Hydrate Better To Gain Less Weight

Feeling good inside and out, strong and healthy, helps us achieve physical and emotional well-being. And to achieve this, we usually focus our attention on food.

“But while we worry about knowing how to eat well and knowing what foods we are going to eat, we pay little attention to other issues such as knowing how to drink correctly,” according to Jesús Domínguez, technical director of the team specialized in fasting and hiking retreats at MiAyuno.

He points out that “the human body is made up of around 78% water, a key liquid for transporting oxygen and nutrients to the cells, for the correct transformation and absorption of food, for lubricating the joints and the proper functioning of the mucous membranes and the nervous system, among other functions.

“Water also helps eliminate toxins. When this process is hindered for various reasons, the body tends to retain liquid to ‘dilute’ these acidic toxins so that they irritate cell walls less,” she points out.

“Fluid retention can lead to significant weight gain. When a person starts fasting or makes nutritional changes to reduce the toxic load of their diet, eating more plant-based and/or organic foods, or eating less food, they experience rapid weight loss in the first few days,” according to MiAyuno.

“Hydration is therefore key to achieving physical and emotional well-being, as well as maintaining a healthy and adequate body weight,” according to Domínguez.

According to this naturopath and physiotherapist, “we gain weight more because of the way we drink, that is, because of our level of hydration, than because of the way we eat, which in turn can be conditioned by our better or worse hydration.”

“Sometimes we feel hungry when we are thirsty,” says this expert.

“Some people do not feel thirsty because they have become accustomed to ignoring this sensation. Instead, their brain activates the sensation of hunger, but hunger for sweets,” according to Domínguez.

What can we do to stay well hydrated?

Miayuno experts advise drinking enough water with electrolytes and eating enough fruit and vegetables to maintain an optimal level of hydration with adequate electrolyte balance.

“An electrolyte is any substance that contains free ions in its composition, which makes it behave like an electrical conductor,” Domínguez explains to Efe.

He adds that “a correct electrolytic balance in the body will allow for the correct transmission of the electrical impulse in the body, which is key for the fluid in the body to fulfill all its functions, but above all for the nervous and muscular systems to function correctly.”

In cases where symptoms of dehydration or poor electrolyte balance (fatigue, memory or concentration problems, muscle cramps, irritability, joint, and muscle pain) have been manifesting for several weeks, it is recommended to increase the intake of mineral salts, since these are converted into electrolytes in our body.

“The cheapest option is sodium or potassium bicarbonate, although people with hypertension or kidney failure need medical supervision before taking mineral salts,” they warn.

To prepare bicarbonate water at home, Miayuno suggests mixing a teaspoon of bicarbonate, half a teaspoon of sea salt, a spoonful of honey, and the juice of a lemon in a liter of water, and drinking it throughout the day instead of regular water.

Hypertonic solutions

“Other examples of hypertonic solutions (rich in electrolytes) are the oral serum that we give mainly to children or elderly people, more vulnerable to dehydration, when they suffer prolonged episodes of diarrhea or vomiting,” they add.

“There are drinks such as coconut water and fruit juices that have a high electrolyte content. We can also use (purified) seawater as a rich source of electrolytes, mixing it with mineral water to soften its salinity,” Domínguez points out.

“Proper hydration helps prevent fluid retention, which in the body will increase the person’s volume and weight,” Domínguez reiterates.

He stresses that hydration “depends on the amount of liquid we drink (water and other liquids) and the food we eat (especially raw vegetables), as well as the electrolytic composition of these liquids, which in water depends on the electrical charges from dissolved minerals.

“When the body makes us feel thirsty, it tries to balance the body electrolytically and the sensation of thirst disappears when it provides the body with the electrolytes it needs in sufficient quantities,” he explains.

It indicates that the recommended amount of water to drink in one day to cover our daily needs is about two and a half liters (2,500 milliliters or ml).

“Of this amount, 1,200 ml should come from liquid intake, 1,000 ml from the food we eat, and 300 ml are the result of our body’s internal metabolic processes,” according to this expert.

“These amounts are approximate and should be adjusted to the person’s activity level, age, and time of year,” he clarifies.

“All these recommendations can be followed by everyone without any complications, as long as they are healthy and do not have kidney diseases or dysfunctions or hypertension, since in these cases the intake of salts must be very careful and always carried out under medical supervision,” he concludes.