Morning Hydration to Kickstart a Day of Focus

Brain health alert … as it relates to one simple habit you can add to your morning routine:   

And then maybe one more glass of lemon water with salt - side by side with your cup of coffee.  

 And then you're free to sip just plain ‘ole water for the rest of your day. 

 I know most of you are familiar with this lemon water ritual …. but maybe not the salt part.

 If you’re like me, I typically have a glass of water with me most of the day, and obviously thought that did the job and kept me hydrated.  

 But I’ve learned that water alone is just not quite enough to do the trick.

 Before I get into the nitty gritty details of the enormous benefits of just some lemon (or lime) juice and salt in your water … let’s look at the big picture.

 Probably about 75% of us are normally dehydrated.  Particularly when we wake up, after not having water replenishment for several hours.  As we sleep, water does magical things - powering our immune system and metabolism to enact thousands of cellular processes. 

 So it’s important to replenish both our brains and our bodies first thing in the morning. 

 Our bodies consist of about 60% water, with our brain and heart comprising about 73% water, our lungs 83% water, our muscles, 79%, our skin, 64%, and our bones, 31%. 

 Water also regulates our body temperature through sweating and respiration, moves oxygen and nutrients through the bloodstream, provides lubrication for joints, enables the brain to create essential neurotransmitters and hormones, and flushes out toxins and waste.

 When we are dehydrated, our brain actually shrinks.  Neurons require water and electrolytes to enable critical processes in our bodies … and if our brain doesn’t get enough, its ability to communicate with the body and make these chemical processes happen, is compromised.

Sure, we think of electrolyte replenishment after a tough work-out … but not necessarily as a daily routine. 

Why is this so important?  

 Because electrolytes pull water into our cells, enabling our cells to keep their shape and structure.  We can drink water all day … but without electrolytes, we are not getting optimal water into our cells, which leads to dehydration. It’s not really about the amount of water we drink; it’s about how much water we absorb.

 When we are properly hydrated, the side effects are beneficial.  It helps us focus, optimizes executive functioning, eliminates headaches, and promotes memory retention.  If you read last week’s newsletter, it’s very much like that “bubble bath for the brain” that exercise provides.

 So more on understanding the why.  Just what is an electrolyte?

 It is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water - and the common electrolytes include potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. 

 Take muscle and neuron tissue as an example, both of which are considered electric tissue.  They rely on the movement of electrolytes in and out of cells to activate key processes.  Muscle contraction, for example, is dependent on all of these key electrolytes … and when we have imbalances, this can cause muscle weakness and cramping.

 To take it up another notch, the National Institute of Health and the National Health, Lung and Blood Institute just released a study which looks at the impact of hydration on heart health and risk of chronic disease.  Staying hydrated minimizes the risk of heart disease and chronic disease risk, thereby optimizing healthy aging. 

 So, why sea salt and a squeeze of lemon in our water?

 The sea salt provides the electrolyte sodium chloride.  Because it comes from evaporated seawater and is minimally processed, it typically does come with some trace minerals (vs. regular table salt, which is mined and processed to eliminate minerals).

 Lemon provides the electrolytes of calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

It helps dissolve uric acid in the joints and can help decrease inflammation.  It helps with absorption of both food and water throughout the day - increasing the uptake of essential nutrients.

 It’s also full of vitamin C. One lemon provides about 140% of our daily vitamin C requirements - thereby providing immune support, and protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C also increases the production of white blood cells which protects the body against infection, and is also necessary for the production of collagen - a critical protein needed for supporting our connective, muscle and skin tissue.

 Sea salt and lemon are also a dynamic duo, helping to reduce cellular toxicity by pulling waste from our cells.  Additionally, the alkalizing effects of both help balance our body’s ph.

 And why warm or room temperature water?  Drinking ice cold water can interfere with the digestive benefits of lemon water.  Ice water also makes your body work harder, expending energy to heat it up.

 Phew.  That's an awful lot of detail for just getting you to think about drinking a glass of lemon water.  But sometimes I think fully understanding the “why” is what gets us to start … and then stay with a new habit.

 So first thing, make your way to the kitchen and pour a glass of warm or room temperature water.  Squeeze in half a lemon, and a pinch of sea salt ( ¼ tsp should suffice). 

 When you’re done, pour that cup of coffee or tea, but also have another tall glass of water, complete with lemon and salt.  Like exercise and its ability to create a “bubble bath for your brain” - lemon water with salt adds some more bubbles … and sets you up for optimal hydration.  

Sources:  USGS.gov, Dhru Purohit Hydration Challenge, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Mayo Clinic, Sciencedaily.com