Join Julie Polanco on this episode of Crunchy Christian Podcast as she discusses natural hydration drinks. Ditch those sugary electrolyte sports beverages and learn how to properly re-hydrate after hiking, biking, running, swimming, and the like. Nourish your body right!
Natural Hydration Drinks Perfect for Summer
Now that we’re all more active, we run the risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Our first instinct is to reach for those grocery store sports drinks. But, those are full of sugar, not to mention synthetically produced electrolytes. What can we do instead? What natural hydration drinks did our ancestors drink, especially since farm labor kept them in the fields for long hours in the hot sun?  They didn’t have those colorful sports drinks we have.
A word about water
Before we talk about natural hydration drinks, we need to talk about your water needs. If your diet is high in fats and fruits and vegetables, you are getting some hydration from the food you eat. A high protein diet may cause you to get dehydrated faster. That’s why the best snack to take on a hike is trail mix. Too much water taxes the kidneys, just like too much protein also taxes the kidneys. How much is recommended? The rule of thumb is men should drink 13-15 cups and women, 9-11 cups, but there are actually no real scientific studies to support that. Each person’s need depends on age, gender, weight, and activity level. Remember what I said about fruit and vegetable intake, which usually accounts for about 20% of your water need. Other sources of water include tea, coffee, milk, juice, and soda.
Signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion
So how do you know if you’re dehydrated? Let’s briefly discuss the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion. The easiest and most obvious sign of dehydration is dark urine and excreting less urine. If you are also feeling sluggish and tired and craving sugar, you need to get hydrated. If you experience dizziness, fainting, confusion, or heart palpitations, get medical attention immediately. Severe dehydration is an emergency. Don’t let it get that bad!

Heat exhaustion often occurs along with dehydration since it happens because of not getting enough fluids. If the body can’t cool itself in the extreme heat, you may experience many of the severe dehydration symptoms. But with heat exhaustion, you will also experience muscle cramps, headache, lots of sweating and cold clammy skin, and feeling tired. It is very important that you get to a cool place and help the body cool down. Get hydrated, too. Otherwise, it may progress to heat stroke. However, plain water is often not enough. Try these natural hydration drinks instead.
Fruits and Vegetables for Natural Hydration Drinks
On the show, Julie talks about how to use lemon, cucumber, celery, and watermelon to help address hydration needs. She also discusses how to make tasty natural hydration drinks from ginger and oranges. Her family has used traditional fermentation techniques to create healthy inexpensive alternatives to sports drinks.
Other drinks
Julie also briefly discusses kombucha and water kefir as health drinks that can help with keeping hydrated on a hot day. Listen and find out more!
 Additional Resources
Weston Price Foundation: Lots of information about the health benefits of lacto-fermented foods and beverages.

Nourished Kitchen: a post about different types of fermented drinks and needed supplies.

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