This is the last blog article in the series on the foundations of wellness. I’ll be sharing about how minerals and hydration are crucial in their role in promoting health and overall wellness. They are both not only vital for preventing dehydration but also in helping with many important functions of the body. So let’s dive in!
Understanding minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring substances from the earth and act as “spark plugs” in the body. They are important for many enzyme reactions. Our bodies cannot produce minerals so we must get them from the food and beverages we consume.
Reasons for mineral deficiency
Mineral deficiencies are not uncommon today due to many factors, including reduced grazing of animals on the land, industrial agriculture, increased mineral needs during certain life stages (for example, infancy, pregnancy, and adolescence), chronic stress, reduced stomach acid, the use of filtered water, and gastrointestinal issues that decrease mineral absorption and utilization. Other reasons for mineral deficiency include a highly refined and high-sugar diet, antacids, antibiotics, birth control, and alcohol.
Signs that you may be deficient in minerals
- Chronic fatigue
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Low thyroid function
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Nutrient deficiencies
Benefits of minerals for the gut and rest of the body
Minerals play a vital role in maintaining a healthy gut. They help with nutrient absorption, support digestive enzyme activity, and balance pH levels. They also help transport nutrients into cells, boost the nervous system, provide energy, help with muscle contractions, control tissue growth, and offer structural support.
The relationship between minerals and hydration
Minerals and hydration have a synergistic relationship, where water depends on minerals for proper absorption, and minerals depend on water to transport them throughout the body to deliver needed nutrients.
Why hydration is important
Water is the most important nutrient for our survival. Even a 2% drop in the body’s water supply can lead to early signs of dehydration, such as fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, muscle cramps, darker urine, headaches, and brain fog.1
Continued dehydration can progress into a chronic state and lead to more severe symptoms like heartburn, constipation, joint pain, back pain, colitis, and exercise-induced asthma. Water is also an important co-factor in producing stomach acid, a vital component in digestion.
Maintaining minerals and hydration
Here are some ways to support optimal ranges of minerals and hydration in your body:
- Eat a nutrient-dense diet. This helps supply a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables also supply our bodies with hydration.
- Eat in a relaxed state. When stress is on, digestion is off. We need to be in a parasympathetic state in order to digest and absorb nutrients from our food.
- Ensure that digestive function is ample. We need adequate stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes and bile to break down food and metabolize the nutrients from it. Work with a gut health practitioner if you aren’t sure if your digestive output is optimal. Read this article to learn more about these three MVPs of digestion.
- Drink plenty of water during the day, with added electrolytes. Add a pinch of unrefined sea salt to each glass of water. This helps our water get absorbed on a cellular level, and hydration will help transport minerals throughout our body.
- Swap Gatorade and other similar electrolyte beverages that are full of sugar and dyes, for better electrolyte-rich alternatives like unrefined sea salt from Redmond’s Real Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Quinton minerals, coconut water without added sugar, Jigsaw Health Pickleball Cocktail, Seeking Health Optimal Electrolyte powder or sticks, LMNT, Body Bio E-lyte, or Trace Minerals.
Minerals and hydration are two foundations of health and wellness that significantly affect our bodies. By understanding their importance and taking up healthy habits, we can support our bodies in being nourished and flourishing. Which new habit would you be willing to try?
Resources
- Nutritional Therapy Association. Hydration-dysfunction. [PDF file]. 2020. P 4.
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