HYDRATION - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

In this article we’ll discuss important factors you need to know about hydration, dehydration and bad hydration drinks. Let’s take a look!

THE GOOD- HYDRATION

Most people understand the importance of being hydrated, but do you know exactly why keeping your body hydrated is important? Healthy hydration is vital to keeping the body functioning correctly.

HERE ARE 6 PRIMARY AREAS THAT HYDRATION AFFECTS YOUR BODY: 

#1: Keeps your organs performing optimally.

  • 75% of your brain is water
  • 75% of your heart is water
  • 90% of your lungs are water

#2: Assists in the delivery of nutrients to your cells.

  • 85% of your blood is water

#3: Keeps your joints lubricated

#4: Regulates your body’s core temperature.

#5: Keeps our metabolism functioning correctly.

The human body needs sufficient water to break down food and to keep our metabolism functioning the way it’s supposed to. The process of metabolism generates waste and this has to be removed with the help of water. This is because water acts as a solvent for these waste products by dissolving them and then naturally allowing them to be removed from the body via our urine or sweat. If your body does not have enough water for this process, your cells can become damaged and chronic dehydration can result in even more damage.

#6: In addition, if you are always well hydrated, you can expect to enjoy better sleep quality, a brighter mood and better cognition.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HYDRATE?

DRINK SPRING WATER
First, understand that the amount of water intake is different for each person. The best way to hydrate is by consistently drinking water throughout the day, but this differs mainly depending on your size and activity level. 

This leads to the golden question, how much water should “I” drink daily?

It would be nice if you could simply walk through a body scanner and have it spit out a number for you. Unfortunately this doesn’t exist because there are too many factors to consider.

That being said, don’t over complicate this. I try to drink half my body weight in ounces daily. But I also monitor my urine color. If it runs clear, you are doing GOOD. 

 

ADAPT THESE 4 HABITS

  • Drink 2 glasses of water when you first wake up.
  • Drink 1 glass of water before you go to sleep.
  • Drink 1 glass of water before each meal.
  • Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go.

Additionally, eat real, organic food! Real food has water in it and will help hydrate your body. Processed food is terrible for your body and does not hydrate your body at all.

DRINK HEALTHY BEVERAGES 

Many people don’t drink enough water simply because it’s tasteless and uninteresting. If this sounds like you, you may wish to hydrate by drinking a healthy and completely natural hydration drink, such as the very popular GOODONYA Hydrate. It’s an Electrolyte and Mineral Powder that you mix with water.. 

This product is considered by many to be the best hydration drink currently on the market as it uses only natural ingredients, making it 100% organic. Of course, the main benefit of this fantastic product is the way it tastes: like real lemonade! That’s because it’s made with real lemons.

This delicious lemony taste is due to organic lemon juice which provides you with a solid dose of vitamin C. It also contains electrolytes and other minerals to give your body everything it needs in terms of hydration and the best part of it all is that it is non GMO!

Healthy electrolyte drinks like GOODONYA Hydrate are a great way to be kind to your body. Drinking these types of healthy hydration drinks are tasty and you will be more likely to get in your required amount of water by drinking them. 

This is the kind of hydration drink you want especially if you exercise daily or you are outside in very hot weather. These electrolyte drinks are very useful as they replace electrolytes that are lost through sweat.


THE BAD- Dehydration

While hydrating your body is very beneficial, allowing it to become dehydrated can spell danger for many reasons.

Remember this? Around 60% of the human body is water!

When your body is dehydrated it begins to break down.

Dehydration most commonly begins with headaches and a struggle to concentrate. As time goes on and you experience severe dehydration, you could develop serious complications, such as chronic constipation, kidney stones, high blood pressure, gallstones, muscle cramps, kidney disease, joint issues and, in very extreme cases, death.

Additionally, if you have a high activity level in hot weather and you do not drink enough water or your body has low electrolytes, you could develop what is known as heat injury. This is a serious condition that results in cramps, heat exhaustion and possibly heat stroke.

If you simply do not hydrate your body enough, you could find that you feel sluggish, lethargic and depressed. This is because the brain requires a lot of water to function optimally. When there is a deficiency of water in the brain, the energy supply to the brain can be compromised.

Since certain people are at more risk to become dehydrated (i.e. the elderly, people who work outdoors in the heat, athletes, folks with chronic conditions, infants and young children), they need to pay special attention that they are taking in enough fluid and electrolytes. 

Being chronically dehydrated can also affect your sleep and you may suffer from insomnia. Insomnia has a knock-on effect as your lack of sleep will make you tired, irritable and unable to concentrate properly the next day. You should know when to hydrate.

What are signs you are becoming dehydrated? 

  • Little to no urine or dark urine
  • Dry mouth
  • Fatigued or sluggish
  • Headache
  • Can't concentrate
  • Lightheaded

 

THE UGLY- UNHEALTHY HYDRATION

There are so many hydration drinks and electrolyte drinks and powder mixes currently on the market and each of them claims to hydrate you the best and offer health benefits at the same time. While this is usually partially true, it is important to note that many of these products contain too much sugar and chemicals or additives that are bad for your body. Most of these drinks are really bad for diabetics.

Some of these bad hydration drinks state they do not have any sugar. However, they do contain unhealthy levels of other substances and these include artificial sweeteners, non-organic stevia and monk fruit (which have solvents/pesticides), dextrose (which is essentially GMO corn), sucralose (chlorinated sugar) and non-organic cane sugar containing pesticides.

What you are basically doing by consuming bad electrolyte drinks, bad hydration drinks and especially bad sports drinks, is hydrating your body but filling it with harmful substances at the same time. This is far from an optimal solution as your body now has to contend with all these artificial ingredients.

These bad sports drinks are terrible for kids and teens as they are filled with sugar or sugar substitutes. The majority of people who drink sports drinks are NOT athletes and many of the consumers are children and teenagers. Many parents are under the impression that sports drinks are better than soda drinks for their children and teenagers. This is not true, because these sports drinks are not created for kids, but for super active athletes. And as an Olympic athlete who drank these horrible drinks for years, they shouldn't be consumed by anyone. They do not even work that well. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

Drink Spring Water

Only consume natural minerals, nothing made from a lab. Think table salt vs sea salt. 

Stay away any artificial anything, you are worth your weight in salt after all. 

 

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