Drink water, stay hydrated, right? Wrong. Or at least, it's not the best way,
some say. They claim there's actually a way to optimize your hydration to stay even healthier.
It's no secret that staying well-hydrated is fundamental to maintaining good health.
Capable of much more than just quenching our thirst, water helps to regulate our
body temperature and mood, improve focus and sleep quality, lubricate our joints,
and keep infection at bay. And yet, according to the National Library of
Medicine, chronic dehydration affects a whopping three-quarters of Americans.
In a video that has garnered hundreds of thousands of views,
sisters Jill and Jenna, creators of the TikTok account GutTalkGirls,
explain that if proper hydration is what you're after, drinking plain water just isn't enough.
"You're not getting any electrolytes."
To remedy this, she recommends zhuzh-ing up your regular old water with some lemon juice and a
sprinkle of sea salt, which she claims is "better for hydration." But is this really accurate?
"What are electrolytes? Do you even know?"
Let's take a look at how electrolytes regulate the body's health.
Electrolytes are substances that break down into positively or negatively charged ions
once dissolved in water. While our brains, hearts, muscles, and nervous systems depend
on the electrical charge of these ions to carry out their functions, electrolytes are
most notable for their role in maintaining the balance of fluids between our cells and tissues.
Our bodies hold fluid both within and outside of cells and outside our cells. The water in our
cells accounts for 65% of the fluid in our bodies and is absolutely critical to their
functioning. When the cells require more water, they will pull it from the extracellular spaces.
This is done through osmosis, a process that requires electrolytes like sodium, potassium,
and chloride. Because water and electrolytes are often pulled from the body's tissues to
supply the cells, it is imperative that we replenish the supply through our diet,
as our bodies can't produce electrolytes on their own.
When our bodies aren't armed with the proper amount of electrolytes and nutrients,
much of the water we drink passes through our system without being absorbed. That's
where lemon juice and salt comes in. Sodium is the key electrolyte that helps deliver water
to your cells. Because sodium is expelled from the body via urine and sweat, it is essential
that we continue to replenish our bodies with salt. While this can be done through our diet,
salt that's been dissolved in water is easier for the stomach to absorb. Lemon
juice also contains electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to further
enhance hydration. Plus, it adds a fresh, citrusy flavor that improves drinkability.
After all, taste should never be overlooked. One critical reason
people can't stay on a diet is because snacks are specifically manufactured
to trigger the reward centers in our brains. And healthy foods do not always do the same.
Consequently, if something doesn't have a satisfying or rewarding taste,
you will be inclined to avoid it. If adding lemon and salt to your water made you shy
away from drinking more water, it would defeat the purpose of keeping you hydrated.
Fortunately, many people crave the invigorating combination of sour and salty. In fact,
there are many citrus desserts and dishes that call for salt. This is
probably because salt enhances the flavor of pretty much any food it is sprinkled on.
Although sour and salty are a tasty combination, the secret to making it truly palatable is,
as always, in the balance of the ingredients. Salt sensitive individuals must be particularly aware
of their overall daily intake to keep high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues at bay.
The best recipe for you might take a little tweaking. However, an excellent baseline is
to start with half a lemon, or about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and just a pinch of salt. Ideally,
you do not want to use more than a quarter of a teaspoon. The secret to making this
recipe work lies in using warm or lukewarm water, or the salt won't dissolve as readily.
Another way to level up your water drinking is to use pink Himalayan salt. Healthline
states that pink Himalayan salt has far more minerals and elements than table salt. That
means you get even more electrolytes per serving, which is exactly what you want.