Electrolytes

Love to Sweat?!

Do you love the benefits of sweating? That feeling of opening your pores and sweating out all those toxins… yeah, me too!  You aren’t just a YOGI you are a HOT YOGI!

But along with sweating out all those TOXINS you are also losing the good stuff, ELECTROLYTES.  Those puddles on your mat are not just WATER!  They are filled with minerals too!

This is a quick little chat about Electrolytes. Why do you need them, and how to replenish them??

The heavy hitters are:

-Sodium

-Calcium

-Potassium

-Magnesium

Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals and compounds.  They basically conduct electricity when mixed with water. No electrolytes, means no electricity, means body no-worky!

Electrolytes serve an important purpose for many bodily functions, such as muscle contraction, heartbeat regulation, nerve impulse conduction, and balancing fluids within the body.

Some common signs of electrolyte imbalance are:

• Dehydration… well duh!  But if you aren’t drinking enough water, your electrolytes will be out of balance since they need each other.

• Diarrhea and constipation.  Gross, I know, but we must talk about it.  An illness can throw off your digestive track and deplete you, but also not being able to go may be a sign of low minerals.

•  Fatigue.  This is common!  Many who start upping their electrolytes feel less groggy.  Stress can deplete magnesium which can make you chronically tired.

•  Muscle cramps.  One of the biggest signs yet!  You need those charged minerals flowing through your muscles to keep them working.

You may think, “Gatorade will replenish that, right?”  Well, maybe a little.  One 8oz. serving of Gatorade has about 110 mg of Sodium (the main electrolyte) which is about 5% of the recommended daily value.  It really isn’t enough sodium! Plus, the rest of the ingredients in Gatorade are awful, such as sucralose and food dyes.  You would be better off adding a ½ teaspoon of Himalayan salt to your water which has 1150 mg of sodium!

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, meat, nuts and seeds can help as they natural sources of minerals, BUT it may not be enough if you are hitting hot yoga on the daily.

Craving salty foods?  Add salt to your meals, rather than downing a bag of potato chips!  Processed foods have high levels of sodium, so if Doritos and Del Taco are your diet, your sodium levels are going to be high.

If you are a clean eating yogi, you will need to pay extra attention to your salt and mineral levels.  Sea salt, Pink salt, Redmond’s, Celtic salt have more than just sodium and chloride.  They contain trace minerals you need also, such as the ones listed above and much more.  Table salt only has 2 minerals! Just sodium and chloride, plus it is over processed, bleached, has additives, so stick to the fancy salt if you can!

My go-to for Electrolytes is LMNT!  One packet contains 1000 mg Sodium, 200 mg Potassium and 60 mg of Magnesium Malate.  NO sugar added!

You may be wondering about Liquid IV.  The first ingredient is Pure Cane Sugar, then Dextrose (more sugar), then salt.  Total sugars are 11 grams, which is about a third of the recommended daily allowance.  The Sodium is 500 mg, Potassium 370 mg and NO Magnesium.  It has its place, especially if you are a sugar burner.  Someone who enjoys high intensity activity for long durations (like a runner) can benefit from glucose replacement in the muscles.

Keep getting sweaty, but don’t forget to DRINK more than just your water!  Add a pinch of salt, salt your food to taste, and give LMNT a try!  STAY HYDRATED MY YOGIS!

“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Suzy

Love Mel