Staying Hydrated By Melonie DePalma, Holistic Health Coach
I bet you’ve heard it said that you need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day in order to stay properly hydrated. Perhaps you’ve also read that by the time
you feel thirsty, you’re already in an advanced state of dehydration, or that most of us are chronically dehydrated. I am going to share a few simple ways to ensure
you stay hydrated and avoid those terrible headaches that can come with dehydration. Living on an island that is a vacation hot spot, we see dehydration often.
Chances are also good that you’ve experienced a terrible hangover from dehydration. The symptoms of a hangover are caused from the dilation of blood vessels
leading to too much blood flow to the head, which in turn causes the throbbing headaches associated with drinking. WebMD recommends that you divide your weight
by 2, to figure your recommended ounces of water you should have each day.
This month I will cover a few remedies to help prevent dehydration and hangovers. Us locals blessed to be living in a beach town, our vacationers, beachgoers,
and boaters, ALL could use a little of this advice.
Coconut water is the fluid that’s found in the cavity of the coconut when you crack it open. It contains no fat and is very low in calories, about 50 calories for
one cup, most of them from natural sugars. In addition to water and sugar, coconut water also contains some minerals such as potassium and magnesium. In fact,
coconut water has more potassium than a banana!
As far as I can tell, a lot of the health claims made for coconut water are based on its potassium content. And potassium is certainly a good thing. It is involved in
all kinds of essential bodily functions—and I suppose you could parlay that into a list of benefits like the one above. But virtually all fruits and vegetables are good
sources of potassium. When you think about it, that list of benefits would apply to any diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables.
Basically, coconut water is like natural Gatorade. Like Gatorade, it contains water, simple carbohydrates (or sugar), and electrolytes (or minerals). Compared to a
sports drink made with refined sugars, artificial flavoring, and blue food coloring (yuck!), I’d say coconut water represents a solid upgrade. However, the benefits of
sports drinks—whether natural or artificial—tend to be somewhat oversold.
Coconut Water can prevent dehydration and promote heart health. Consuming foods or beverages rich in potassium, including coconut water, may help reduce the
risk of hypertension and stroke. Not only that but it promotes kidney health and fights aging. Coconut water contains compounds that seem to protect cells against
aging and cancer—in test tubes anyway. It’s exciting to think that drinking coconut water could make us immune to aging and disease. But we really should know
better by now. I think its naïve to think that coconut water is the elixir we’ve all been waiting for. At the end of the day, coconut water is a reasonably nutritious,
natural beverage. A much healthier choice than Gatorade.
Have you ever woke up in the morning feeling (and looking) rough? There are several reasons for this but one of the biggest culprits is, simply: when you’ve gone
all night without drinking H20, your body will be dehydrated and that will result in your skin appearing thinner (due to a lack of fluid retention), your head will be
hurting and bags forming under your eyes. In fact, dehydration is even what causes morning breath - which itself is a result of not producing saliva during the night.
Saliva is a natural disinfectant and is responsible for killing off the bacteria in our mouths that make us smelly!
My personal favorite hydrator is Chia Seeds with a lemon and some water. I know it’s impossible to say the word Chia without stutter-singing the Chia Pet jingle
and envisioning a terra cotta pig, porcupine, or a Homer Simpson head sprouting tiny green leaves. But after you get past the cha cha cha Chia song, make a glass
and reap the many benefits of Chia seeds.
Drinking a Chia drink just before bed will help you sleep better and wake up feeling hydrated. Again, Chia seeds provide a useful way to stay hydrated, especially
if you’re planning a fun beach day under the sun.
Chia seeds are very small seeds that come from the mint family. While they look fairly innocuous and uninteresting, they are rapidly becoming more popular owing
to a large number of different health benefits. For one, Chia seeds are high in fiber and omega 3 fatty acids, and at the same time they have an almost magical ability
to absorb fluid and hold onto it.
Chia seeds have quickly become popular and new research seems to suggest that these seeds might be very useful when it comes to improving our running
speed, distance and performance. The reason has to do with their ability to absorb water. Impressively, Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 times their weight in water
and then store it in the gut, allowing you to slowly absorb that fluid. This makes them fantastic for hydrating and means that you can get a steady supply of fluids
when you need them during beach days and exercise.
Here’s a few facts on Chia seeds:
• Chia seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds.
• Chia seeds do not need to be ground to be absorbed by the body (unlike flax seeds but we’ll save that for another article) and they can be stored for long periods
of time without going rancid.
• They help with hydration due to their ability to absorb up to 9-10 times their weight in water.
• Chia seeds also contain fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc, among many other nutrients.
• Chia seeds like to get stuck in your teeth. You were warned. Carry a flosser, I do.
Enjoy this delicious recipe, especially during beach days and before bed for a hydrated day!
Chia Fresca (Yield: 2 cups)
Ingredients:
2 cups water or coconut water
1.5 tbsp. Chia seeds
1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice, or to taste
Sweetener, to taste (I like 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup, honey, or agave)
So get yourself hydrated and enjoy your summer on this beautiful island!
Sending Love, Light and Lots of hydration.
34 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JULY 2019