Mind Your Minerals!
Minerals can do great things for your health.
Let me fill you in on a little secret. Ready? Drinking water does not guarantee hydration- yes that’s right! We need minerals to drive water into our cells for proper hydration! But that’s not all minerals do- read on to find out why we need to make sure we are getting them daily.
Electrolytes are minerals and they have an impact on all these body functions:
- Hydration
- Metabolism & detoxification
- Energy balance
- Digestion
- Adrenal health or Stress balance (adrenals are those little glands that sit on top of our kidneys that manage our cortisol levels)
The most common electrolytes in our body are sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and calcium.
Let’s break this down. Electrolytes help regulate fluid balance across cells. When we don’t have enough minerals, water will have nothing to hold on to, and will not be driven into the cells- (this is called intracellular hydration). So basically, water will just flush through you without being properly used! If you are peeing 24/7, this is a sign your minerals are off balance.
Other symptoms that indicate that your minerals are low include :
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Headaches
- Irregular heartbeats
- Water retention/ feeling puffy (your rings just won’t fit in the morning)
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Slower thyroid
- Brain fog
There are times when our need for minerals is increased such as when we are stressed (stress depletes minerals), living in a hot climate, digestive issues impacting your absorption of minerals from food & for ladies only: during your luteal & menstruation phase.
I bet you are wondering “how do I get these minerals?” Well its definitely not from those artificial sugary electrolyte drinks you find in stores.. there are plenty of natural real foods options!
My favourites are either adding some lemon & a pinch of sea salt in my morning water or sipping on some homemade bone broth for lunch. Bone broth, lemon juice and salt are great sources of electrolytes. Other sources include fruits, root vegetables, green-leafy vegetables, and coconut water (with no sugar added!).
Here’s my favorite Mineral Drink you can do at home:
- 1 cup pure “no added sugar” coconut water
- ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- Juice of ½ a lemon
Optional: mint leaves, aloe vera, or vitamin C powder
Make it a habit to add minerals to your daily routine!