Thirst Trap - Are you Hydrating?
Brian and I filled our water bottles from this creek on our backpacking trip in 2019! This water is so alive and vibrant.
Besides some lovely rain storms we have had lately, our usual dry climate means our body needs more hydration. We have talked about Vaporizers to help keep nasal passages and airways hydrated to help prevent colds, flus, and sinus infections but also sustain hydration. I know some people can drink lots of water and are still thirsty. Besides being a sign of diabetes, it can also mean you don’t have enough trace minerals in your diet. Purifying or reverse osmosis systems can clean out the good and the bad. The best source of water is from a clean mountain spring that might trickle through our backyards. Except the fact that we all live in a city and don’t have that, there are many ways to find mineralized water that can truly hydrate you. This is only information to help inform your choices, not a medical recommendation (as you know, I am not a Doctor). Just want everyone to be aware of thirst thresholds, and checking in on what you are drinking is truly hydrating. And yes, not all water is equal.
What are Trace Minerals?
Minerals such as magnesium, chloride, sodium, iron and zinc are examples of trace minerals. You can find a list HERE. Within your body at any given second, there are a multitude of chemical and electrical processes taking place. Without trace minerals, these processes wouldn’t be able to work properly. Your blood wouldn’t get the iron it needs, your bones wouldn’t be supplied with calcium and your muscles wouldn’t get the sulfur that they need. And another really important function of trace minerals… they are necessary to absorb nutrients from food and absorb water into the cells.
Water Needs
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day for women and 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) a day for men. That includes fluids from tea and coffee (although caffeine acts as a diuretic) and food. It also can fluctuate depending on whether you need more or less depending upon season, weather, diet, temperature, pregnancy, physical activity, or health conditions (losing fluid from one or the other end of the body).
Natural Sources
Here are some natural mineral sources of water that also provide trace minerals that can hydrate you.
Coconut water - it’s like a better for you Gatorade, not only providing you with trace minerals but electrolytes as well
Mineral Water - Either carbonated or still, they are bottled at a source and have not been depleted of their minerals. My favorite is Topo Chico. I always feel refreshed after I drink one. If you feel thirsty after drinking something, it is not hydrating you. I used to be in love with the very popular drink Le Croix, but realized that once I finished one, I was thirsty. That's not right, so be aware if your thirst isn’t quenched by what you drink. Tea, coffee, and alcohol can also make you thirsty because they have a diuretic effect. Enjoy, but make sure you balance that with mineral water.
Mountain Spring Water - Bottled from source, a popular brands people swear by is Mountain Valley Spring and Fuji. If you ever have a choice, choose a spring water rather than a purified water, like Aquafina.
Celtic or Himalayan salt have trace minerals and can be added to your food, instead of table salt.
Adding in Trace Elements
There are other ways to add trace elements into your water at home, including in your multivitamin.
Quinton - I haven’t tried this brand but listened to a woman who specializes in natural medicine tell her story. She drank a gallon of water a day while pregnant and was always thirsty. She had to have an emergency C section because the baby had very little amniotic fluid left. She was dehydrated even after drinking a gallon of water because she wasn’t getting enough trace minerals to help absorb the water into her body. She swore by this brand that helps her stay hydrated to this day.
Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops - I have tried these at home, and so has one of my clients so I can recommend!
Ionic Drinking Minerals - This brand stems from the bodywork philosophy of Neurovascular Therapy which I don’t know much about, but have a couple of clients who swear by this bodywork. My client gave me a sample of these minerals. I usually try for one 16 ounce bottle of day with the drops, then drink regular water.
We also have to be aware not to take in too many trace minerals. Our body needs just traces for important functions and absorption, but too much can be toxic.
P.S. This week I was hip enough to learn the definition of “Thirst Trap”, which became the name of this blog post. According to urban dictionary, When someone, usually female, posts a sexy picture of themselves and traps thirsty admirers. The more you know - just passing it on...