Stay Balanced & Hydrated

With warm weather and longer sunnier days fast approaching, it is easy to see that summer is just around the corner. A common theme that I discuss to patients all year long is that of hydration, and this need only increases during the hotter months.

Not only are the days heating up, but people’s activity level often increases during the summer, all of which result in more sweat. Sweating means loss of water and electrolytes. Electrolytes lost in high concentrations are sodium and chloride, and in lower concentrations are potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Here are 5 options for staying balanced and hydrated this summer!

1. Drink Water

This may be the most played out advice, and you probably hate hearing it over and over again. But the outdated adage of 8 cups of water a day is ingrained in many people and new recommendations need to be reiterated. In healthy adults water requirements are based on caloric intake and can be calculated as 1 ml/kcal.

An easy estimate is 2-3L for females and 3-4L for males. Why so much water you might be thinking? Not only is water the largest single component of the body ~70% of weight in a lean adult, but every cell, tissue, and organ in the body needs water to function.

Water is the medium required for all metabolic processes including digestion, absorption and elimination including: perspiration, urination, defecation, and reducing waste and toxin load, it also cushions and lubricates joints for proper mobility.

2. Hydrator Elite(1)

The cleanest electrolyte rehydration drink on the planet. Founded by Integrative’s own Dr. Alex Chan and her partner Thomas Neilson, Himalayan Hydration is an all natural complete electrolyte sports drink company that combines magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium at much higher levels than Gatorade or Powerade with less sugar and no other additives into an on the go, easy to grab pre-packaged formula.

These drinks are great if you are doing more exercise and sweating in the heat of summer, or anytime you are feeling dehydrated, depleted, or just need a break from water.

3. RHD Milieu(2)

Liquid homeopathic drainage preparation, which was formerly called “ReHydrate”. Sometimes when we drink water, or try to rebalance a dehydrated state, consuming more just increases urinary output. These drops combine a number of different remedies to enhance water absorption and regulation throughout the body at a cellular level.

As we know, water circulates systemically transporting, dissolving, and replenishing nutrients and organic matter while carrying away waste/toxins. It regulates the activities of fluids, tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular secretions. This formula can be used to support dehydration, swelling/edema/water retention, kidneys, and adrenal mineralocorticoids.

4. Spectralyte(2)

Liquid nutritional alkalizing trace mineral and electrolyte drops. Spectralyte provides the body with a natural blend of positively and negatively charged ionized trace minerals for easy assimilation and broad spectrum cellular support.

It is formulated from desalinated inland sea water and contains magnesium, potassium, chloride, sodium and all of the trace elements including chromium, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc etc. required to regulate blood pH levels, maintain chemical gradients, nerve transmission and fluid distribution throughout the body.

5. IV Rehydration(3)

Intravenous fluids are the quickest and most effective way to re-hydrate in emergency situations. That being said, they can also be used safely in less severe cases to help replenish your body. By skipping the oral route and adding fluids and electrolytes directly to the bloodstream you circumvent the need to rely on digestion and absorption to re-balance your levels. At Integrative we have a specifically formulated IV re-hydration drip as well as our most commonly prescribed and requested IV Myers cocktail which is suitable for a wide variety of conditions.

(1) Hydrator Elite by Himalayan Hydration is available in our Integrative Dispensary as well as at Active Body Nutrition, Body Energy Club, End of the Line General Store, Famous Foods, Greens Organic Market, Nourish Market, Protein House, Pure Pharmacy, Stong’s North Van, and online at www.himalayanhydration and www.spud.ca

(2) RHD Milieu and Spectralyte are available in our Integrative Dispensary

(3) Intravenous (IV) drips at our Integrative Lab are available to the general public (not just patients of our clinic) if indicated after a consult with myself