How to Drink More Water - Your Personal Hydration, and Electrolyte Guide
Water is life. 💧 So we must drink. Here’s how to actually enjoy it.
Welcome back to ZigZag Nutrition.
This is my professional newsletter that I dedicate to sharing education, information, inspiration, and empowerment to my community (that’s YOU!).
This gives us a chance to explore all things health and wellness with the freedom to learn the true fundamentals as well as niche deep dives, such as how I identified a primary cause to one my client’s battle with lifelong chronic migraines and built her a plan towards better health and healing to treat and prevent future event.
Today, I have the opportunity to share with you a great discussion around all things water, hydration, exercise with electrolytes, and more.
Let’s Dive In!
As a health coach and registered dietitian, I have had thousands of conversations with people about water and hydration. It is the minority of people that are staying sufficiently hydrated each week. Do you think you are drinking enough?
Me: “How much water do you think that you drink?”
Client: “I’m pretty bad. I know I need to do better.”Me: “Sooooo, how much water do you think that you drink?”
Client: “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe one or two bottles per day if I remember.”
Each week, people tell me they could “probably do better.” when it comes to drinking more water. Now, I’m never going to tell someone they’re wrong when they say this, but when they fumble such great insight and wisdom from their parched mouths, I can’t help but wonder where we went wrong to start reducing our water intake on a daily basis.
In literature, water has a long history being associated with life, health, and even wealth. Water has long been used as representation for beauty, purity, adventure, and prosperous futures. Nearly every culture around the world places a high value on water in life and in society. It is referenced as one of the common pieces of symbolism shared between religions. The sight of a flowing creek or river after a long day’s travel in the sun was sign of rest, rejuvenation, and restoration for our ancestors.
Now, I hear people groan about “having to” drink more water.
Is it because we humans in this day and age have a profound propensity to busy ourselves so much that we truly live disengaged from our internal cues for thirst or hunger? Are we really that distracted? I sure hope not. But the longer I’ve practiced, the more I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of getting people hydrating better.
Risks of Dehydration
The slow onset of symptoms related to dehydration can be unfamiliar to many and go unnoticed if clients don’t consider their hydration.
Dehydration can feel like fatigue — mentally or physically. You may start feeling weak in your whole body and lack energy to go throughout your normal day. Dehydration can also impair your decision making and negatively impact your reaction time in a time of need, such as driving your vehicle on the road after a hard workout or long run. It is important to make sure you are safe to drive, mentally and physically before you get on the road, and hydration is a huge part of proper preparation.
Especially in the intense heat of summer and expected increase in exercise that most people achieve by working outside doing yard work or landscaping, farming and gardening, or simply walking, running, and biking outdoors — I bet we could all benefit from drinking just a bit more water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
So how do you know if you might be dehydrated? Well, you may start to notice subtle signs like dry mouth, increased thirst, cravings for salt or for sugar. Your skin may start to feel dry, scratchy, hot, or itchy. You may begin to have a mild to moderate headache or muscle cramps.
Of course, don’t forget to check yourself in the bathroom each time you go number one. Your urine will always be a quick vital checkup you can complete multiple times a day to monitor your hydration level. Dark urine or urine with a strong smell will likely indicate you are dehydrated.
Benefits of Staying Well Hydrated
As most of us know, water is one of the most important nutrients for the human body. Remember, water is your friend. Water can help us in so many ways.
Regulates body temperature
Supports digestion and absorption of vital nutrients
Lubricates joints
Protects organs and tissues
Supports cognitive function
Needed for the formation of saliva
Carries nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body
Flushes waste away and out from the body during cellular cleanup
How much water should I drink?
Even if you do not think you are thirsty, it is generally a good idea to maintain consistent hydration throughout the day with overall daily goals for the average female and male set at ≈ 2.7 liters and ≈ 3.7 liters respectively.
The other recommendation you may hear that is a bit more precise and personalized is the suggestion that you could be drinking around half your body weight in ounces per day. These are good rules to consider to give you a general sense of daily goals. However, you will need to be your own best director for your health and wellness.
Check in with yourself daily, multiple times in fact, throughout the day to make sure you are staying well hydrated and your hydration intake matches your energy expenditure and fluid loss.
Why Are Electrolytes So Important?
Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes affect how your body functions in many ways, including: The amount of water in your body, the acidity of your blood (pH), your nerve and muscle function, your cognitive function, and so much more!
Your cells use potassium alongside sodium. When a sodium ion enters a cell, a potassium ion leaves, and vice versa. Potassium is also especially critical to your heart function. Too much or too little can cause serious heart problems. That’s why the wild ways in which the body ultimately seeks to serve itself by supporting proper balance at all times is so incredible.
Why Can Supplemental Electrolytes Be Helpful for Optimal Health?
Replenish Vitamins & Minerals, including potassium, sodium, magnesium, B-vitamins, antioxidants, and more usually lost daily through sweat, urination, occasional diarrhea and exercise.
Promote healthy, relaxed muscle tone and function.
Promote athletic recovery after exercise. Promote healing of damaged tissues.
Support steady energy production inside the body.
Enhance hydration capacity. Water without minerals has a minimal benefit to the body.
Maintain proper fluid balance within cells.
Support nerve impulses from the nervous system to other body parts. Our bodies are electrical systems. Everything works off of electrolyte balance.
Hydration for Exercise
Before exercise, drink 15–20 fl oz around 2–3 hours before your exercise event and roughly 7–10 fl just 10–20 minutes before exercise begins.
During exercise, aim to drink 3 to 6 ounces of water with electrolytes (and possibly some extra liquid sugars) every 20 minutes to balance your electrolyte needs for exercise. As a dietitian, I love recommending a clean, no sugar added coconut water to my clients’ workout routine. Nature’s electrolyte drink as we like to call it, is packed full with potassium as well as sodium, magnesium and phosphorus plus some additional carbohydrates to support your energy during the workout phase.
After exercise, don’t forget to hydrate post-exercise with around 20–30 fl oz of water or post-workout hydrating shake or smoothie.
If you’re looking for a clean source of electrolytes to add to your water to support workout routine, I usually have my clients try the ElectroPure Hydration packets from Designs for Health. Alternatively, you can also use a bulk powder Hydration Complex / Electrolyte Synergy and mix with a liter of water and store in the fridge to sip on throughout the day. Use code ZigZag25 to save 25% at checkout.
Electrolyte Blend Specifically for Pickleball!
If you are one of the growing number of people who enjoy playing Pickleball, then Jigsaw Health may be your best friend to help support your hydration and electrolyte needs.
Jigsaw Health is very well known in the Pickleball world with a specific blend, the Pickleball Cocktail - a sugar-free, delicious orange-flavored beverage with as much Potassium as two bananas.
Another fan favorite from Jigsaw Health is the Electrolyte Supreme line of products as well - a premium, full spectrum electrolyte powder that also contains complementary minerals & vitamins to transform plain water into a nourishing, energy-boosting beverage that the whole family can enjoy.
Dietitian Tips to Better Sips That Entice Your Taste Buds
Try infusing your water with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and/or spices!
Experiment with adding any of these favorite additions to your water to enhance the flavor naturally.
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, mango, cucumber, basil, mint, sage, rosemary, lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, lemon, lime, orange, jalapeño, and apple.
You can even pair some of these flavors together to make special blends to impress your guests at parties or events.
Lime + Basil
Apple + Cinnamon
Watermelon + Jalapeño
Strawberry + Lemon
Orange + Vanilla
Another fun treat you can try is to mix up your hydration routine is to make flavored-infused ice cubes!
Chop your ingredients in tiny pieces.
Fill ice cube trays with your chopped ingredients until about half full.
Add water to ice cube trays until full.
Freeze overnight.
Place a few ice cubes in a glass or water bottle.
Pour in fresh water to the top.
Enjoy a slow flavor release from your fancy ice cube infusions!
If you want to learn more details about hydration, exercise, water intake and health, check out the following resources mentioned here: SportsRD.org | USGS.gov | Water, Hydration, and Health
Health and Happiness are not sparked overnight. Life is a journey and we all deserve a little encouragement from time to time. Here’s my encouragement to you for you to continue striving to live your best life.
ZigZag Nutrition represents the pursuit we share as we strive to live this life as best as we can, learning and growing, flexing and adapting along the way to better align ourselves to the most nutritious life and lifestyle that meets our needs and nourishes our body, mind, and spirit - together.
Thank you for being here. Please consider sharing this story with a friend or use it as a catalyst for conversation. See you next time! 🤙
