Can We Over Hydrate?

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We all know that we need to drink plenty of water each day. About 8 glasses is what we have been taught. Actually, our brains will signal us with feeling thirsty when we need to hydrate. Every organ of our body needs water to function correctly. But are electrolytes even more important than water? What are they? They are minerals found in our blood, sweat, and urine. They dissolve in fluid and create positive or negative ions that are used in metabolic processes. Those ions are electrolytes containing Magnesium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, and Sodium. Your body measures your blood volume and when it needs more fluid your brain signals you with the feeling of thirst. If you are drinking water when you are not thirsty blood electrolyte levels may become diluted, especially the sodium levels. If the balance of fluid levels gets thrown off it messes with how our cells work. With our blood carrying around such important stuff as oxygen and the blood volume drops, our body must work extra hard to make things continue flowing smoothly. So our body has special sensors that monitor our fluid levels and trigger responses to keep things all balanced. This involves our kidneys which regulate water and salt levels. Besides the powders and drinks that contain electrolytes, we also need to eat a balanced diet with food that contains electrolytes. This includes pickled foods, table salt, cheese, seeds and nuts, green leafy vegetables, avocado, sweet potato, and bananas. Extreme exercise or illness may deplete electrolytes and you may consider more electrolyte intake through an electrolyte drink mix.