Hey Reader,
Have you ever had cramps in your legs or calves? My client Don was running a little late the other day. He had a severe cramp in his left calf. It was a piercing type pain so it took him a while to get going.
I definitely felt for him. I know cramps like that can be excruciating. My mind automatically went to hydration, which means not only water, but minerals and electrolytes.
I asked him and he said, "I know I don't drink enough water." Something I've heard many times from so many clients. Hydrating optimally is really the best solution for mitigating severe cramps, not to mention headaches, fatigue and many other aliments.
It's crazy, but something so simple and natural such as consuming enough water for your physiology can be so effective. Two of my favorite books on hydration:
Your Body's Many Cries for Water, by F. Batmanghelidj, MD
Quench, by Dana Cohen, MD
"It's known that humans can survive for about two months without food, but just days without water will kill us." ~Dana Cohen, MD
In my profession a lot of people seem to be chronically dehydrated, yet fluid is the supply chain for anything and everything to get anywhere in the body. So, if you think about it, dehydration is slowly dying.
Most Dr.'s articles I read or listen to recommend drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water. I weight 120 lbs. so I drink at least 60 ounces of water a day. When I lift, run or get into my near infrared sauna I drink even more and yes with salt.
Contrary to what you might believe, you need more than just water to hydrate, you need SALT. It's water, salt and potassium that hydrates and regulates our water content.
There has to be a healthy balance to make it available all the way down to the cellular level.
According to Dana Cohen, MD, for maximum absorption of water, start first thing in the a.m. and use lemon and sea salt to soak your insides. Here are some of my favorite salts from the earth (NOT toxic, artificial salt from a lab, like on restaurant tables):
These are natural salts with trace minerals, like iodine, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Most people I know don't realize how important salt is to life, health and hydration.
You may be avoiding it to your determent because a doctor said it causes high blood pressure, but dehydration can surely cause high blood pressure.
Support your active lifestyle by drinking at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water and add natural salt to your water and/or food. You can also make a healthy electrolyte drink . These are my favorite non-toxic, no sugar favorites I recommend to my clients and athletes. Gatorade does NOT hydrate you!
It's getting hot here in Southern California. I can really feel the heat with my long walks and especially when running intervals. I'm sweating my buns off! It means I definitely need to hydrate even more!
Do you use salt to help you stay hydrated? Here's to your salty summer with more energy, fun and adventure!
Stay active friend,
Shannon
WWW.ATHLETICMOVEMENTCLUB.COM
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