high amounts of water and essential nutrients that you should consider eating this spring: [8]
· Watermelon (water content: 92%)
· Strawberries (water content: 91%)
· Cantaloupes (water content: 90%)
· Peaches (water content: 89%)
· Oranges (water content: 88%)
· Grapefruit (water content: 88%)
· Pineapple (water content: 86%)
Some vegetables also offer extra hydration in addition to nutrition. These include: [9]
· Tomatoes (water content: 94%)
· Cucumber (water content: 95%)
· Celery (water content: 95%)
· Lettuce (water content: 96%)
· Zucchini (water content: 94%)
· Bell peppers (water content: 92%)
· Cauliflower (water content: 92%)
· Cabbage (water content: 92%)
· Carrots (water content: 88%)
Drink plenty of water
Water is the ultimate hydrator. It is one of the best drinks to consume when you’re feeling dehydrated or simply want to refresh yourself. The human body itself is about 60% water; 73% of the brain and heart are composed of water; the lungs are about 83% water; the skin is 64% water; the muscles and kidneys are 79% water; and even your bones are made up of water (31%). [10]
Human blood, which is 55% plasma, also contains water, with over 90% of plasma consisting of the element itself. [11] This is why hydration levels affect blood volume and why dehydration makes the blood thicker and more difficult for your heart to pump. All the abovementioned facts are also why experts encourage people to drink plenty of water every day.
Replenish lost fluids after exercise
Sweating is just one of the many bodily functions that cause you to lose fluids. Your body constantly loses fluids through urinating and even just by breathing. [12] But it’s not just fluids that get lost during these activities – those fluids contain minerals that carry electric charges with them.
These electrically charged minerals, known as electrolytes, are important for maintaining fluid balance. In fact, electrolytes are responsible for keeping the balance between fluids inside and outside of your cells. [13] An electrolyte imbalance caused by dehydration can lead to many health issues, including irregular heartbeat, fatigue, lightheadedness, muscle weakness and confusion. [14]
Here's a list of important electrolytes and their functions: [15]
· Sodium – helps control fluid levels; required for nerve and muscle function
· Potassium – supports metabolism and helps move nutrients into cells and waste out of cells; required for healthy heart, nerve and muscle functions
· Calcium – required for proper blood vessel and muscle functions
· Chloride – required for the normal functions of blood levels, blood pressure and fluid balance
· Magnesium – supports nerve and muscle function
· Phosphate – plays a vital role in your body’s acid-base balance
· Bicarbonate – also involved in balancing acids and bases in blood; helps transport carbon dioxide through the bloodstream
Drink hydrating smoothies
Although water is an excellent hydrator, it’s not enough to replenish lost electrolytes. If you wish to get these charged minerals, a healthy diet rich in nutritious foods is important. Fruits and vegetables are mineral-rich and contain water, making them the best choice for replenishing your electrolyte stores.
Include a variety of fruits and vegetables this spring season in your meals to maintain optimal health, nutrition and hydration. Snack on some juicy fruit slices after your workouts, get creative in the kitchen by adding veggies to your recipes or drink hydrating fruit and vegetable smoothies as part of a healthy daily routine to stay properly hydrated.
Here are some delicious ideas for hydrating smoothies:
· Refreshing Berry-Watermelon smoothie – Mix ½ cup coconut water, 2 cups frozen berries of your choice, 1 cup diced fresh seedless watermelon and ½ cup plain or flavored yogurt together. This recipe is good for two 8-ounce servings. [16]
· Savory Cucumber-Cilantro smoothie – Combine 1 peeled and chopped cucumber, ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, ½ cup Greek yogurt and juice of 1 lemon in a blender. Adjust flavor with salt or more lemon juice as needed. [17]
· Hydration-boosting Watermelon-Strawberry smoothie – Blend together 1 cup diced fresh watermelon (seeds removed), ½ cup fresh strawberries (hulled and halved) and 1 teaspoon honey until creamy. Add more honey to adjust taste.
· Hearty Kale-Avocado-Banana smoothie – Place 1 large ripe banana, 1 cup baby kale or coarsely chopped mature kale, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, ¼ ripe avocado, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 cup ice cubes and 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional) in a blender and blend until smooth. [18]
Incorporate mineral and electrolyte drops into your daily routine
Another easy way to meet your daily mineral and electrolyte needs is by incorporating mineral and electrolyte drops into your daily routine. Specially formulated with the perfect blend of naturally charged electrolytes, these breakthrough liquid formulas are a convenient way to keep yourself hydrated and maintain optimal fluid balance.
Simply add ½ teaspoon of mineral or electrolyte drops to your drinking water, juice, smoothie or food to dilute the mineral taste and enjoy a boost in hydration. To remineralize tap or distilled water for better flavor and increased nutritional support, just add ½ teaspoon of mineral or electrolyte drops to a gallon of water.
Where to get lab-verified hydrating Mineral and Electrolyte Drops
If you’re looking for quality you can trust, check out the Health Ranger Store’s lab-verified Mineral and Electrolyte Drops.
Health Ranger Select Concentrated Mineral Drops 8 fl oz can make it easy for you to replenish and restore the minerals naturally lost through perspiration, such as magnesium, chloride, sodium and sulfate. We source our pure, concentrated mineral drops from Utah's pristine Great Salt Lake, which has been called a self-purifying ecosystem. It is also known as one of the best sources of trace minerals and natural ionic minerals.
Our premium Mineral Drops are concentrated using just sunshine – a natural evaporation process that involves no additives, artificial ingredients or chemicals – to retain each mineral's ionic properties. Health Ranger Select Concentrated Mineral Drops 8 fl oz are non-GMO, certified Kosher and meticulously lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals, and microbiology. This product is also available in 2 fl oz bottles.
Made from naturally processed liquid mineral and trace mineral complexes, as well as potassium chloride, Health Ranger Select Electrolyte Drops 2 fl oz are also sourced from Utah's Great Salt Lake and solar-distilled with no additives of any kind. They are then carefully packaged in our USDA-certified organic packaging facility.
We never add artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives to our potent electrolyte drop formula, so you get just the pure electrolytes your body needs. Health Ranger Select Electrolyte Drops 2 fl oz are non-China, certified Kosher and extensively lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals, and microbiology.
Stay perfectly hydrated this spring the natural way with our lab-verified concentrated mineral and electrolyte drops!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any diseases.
References
[3] https://www.mayoclinic.org
[5] https://www.unitypoint.org
[6] https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
[8] https://www.healthline.com
[10] https://www.usgs.gov
[13] https://my.clevelandclinic.org
[14] https://www.cooperhealth.org
[15] https://my.clevelandclinic.org
