Is Dehydration Making You Grumpy or Anxious?
Many of my patients show signs of dehydration on their functional blood panels. These comprehensive labs can find things that are hidden or sneaky, and dehydration is often one of them.
It is a real game changer for your health and longevity.
But drinking water isn’t usually enough.
Many of my patients learn about what kinds of water are best to drink in order to stay hydrated. (Hint: Reverse Osmosis and distilled water aren’t on that list)!
But often, water isn’t enough.
Surprise: a lack of key electrolytes may be a sneaky contributor to your bad mood.
Electrolytes are essential minerals that act as “shepherds” — helping to lead water where it needs to go in the body, and get into cells that need hydration.
You might recognize the names of some of the key electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and potassium. These need to be in specific ratios, so just increasing sea salt doesn’t usually do it.
But what you likely don’t know is that researchers have found supplementing with an electrolyte drink to increase hydration helped:
- Prevent anxiety
- Stop an energy decline
- Reduce confusion
- Boost agreeability (so you don’t feel grumpy or combative)
And this was in people who were NOT significantly dehydrated – regular folks, like you and me!
Yep — just getting better hydrated could be all it takes to feel better, happier, and less anxious.
You’ve got to give this a try!
You (Yes YOU!) Probably Need More Electrolytes
Even if you drink a lot of water, you could probably benefit from getting more electrolytes.
And I’m not talking about Gatorade, which can actually cause further sneaky dehydration because it’s full of chemicals (artificial flavors, artificial food colorings, preservatives, artificial sweeteners) that require water to process them through your system, leaving you more depleated.
That’s because most of us (for good reason) drink filtered water — which has very few electrolytes remaining.
We also get fewer naturally-occurring electrolytes from the food we eat, due to things like soil degradation.
And on top of that, regular exercise, blood sugar issues, stress, warm weather, even just drinking a cup or two of coffee or tea — they all can deplete electrolytes and water…
Increasing the likelihood of dehydration…
And opening the door for dehydration to negatively affect your mood, and your body’s ability to repair itself; an essential part of aging gracefully and recovering from exercise and stress.
Most electrolyte drinks are loaded with tons of added sugar, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. Those ingredients aren’t doing your body any favors.
I have a few favorites that really give me and my patients the results we deserve.
Whether you’re doing a water fast, following my Holistic Keto to Gut Health approach, conventional keto, exercise, or simply aging; you’ll benefit from electrolytes.
Top Picks
- Quintessential sea water electrolytes
- Trace Mineral brand Trace Minerals
- Trace Mineral brand 40,000 Watts trace minerals
- Paleovalley Trace Minerals
Begin by taking it once a day, with water. If you exercise or sweat a lot, increase it to twice a day. Do this for 1-month minimum to see how you feel.
Questions to ask yourself
- Are my skin, hair, and nails more supple, and less dry?
- Has my mood been more stable?
- Am I pooping better, daily, or 2-3x day?
- Am I urinating less at night? (also stop drinking in the evening, and load up on water earlier in the day).
- Do I feel less crabby?
- Has my vision improved a little?
- Do I have less brain fog?
- Does my family notice anything different in me?
- Do I have fewer energy crashes?
- Do I have less anxiety?
It’s really quite a simple and affordable solution to many pesky health symptoms. Hydration and electrolyte balance is key for your cells to function properly and this impacts every system in your body.
Here’s to your Hydration! 💦
Blessings of Vibrant Health,
Kristin Grayce