Water Blog, not water-logged…
(5-minute read)
By Estelle Olivares
Trained Dancer, Certified Fitness Nutrition Expert, Lifelong Vitamin/Herb Nerd, Wellness Coach.
As the temperatures warm, now that we are well into Spring, I am often intrigued around this time of year by the awareness of my desire for increased hydration. I am a fan of water. I know some people aren't into it, but I am, so this one is for all you water-lovers out there. And maybe it will inspire some of you non-water-lovers to think differently about how you drink water.
I recently changed the way I drink water.
I have read about this before and was recently reminded of this simple shift in hydration and how it can make a big difference in the way we absorb water. I had been finding myself quite thirsty lately and came across a reminder to change the habits of water consumption in order to increase hydration and enhance digestion.
Maybe this will help you, too.
There are two key factors involved:
1. Drink water (preferably spring or filtered) plentifully, away from food; either 30-40 mins before or 2 hours after eating.
What is plentiful water? 6-10oz., up to 20oz. is well, plenty!
2. Take a small amount of natural salt, rich with minerals, prior to plentiful drinking water.
Sidebar discussion: It is possible to OVER-hyrdate, to the point of being life threatening. Yes, you could die from excessive hydration! Worth noting for awareness, though most likely life threatening amounts of water are not going to be an issue if you’re implementing these two simple suggestions for increased hydration.
I am quite pleased to say that I actually FEEL more hydrated, or rather, less dehydrated; feeling less like I am thirsty.
Also my digestion has improved; less bloating and more satiety when I do eat. Cool, huh?
It is an interesting thing to become more in tune with the timing of when you drink water and how, but I have been enjoying this shift.
I have been enjoying the feelings of putting this shift into action.
Here's what I do:
I always drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning anyway - when I take my probiotics. I add a little salt with my first glass of water (1/16th-1/8th tsp - in truth, I do not measure this, I simply take a tiny amount each time, but I have a disclaimer to make: I have an unusually good eye for volume estimates and as a hobbyist baker, I am familiar with these small measurements; so do what you need to do in order to have your peace of mind about the amount of salt you take and adjust accordingly).
I lick the salt - something that is very fulfilling for me because we've always joked that I need a salt lick - let it dissolve in my mouth to absorb the minerals and then drink 6-10 ounces of water, down the hatch.
THEN, I take my probiotics after a few minutes with another full glass of water. It's nice to start the day this way - flushing the system after sleep.
We lose quite a bit of water during sleep, and drinking purified water in the morning is good for the liver and good for the colon.
I am not an 'eat right away' type of morning person. I do like my first black cup of coffee fairly soon (after the cat gets fed, of course! There must be order in the house, after all, and good luck getting past the cat!), but I like to sip that first cup and take my time with it. If food is your preference for starting the day, hopefully you can wait just 30 minutes after all that water.
Drinking water plentifully like this dilutes stomach acid and we need it for optimal digestion. It doesn't take terribly long for the stomach to empty out when all it has is water. The probiotics get 'hidden' in all that water by the way, because the stomach cannot tell there are small capsules along with all that water. It thinks, oh this is just water, and dumps into the intestines. Making this more optimal for colonization in the intestines when you take your probiotics in this way.
The other small shift I have made is to be aware of the timing of food and water, and not only in the morning, but during the day, too.
Often times we mistake hunger for thirst. So if you feel like you are coming up on a mealtime, note the time, do your salt and water intake and just wait 30-40 minutes before eating.
You'll be more ready for food and you will have hydrated well in advance.
If you take supplements with your food - I do! - it is fine to have small amounts of water/fluids when we eat, just try not to guzzle it as this decreases those good digestive juices.
A couple ounces of fluids are fine with food.
The other 'time' to be aware of is to wait 2 hours after eating to drink plentiful water. It takes about 2 hours for the stomach to do its thing.
I have found that by hydrating more efficiently away from food, I am less thirsty in general AND generally not ready for large amounts of water until at least a couple hours have gone by. Then I notice the time and sure enough, it is time for water (and a salt lick!). ;)
I have also noticed that my satiety is more fine-tuned: I am ready to put my fork down sooner. I feel like my digestion is much smoother and I'm not feeling bloated like I have often felt after eating.
It makes sense because not only am I hydrating well before food, and not diluting digestive juices, but I am also taking in some essential trace minerals. These little tricks help with digestion and satiety.
This is nice in the evening as well, because you may have heard that part of good sleep hygiene is to avoid eating at least 3 hours before bedtime and avoid drinking a lot of fluids at least 2 hours before bedtime. When you are hydrating with enough time prior to eating (it only takes 30-40 minutes), then it becomes very easy to enhance your sleep hygiene by not drinking a lot of fluids before bedtime, too. In other words, you are less likely to have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. I had already been putting this practice into play, but it is even easier to do now that I have shifted my hydration to more efficient timing.
Coupled with the overall feelings of better hydration throughout the day, I have to say, I am quite pleased with this shift and I will continue to employ these methods.
That's the thing about health: You learn little tips and tricks along the way. Sometimes it takes an uncomfortable feeling or an instance to help jog that shift into place - for me it was feeling thirsty even though I knew I was drinking plenty of water (I am a water-love, remember?). I shifted the timing of my water intake and added a little salt, something I already love and enjoy, and I am loving the results! I hope you do, too.
In good health!
With Love and Joy,
Estelle*
p.s…
DISCLAIMER (our legal advisers are very good to us, but make us say this stuff): As always, before starting any new health habit, check with your doctor or otherwise qualified healthcare professional. The advice contained in the Health For Dance blog and site is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice. The author is simply sharing personal anecdotes which may or may not apply to any other individual.
