Water, hydration and the importance of electrolytes for your fluid balance

We as humans are on average 60% water- this can vary depending on your age, sex, hydration levels. People often wonder how much water should they drink on a day-to-day basis. Your need of water depends on your age, body weight, condition of health, usage of medications, environment (temperature, hight from sea level), physical activity level. It's important to note here that we also get water through the food we eat as well as water gets extracted also during our digestive process.

If you drink caffeinated drinks (like coffee), alcohol- these both dehydrate the body. So you can see that the amount of water a person needs to drink is really dependant on many things. As a general rule, it's good to drink anything between 31-35ml per kg of body weight. But we should not focus here only how much water should you drink, but how much water is leaving your body (sweat, urine) on a day to day basis. If your body is dehydrated, you feel lethargic, experience brain fog, are low in energy, develop headaches etc. Dehydration can also lead to weight gain and weakened immune response.

How can you stay hydrated?

As said the easiest place to start is to simply start to drink more clean water (filtered water, spring water). As an additional step is to make sure you get adequate amount of vegetables and fruits in your diet. They don't only contain water, they also contain electrolytes which are crucial for hydration and body function. Here are some of the most hydrating vegetables and fruits that also contain electrolytes:

• Celery

• Watermelon

• Cucumber

• Kiwi

• Peppers

• Citrus fruits (lemon, lime, oranges, grapefruit)

• Carrots

• Pineapple

• Lettuce

• Radish

• Tomatoes

• Cauliflower

• Spinach

• Berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries etc)

• Broccoli

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when they are dissolved in a liquid like your blood. They are incredibly important to overall health and are found in your blood, sweat, urine. If electrolytes in your body are too low or too high, you can have anything from muscle weakness, confusion, fatigue to serious health complications, such as seizures, cardiac arrest and even coma. We all loose electrolytes daily, through sweating and through our urine. If you drink too much plain water, you dilute your blood and deplete your body of important electrolytes. That's why it's very important to replenish your electrolytes with daily mineral-rich liquids and foods.

Below are the list of electrolytes and their importance for the body:

• Sodium- for maintaining body fluids balance and for keeping muscles and nerves to run smooth. Sodium acts as the gatekeeper of hydration, pulling water into the cells for optimal cellular health and preventing dehydration. Natural food source: salt.

• Potassium- it works inside cells to balance sodium, helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It's important for muscle relaxation and for regular heartbeat. Potassium is found in coconut water, vegetables (spinach, sweet potato, potato, beet greens, tomato, broccoli, zucchini), fruits (bananas, oranges, avocados, watermelon, kiwi, mangoes, pomegranate, apricots, cantaloupe), legumes (lentils, kidney beans, edamame, black beans, peanuts), almonds, yoghurt, milk, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa), chicken, fish.

• Magnesium- it's needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It modulates nervous system responses and supports energy production. When you are highly stressed or are engaged in intense physical activity, magnesium is rapidly depleted - leaving both your body and mind fatigued. Food sources for magnesium: nuts, seeds, whole grains, cocoa, dried fruits, spinach, beetroot, tomato paste, lentils, peas, beans, beef and chicken, wild strawberries, seaweed, kale, avocado, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, banana.

• Calcium- aside from helping to keep our bones healthy, it enables our blood to clot, our muscles to contract, and our heart to beat. Food sources: cheese, almonds, Brazil nuts, kefir, buttermilk, cottage cheese, curd cheese, yoghurt, sesame seeds, canned fish with bones, kale, broccoli, watercress, bok choy.

• Chloride- it helps to keep the fluid inside your cells and outside of your cells in balance. It helps to keep the needed blood volume, pH of blood fluids and blood pressure. Food sources: table salt, sea salt, seaweed, celery, tomato.

• Bicarbonate- is used to maintain the body's pH balance. It works with the other electrolytes to maintain electrical neutrality on a cell level.

• Phosphorus- found in your bones and is important for bone building and maintenance, same as calcium. Food sources: seeds, nuts, cheese, liver, egg, whole grains, meat, fish, garlic, cocoa, curd cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt, legumes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dried fruits, mushrooms.

How can you replenish your needs for hydration and electrolytes?

Drinking too much plain water, you can over-hydrate your body, overtax your kidneys and dilute the sodium content in your blood, which can become life-threatening.

One way to make sure you cover your daily electrolytes needs on top of consuming daily vegetables, legumes, fruits, is to drink an electrolyte drink. This is especially important if you do intense exercise, are sick or are vomiting as a result of a stomach bug. Many of the store-bought electrolyte drinks contain added sugars, sweeteners, flavour enhancing ingredients, which your body does not need.

How can you make an electrolyte drink at home?

Basic recipe is actually very simple. Start your morning with a big glass of filtered water or spring water and add a pinch of salt into it.

If you want to enhance your water further, you can follow the below electrolyte elixir recipe by Robb Wolf:

• 1l (1 quart water)

• 2 tbsp of lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp of salt (such as Himalayan, Celtic)

• 500mg potassium citrate powder

• 1/4 tsp of magnesium malate

Stir or shake to mix well. You can also add a few ice cubes if you like.

It's very important to have an electrolyte balance in the body and hydrate the body on a daily basis. Short-term effects of electrolyte imbalance lead to muscle cramps, anxiety, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, brain for, while long-term effects of electrolyte imbalance lead to cognitive damage, heart damage, osteoporosis.