STOP IT! Two blog posts in one month...who have I become?
The truth is I would love to have the time to write you all every day if I can. I have put a little time aside to send you some shorter entries and hopefully get some conversations started more often!
Anywho, I am not here to discuss my blog entry schedule, I am here to talk about ELECTROLYTEs. If you follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/themissymethod/) you have probably seen me putting electrolytes in my morning water or talk a little about having them first thing when you wake up. So let's dive into what, why and where - Electrolytes.
What are Electrolytes? An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water. Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, are essential for a number of functions in the body.- *
The electrolytes in human bodies include:*
sodium
potassium
calcium
bicarbonate
magnesium
chloride
phosphate
Why do our bodies need Electrolytes?
Our body needs (craves) water the first thing in the morning (and through out the day, esp if you are active). If you think about our life cycles, we sleep, we eat/drink, we move, we eat/drink, we move, we eat/drink, we sleep and repeat. The details of that cycle are different per person, but overall we awaken from anywhere from 6-10 hours of sleep, we eat go off to work or get our kids off to school, break for lunch, pick our kids up from school or finish the work day, we eat dinner and we sleep again. Throughout that whole cycle, there is one time that we go the longest without anything being ingested. That is obviously when we sleep. Our bodies do a lot when we sleep and by the time we wake, we are dehydrated - especially if you are a mouth breather!
***From the Sleep Foundation - Most water loss happens through urination, but the body also loses fluid through the skin and from respiration, which is known as insensible water loss . Over a full day, about 300-400 milliliters of water Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. 300-400 milliliters of water are lost from breathing. A large component of that loss happens during sleep, although the amount can depend on whether a person breathes primarily through their mouth or nose.
So it is crucial that the first thing we drink in the mornings, is not coffee, but water. And what is even more effective than drinking just plain water is water that has electrolytes! Electrolytes regulate the muscle and nerve functions, balance blood pressure and acidity and help rebuild tissue damage. Very important for my active girls!
Where do I get my Electrolytes?
There are some good products out there right now that I have been using.
1. The first is the one you are seeing me use on IG. It is from Remond called Re-Lyte and warning, it is salt but effective. I love drinking this first thing in the morning before my workouts. I swear it helps! https://redmond.life/collections/re-lyte
2. There is another product from Drink LMNT.
There aren't as many electrolytes in their packets, but this may be okay for you if you get your electrolytes from the food you eat! See the table down below.
**
Like with ANYTHING, take the recommend amount. Too much can lead to problems also!
Please let me know if you have any questions!
XO,
Missy
*Medical New today - Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D, CISSN, Nutrition — By Adam Felman — Updated on Jan 6, 2023
**Medical New today - Medically reviewed by Grant Tinsley, Ph.D., CSCS,*D, CISSN, Nutrition — By Adam Felman — Updated on Jan 6, 2023
***Sleep Foundatin https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/hydration-and-sleep