As a bodyworker, I find my clients' skin, hair, nails, and muscles often show signs of dehydration, and as I get older, I'm struggling to stay properly hydrated myself. I drink a lot of water, but often it goes right through me! Some people are more prone to dehydration, but we all have more trouble maintaining hydration as we age. Once dehydrated, it can take focused effort to restore your hydration, and just drinking water won’t do it. Dehydration is a common root cause for elders to end up in the emergency room. So I hope this little blog post helps keep you and your cells plump and juicy! A few lists to start:

Early Signs of dehydration

• Dry lips, mouth, eyes, skin, hair, nails

• Constipation, pellet poops

• Watery eyes may be your eyes are not making effective lubrication

• Receding gums

• Low blood pressure (You can also be dehydrated and have high BP)

• Every time you drink, you soon have to pee—ie: it runs right through you, like a very dried out potted plant that has become hydrophobic.

Things that dehydrate

• Dry air—hot or cold, especially moving air

• Many Medications

• Sugar

• Table salt

• Caffeine

• Alcohol

• Stress

• Dry crunchy foods, esp refined wheat-based

• Super-hot showers

The trine of Hydration—What enables your body to absorb and assimilate the water you consume:

• Probiotics

• Essential Fatty Acids

• Electrolytes

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that live in the slimy mucin lining of your intestines and break down food so that you can digest it. This symbiotic relationship with your body requires careful balance. Once out of balance due to poor diet, too much alcohol, caffeine, stress, taking antibiotics, etc, it takes effort to get it back into balance. A healthy mucin controls assimilation of all nutrients, including water, and it also provides the protective barrier to keep toxins out!

Your digestion is like a compost pile, and it needs water and micro-organisms in order to function. Depending on your constitution, raw ferments such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and of course, supplements will help. If your gut biome is way out of whack, you’ll want prebiotic organizers to create the foundational structure for the mucin lining.

Electrolytes are salts that become charged molecules, called ions, when they are dissolved in a liquid. Their electrical charges and ability to conduct electricity enables electrical signals from one cell to another. They also support the kidneys in their management of water in the body.

Unlike mountain salts (ie: Himalayan), ocean and river salts are very sustainable, being made day in and day out. As the chloride and sodium in water collides with the magnesium and potassium of the shore, salt crystals are being continuously formed.

Common Table salt is NOT a healthy electrolyte, and can wreck havoc on your circulatory system! Look for a good sea salt such as Atlantic or Celtic grey. The grey salts are the gentlest and, in my experience, will lower rather than raise blood pressure.

Taking 1/4 tsp grey salt with warm water or broth first thing in the morning will greatly support your kidneys. Any good sea salt used in your food will support your pancreatic function. Trust your taste—your body will tell you what the right amount of good salt is.

If you are still unconvinced about eating sea salts, then at least add more of these moist, electrolyte-rich foods to your diet:

• Celery

• Bok choy

• Cucumbers

• Jicama

• Yogurt

• Raw Cheese

• Chia Seeds

• Flax seeds

• Celery seeds

• Coconut water

Chia and Flax Seeds


Once these little seeds have been soaked in water and begin splitting open, they powerfully support the formation of a healthy mucin gut lining and the absorption of water into your cells. Chia are more enzymatic, alkalizing, and cooling, while Flax are a warming antioxidant. Try adding 2 Tbsp. Chia or Flax to a liter of water, shake and wait an hour or more for the seeds to split and get slimy, and then drink the seeds through the day. Refill the liter bottle again and finish it off to complete your daily water intake of 8 cups!

Chia Pudding recipe:

1. Add 1⁄4 cup chia seeds to a bowl

2. 
Add 1 can of coconut water or coconut milk and stir


3. Make in morning. Let it sit until dinner.


4. Add flavoring- Cacao powder, cinnamon, cardamom powder, honey, maple syrup, vanilla extract, etc and enjoy!

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

EFAs, also known as your “Omega” fats, strengthen cell walls, which allows water to stay within the cell. This translates to longevity within and healthy skin, hair, and nails visible on the outside. Their number (Omega 6, 9, etc) represents how many oxygen molecules are connected to the lipid. The higher the number, the more oxygen is present, the more anti-inflammatory. Like Probiotics, EFAs take time to build up in your system before you see results, so be patient.

What EFAs you need depend on your constitution and your needs. To help with weight loss, try 4000 mg of EFAs per day, especially cold pressed, raw flax or olive oil.

For those looking to reduce inflammation, take in 6000 mg of EFAs per day in the form of hemp, coconut, pumpkin seed oil, and up to 4000mg of evening primrose oil.

If you’re dealing with dryness and depletion, aim for 8000 mg per day. Look for raw sesame, pecan, walnut oil, fish oil, or tahini.

Use these oils to make your own salad dressings or drizzle on steamed vegetables, eggs or fish. You’ll find that it’s easy to get enough EFAs across your day without having to swallow big pills.

You will be amazed at how profound the change can be in your body as a result of building your hydration. You may find increased energy, even moods, smoother and clearer skin, and seemingly lower stress.

For a deeper dive, check out my teacher Deanna Batdorff's little e-book on Hydration