As a James Beard Award-winner for Best Chef Northwest, Iron Chef winner, co-author of Peak Nutrition Cookbook, owner and coach at Mazama Nutrition, and rock climbing aficionado, we're honored to learn from Chef Hines in our newest Weekend Agenda.
The Benefits of Staying Hydrated
Why is hydration important? Your body is made of 60 percent water, so you need it to survive. Some of the common benefits of hydration include:
It cleans toxins out of your body
Drinking water helps your kidneys do their job, filtering and eliminating certain toxins from your body. Without plenty of water, that waste material won't be sufficiently metabolized. Drinking water will also help prevent painful kidney stones.
It helps regulate body temperature
On those hot days, your body regulates its temperature by sweating. This means that you're losing water during periods of physical performance or the hot summer months. As such, you need to drink plenty of water (or another hydrating beverage) to replace the water you're losing and regulate your body temperature without experiencing dehydration.
Keeps joints lubricated
The soft tissue in your joints prevents friction and pain— as well as everything is well lubricated. The Synovial fluid in your joints is comprised mostly of water. Proper hydration will keep your joints well lubricated and prevent inflammation and pain.
Delivers nutrients to cells
Ensuring you get proper hydration is a must for ensuring your blood cells move efficiently, carrying oxygen to heal your injuries and fuel your lifestyle. Proper hydration makes sure the nutrients you've gained from that delicious salad get where they're needed the most.
Pro tip from Maria: Fill up a large MiiR bottle with water, so you can calculate how much water you drink each day!
Signs of Dehydration
Your mind-body connection is essential for understanding your hydration status. The three most common signs of dehydration include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fatigue
If you're experiencing mild dehydration, you may also feel excessively thirsty or notice a lower fluid output.
Is Drinking Water Enough to Stay Hydrated?
Drinking water is just a part of staying hydrated. You also need to replace your electrolytes, as found in sports drinks. This hydrating citrus electrolyte water recipe will replace the unnatural additives and processed sugars found in sports drinks for something that truly nourishes your body.
Experts say to drink 11 glasses of water a day for women and 16 glasses of water a day for men. This number may vary based on your activity levels and environmental conditions.
Homemade Citrus Electrolyte Water Recipe
Focusing on hydration, especially in the winter months when it's cold outside, is a great thing to remember. It's easier to forget to hydrate in the colder months when you aren't hot or sweating quite as much. So here's a delicious way to stay hydrated; it only takes 5 minutes to make!
Ingredients:
- 1 Blood orange, or any type of orange, juiced
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 2 Tablespoons Honey, preferably raw
- ½ Teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 3 cups Water
Method:
- Thinly slice, lemon, lime, and orange wheels. Just a couple of slices of each citrus.
- Then juice the remaining citrus.
- Add honey, salt, and water to the citrus juice.
- Stir well, pour over ice into a MiiR Insulated Tumbler and enjoy!
Why Raw Honey?
Raw honey is less processed than regular honey, going only through a simple filter from hive to bottle. Regular honey is pasteurized and more processed.
Raw honey helps fight infection, has antibacterial and antifungal properties, helps digestive issues, and is an excellent source of antioxidants. In this recipe, raw honey adds a ton of flavor and natural sweetness as well as supporting your immune system and recovery after exercise.
Why Himalayan Pink Salt?
Because of the natural harvesting process, Himalayan pink salt contains more calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron than table salt. In other words, it contains some of the electrolytes you need to replace while engaging in physical activity. Sodium, in particular, can help prevent fluid loss.
The amount of minerals in Himalayan pink salt are in trace amounts, but getting in more minerals wherever you can, is always beneficial. Try using it for cooking to replace regular table salt as well, for an extra boost of minerals.
Why Citrus?
Citrus offers more than just flavor to this delicious beverage. Citrus fruits contain vitamins and minerals that help keep your heart healthy, maintain your blood pressure levels, and help maintain a healthy body weight. Citrus also contains high amounts of Vitamin C, which further benefits your skin and your immune system.
The addition of citrus to this healthy electrolyte drink gives you everything you need to maintain your health and activity levels during the winter months.
Stay hydrated and make it delicious!
Be Well,
Chef Maria
Follow along with Maria's journey on her Instagram.