What Does It Take To Rehydrate Yourself?
In case you couldn’t tell, we think hydration is really, really important to your overall health – and science says we’re not wrong. Our body is made up of 60% water, which is distributed throughout the cells in our body and perpetuates everyday vital processes like processing waste, lubricating joints, helping digest food, helping the brain make hormones and neurotransmitters, and generally allowing the body to create, multiply and maintain the amount of cells it has. Each organ in your body is made up of a percentage of water, and that water helps it to function correctly. For example, your brain and heart are made of 70% water and your lungs are 83% water, and you definitely want to keep those working!
So, it makes sense that your overall health would take a big hit if you’re dehydrated. The average male needs 3 liters of water per day, and the average female needs 2.2 liters. This is give or take a little bit, and all depends on the size and body fat percentage of a person, but it gives you a general idea of how much you should be drinking.
What if you’re not getting the amount of water you need? It can be easy to forget to sip on water if you’re partying with friends at a festival on a hot day, or raving in a club full of people and no air conditioning. When you become overheated, your body produces sweat, which helps it to cool down when it’s getting too hot. When you sweat, you not only are losing that valuable water in your body, you’re also losing electrolytes that are valuable worker bees in your body, helping its processes to move along smoothly. When you lose all of these things, you become thirsty, lightheaded, constipated, or in short – dehydrated. Dehydration can cause a variety of health issues, to include fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, fainting, and all sorts of other fun stuff. Long term, chronic dehydration can lead to decreased ability to concentrate, heart and lung issues, and kidney problems.
So now that we know how bad it is to lose water, what can we do about it? Besides the obvious answer, “drink water,” there are other things you can do if you’ve not taken in your daily amount of H2O –
Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine, while tasty, are not your friends. Both alcohol and caffeine speed through your body and act as a diuretic, which means they speed up your body’s process to get rid of water through an increase in urine production.
Eat salt or drink a sports drink. One of the main electrolytes you lose when you sweat and become dehydrated is salt. If you are dehydrated and are drinking water, it’s important to remember to also include electrolytes. These are easily found in drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, or can even be found in a bag of potato chips or a big plate of French fries. Sprinkle on that extra salt, too!
Eat fruits and vegetables. A surprising number of fruits and vegetables are made up of primarily water. Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, and apples are great sources of water. On the veggie side of things, try celery, zucchini, squash, or lettuce in a salad to make up some of that lost water.
Try a hydration supplement. While it shouldn’t be the only way to try and replace lost water and electrolytes, a hydration supplement can be an awesome way to replenish what your body has lost. A great option is HydroRX, which combines electrolytes, vitamins, and a serotonin complex to make one powerful super hydration supplement. Bonus here, it contains natural vegan ingredients, and has only 15 calories, so you don’t have to worry about that.
So, how do all these vitamins and minerals in HydroRX help you with your hydration status? Let’s take a look at some specific things and how they are important to your body’s health:
Vitamins A and C
Vitamin A plays a major role in making sure your body maintains good vision and has a healthy immune system. It can also help reduce any digestive side effects of drinking too much alcohol. Vitamin C helps you combat high blood pressure, lowers your risk of heart disease, lowers levels of uric acid (a waste produced by the body) in the blood, and increases your body’s ability to absorb iron.
Vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12
The B vitamin triad above are vital to maintaining a healthy body. Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, helps cells in your body communicate with each other, and also helps build and repair your body’s DNA. Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is a vitamin that helps your body change food into energy. Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is responsible for the production of red blood cells and neurotransmitter creation. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) also helps with red blood cell production and vital brain functions. These are all pretty important to hydration status, when you consider that dehydration means less blood volume and decreased the ability of your brain to function!
Zinc, Potassium, and Magnesium
Zinc is a nutrient that helps your body maintain a strong immune system, and also helps your body to heal wounds faster. Potassium is a mineral that is incredibly important to the overall function of the human body. It regulates fluid levels, maintaining a good balance of fluid both inside and outside of your body’s cells. It relays messages between your brain and your body, and balances the nervous system. It also regulates muscle contractions in your body – including the heart, which is your body’s most important muscle! Without potassium, many vital organ systems would fail to work properly. Magnesium works similarly in the body, maintaining a healthy nervous system and brain-body communication, as well as regulating muscle and heart function. It also stabilizes mood and is helpful in fighting depression.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is important to the body because it helps your kidneys filter waste, and also helps to build and produce cells, DNA, and RNA in your body. This is an energy powerhouse!
L-Glutathione
L-Glutathione helps protect your liver, especially when it’s been under the stress of partying too hard. It can help to prevent cell death in the liver, which can ultimately lead to liver failure.
Taurine and Beta-Alanine
Taurine and beta-alanine are super important to recovery after raves, providing the ultimate protection against liver disease and heart disease. Taurine is an amino acid that works with your brain and body to boost your immune system and improve the way antioxidants are used in your body. Beta-alanine decreases muscle fatigue and ups your energy, which is huge after days of partying.
Salt
Salt, especially pink Himalayan sea salt, is incredibly important to hydration status. You lose salt when you sweat, and salt is vital to the function of your heart, kidneys, and other vital organs. Without it, your heart rate may be irregular, and your kidneys may not be able to filter waste out of your body. By including it in supplements, you are replacing a much-needed substance.
Natural Ingredients
Natural ingredients like ginseng root powder, stevia leaf extract, lemon juice, and other fruit juices provide sources of natural energy and sweetness that make supplements all-natural, vegan, and pleasant to take.
So remember, the next time you head outside, keep yourself hydrated – there are lots of different ways to do it. When choosing a hydration supplement, make sure to read labels and ensure that it has what your body needs… your body and your partying self will thank you for it in the long run!
