Hydrated brains are happy brains!

Even mild dehydration can cause one to feel sluggish, headachy, and a bit grumpy. Here are some simple tips to help you keep you and your family happy and hydrated this summer.

1. Clean water is key

Not all water is created equal. For most of us, tap water is the most economic way to get our H2O because it does not have to be shipped. In general, tap water is safe and clean but it’s important to filter as all water supplies have a certain amount of toxins in them – including chlorine. Although important to make our drinking water safe, chlorine can also kill off the good bacteria in our gut and affect thyroid function. So it’s best to thank chlorine for doing its job and say goodbye and filter it out!

We recommend you do some research to find the best solution for your family’s drinking water supply. Companies like The Healthy House have water filtration systems for the home, but if you prefer a counter-top water filter, our favourite at the moment is by a new company called Phox. We like the glass jug (reducing toxins from plastic from leaching into the water) and the fact that you can order the “Alkaline” pack that add minerals back into the water. Why is this important? Read on…

2. Mineral power

Our bodies need minerals in order to get the water into our cells where it’s needed. These minerals are sometimes referred to as ‘electrolytes’ which you may have seen on packaging for sports drinks or rehydration drinks for children. There’s a reason they add these electrolytes to drinks! They improve hydration.

Water filters can strip these essential nutrients out but you can add them back in either by using the right filtration system or adding your own minerals with a supplement like CT Minerals which we’ve listed as our supplement of the week below.

If you prefer to buy your drinking water, our favourite brand is Fiji as it is high in silica (approximately 45mg/litre) which is good for binding to toxic metals like aluminum. Even though it comes in plastic bottles we still like it more than other brands because of the mineral content. Just be sure to store bottled water out of sunlight and heat to keep the plastic from degrading. If you can’t find Fiji then Volvic, which has silica at a rate 32mg/litre, is also a good choice.

3. Beware of juice

Many parents start giving their children fruit juice because they’ve been told that it contains extra vitamins and minerals. While this may be true, the extra sugar is just not worth it and high juice consumption is not good for your child’s teeth or overall health.

Juice is basically ‘liquid sugar’ and causes blood sugar to spike which then is followed by an inevitable crash. Dysregulated blood sugar can be behind symptoms like anxiety and even aggression. It also feeds pathogenic bacteria and yeasts in the gut – another good reason to steer clear!

If your child is addicted to juice, start watering the juice down and aim for a 25% juice to 75% water ratio in the end.

4. Extra Electrolytes

Sometimes we need a bit of extra hydration either due to heavy sweating or illness. Doctors will often recommend something like Pedialyte (or other ‘electrolyte’ drinks) but these products are often loaded with sugar, artificial colourings and artificial flavouring. A much healthier alternative would be organic coconut water which is naturally high in minerals. And remember, extra fluids don’t always have to come in a cold drink. A very nourishing fluid is bone broth which will not only ensure optimal hydration but also has some gut-healing properties. Click here for our bone broth recipe.

Food of the week: Watermelon

If your child is reluctant to drink more, then watermelon is a great way to sneak some extra hydration in. It’s a sweet fruit that is actually ‘low sugar’ because there is a lot of water and fibre in every serving. It has potassium and magnesium – two minerals that often need topping up as our diets tend to get enough sodium and calcium. If you have extra watermelon why not check out our recipe for yummy gut-healing gummies.

Blending watermelon with a bit of lime and some fresh mint is also a fun ‘mocktail’ for both adults and kids to enjoy this summer.

Supplement of the week: Cellcore CT Minerals

Most people are aware of the larger minerals like Calcium and Magnesium but there are many ‘trace’ minerals we need in much lower doses like Chromium which is essential for blood sugar balance. This supplement contains all trace minerals in a handy liquid that you can add to your water to re-mineralise it and improve absorption. You can get it from Amrita and add 10 drops per 250ml of water to start with. Please be sure to read the information about dosing before you increase this dose and if you are adding this for a child under 50lbs (23 kg) then only add 5 drops per 250ml. You can register with Amrita using discount code IA12LW to get 10% off all supplements.

Please only introduce new foods or supplements under the guidance of your healthcare practitioner and remember dose is important! We always recommend that people start with a very small dose and work up. Supplements are not meant to be used long term. These are general recommendations only and not intended to diagnose or treat any health issues. If you are already a patient of ours, feel free to ask your practitioner if these are suitable and don’t forget to use the discount codes listed below.
If you’d like to become a new patient please follow this link to our appointment page and follow the directions.

 

If you’d like to become a new patient please follow this link to our appointment page and follow the directions.