Do you drink enough water?

And by the way, the questions wasn’t “do you think you drink enough water?” I say that because I’m pretty sure that’s how everybody answers it. Then, when I ask them how much is “enough” and explain to them what truly is “enough” their jaw drops.

The details of drinking enough water are nuanced, mostly because there’s this question that nobody thinks to ask, about whether or not you’re actually absorbing that water. Yes, you read that correctly. It isn’t enough to drink enough, but rather to be absorbing what water you’re drinking, otherwise, you’re going to urinate it out.

What good is the water you just drank sitting in the toilet bowl?

Now, I know everybody loved their 7th grade biology class, Lord knows I still remember it to this day, despite my professional aspirations having nothing to do with science - maybe I should have leaned into that more, anyways…

Do you remember the class where you put salty water into a plastic tube (it was probably dyed a certain color) and sat it into a beaker full of un-salty water (that was not dyed)? And the cool part about this experiment was that SOMEHOW the salty water ended up in the beaker and you probably were like what is this witchcraft?

Well, that my friend was your first visualization of what happens within your body’s vessels. If you drink water without adequate minerals (sodium, especially) your water is going to go out as quickly as it went in because there’s nothing keeping it from staying.

Where salt goes, water follows. Period.

This is more so true and very important if you use a water filtration system in your home. It is highly recommended you use some sort of a filter because of the garbage that is in either city water or the runoff that ends up in your well (trust me, I know all too well).

But that is just the first half of the equation. Filtration systems don’t discriminate between the good and the bad, they work based off of particle size. So, anything that is bigger than what it filters will be stopped and whatever is smaller, passes through. This means that your minerals are being filtered out along with the bad stuff.

Minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and SODIUM (what everybody knows as salt). If you’re filtering out your water, it’s important to make sure you’re replacing those lost minerals either via electrolytes or trace mineral drops.

As irony would have it, you’re actually more likely to be dehydrated during winter months than summer. At least in the summer the heat and the sweat are key indicators of your dehydration. But in the winter, we’re not as clearly being reminded. I’m here to tell you, though, that those dry, cracked lips are yours are the pudding for which is the proof of your dehydration!

So, moral is, drink (and absorb) enough water in the winter, too! And make sure to include electrolytes or minerals!

We sell both LMNT and Concentrace Trace Minerals in the office, don’t hesitate to call to have some put aside for you!