Hydration for peak performance

Drinking plenty of fluids is essential to overall health and athletic performance. By weight, the body is over 50% water, and we need it for everything from good digestion to healthy skin. This means that dehydration and over hydration both have serious health consequences.

How much water?

Unfortunately, there is almost as much misguided ‘common knowledge’ about water as there is about food. Eight ounces of water, eight times per day is the water drinking mantra that has been pushed by health professionals and the media for decades. Yet in fact, there is no scientific evidence to support the “eight by eight” hydration recommendation. The eight by eight guideline is a gross oversimplification. Your water needs will vary greatly based on age, body size, health status and physical activity levels. Environmental factors like high temperatures and humidity also influence water needs.

A more accurate guideline for water consumption is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day, adding 8 oz for every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage, and 16 oz per hour of exercise. 

Are you dehydrated?

How do you know if you’re properly hydrated? Take a look at your urine. Generally speaking, the clearer the urine, the better hydrated you are. If it’s a clear-pale lemonade color, you’re hydrated. If it’s a darker lemonade to apple juice color, you’re dehydrated. Dry skin and cracked lips are other indicators you need to drink water.

What should you be drinking?

Pure water generally is the best source hydration. However, if losing a lot of water through sweat, you may consider replacing electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium. 

Many people assume that sports drinks are an equal and superior form of hydration - and a substitute for water. Before you reach for that brightly colored sports drink the next time you are thirsty, you may want to think again. Grape flavored Gatorade contains: water, sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, natural grape flavor with other natural flavors, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, red 40, Blue1. Are those chemicals and sugars really going to help you re-hydrate? They are most likely doing more harm than good. 

If needing to replace electrolytes, there are some healthier natural options like coconut water which contains more potassium than sports drinks and contains naturally occurring sodium. Alternatively you can make your own ‘sports drink’ according to the following recipe. 

Natural Sports Drink:

1 quart liquid (herbal tea, coconut water, plain water)

1/8-1/4 tsp himalayan or celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp calcium-magnesium powder*

1/4 cup juice (tart cherry juice is great for reducing muscle soreness, or use lemon for a refreshing drink)

1/4 tbsp sweetener* (honey, maple syrup, stevia)

* such as Natural Calm (optional)

Add all ingredients to a sealable jar or bottle. Mix or shake well. Cool and store in the fridge until ready to use. 

Staying Fueled on the Road

When traveling, I always like to keep a few snacks on hand for situations when healthy food choices are not available. Real food >> packaged bars and snacks, but packaged bars are so easy to transport! Fortunately there are a few decent packaged options out there. 

Here are a few of my favorite snacks:

Apples

Dates

Sprouted nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts…)

Almond or other nut butter packets 

70%+ dark chocolate

Coconut chips 

Jerky sticks

Epic bars and bites (gf, df, paleo)

Square bars (gf,df,vegan)

Rise protein bars (gf, Sunflower and Lemon Cashew df, vegan, paleo)

Olives

For short trips, or when refrigeration will be accessible upon arrival:

hardboiled eggs

pre-washed and pre-cut veggies (carrot sticks, snap peas, jicama…)

hummus

I also bring along some of my favorite herbal tea bags and my travel mug so that I can have some herbal tea on the go. Some of my favorite teas include dandelion root (great for detoxification) and ginger (anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea and digestion aiding). 

Additionally, I bring my greens powder (I take Vitamineral Greens mixed with collagen protein (almost) daily) and a jar so that I make sure to continue to get plenty of nutrients even if I may not be eating quite as many greens and veggies when traveling. 

What are your favorite travel snacks? 

My Top 5 Tips for Healthy Travel

I have been lucky to travel since I was born - partly due to being bicultural and living in different countries, but also because I love discovering new places and opening my eyes to different cultures. 

While I love exploring, I have never particularly enjoyed the process of actually getting to and in between places. I’ve had my fair share of delayed or cancelled flights, detours and long drives. And many ‘are we there yet??!’ moments. 

Over the past few years, I have come up with a strategies that make the process of traveling minimally stressful and make the most out of my adventures. 

Here are my top five tips for stress-free, healthy travel:

1. Get some exercise before you go/when you get there: Getting some sort of exercise before leaving on a trip always helps makes me feel calmer while traveling. While I enjoy running, any type of exercise to get your blood flowing is great. If leaving particularly early, getting 10-15 minutes earlier won’t make much of a difference in terms of sleep but can allow you to get in a quick walk or some stretching to make you feel more energized to take on the travels. Even if really tired upon arrival, I always try to get myself outside for a walk or run to get some fresh air. And come on, who doesn't want to start exploring!? As a runner, I usually search on Strava under Explore > Local for popular routes (both running and cycling) in the area. 
2. Get your sleep: Trying to stay/get back on your regular sleep schedule is key when traveling. More rested = better able to enjoy your new surroundings and make healthy choices. When traveling between many times zones, I usually try to avoid napping, to go to bed at a reasonable hour in the new place. I always bring along my lavender essential oil (I particularly like Auracacia’s Mellow Mix which has a relaxing combination of lavender, lemon, camomile and sandalwood). I put a few drops on my wrists and neck before going to sleep. I also take my magnesium supplement (I use Biotics Magnesium Orotate 500) to help me relax and get quality sleep. I usually keep some Melatonin on hand, though only use it if I am really having trouble sleeping. 
3. Eat healthy: Airports, train stations and highway rest stops are not havens of healthy food options. I recommend thinking about and preparing for what you are going to eat en route to avoid a) unhealthy options, or b) get so excessively hungry that you want to ‘eat all the things’ and make poor nutritional choices. I always bring along some sprouted nuts, an a apple or two and some quality protein bars for good measure. Stay tuned for a post on my favorite healthy travel snacks!
4. Stay hydrated: I have my stainless steel Klean Kanteen, and my travel mug wherever I go. Bring a water bottle that you can fill up once you get past security, or if you are in a place where the quality of water is questionable, buy a large bottle of mineral water before boarding so that you can stay hydrated. And don’t worry about having to get up to go to pee! The more you move around, the better!
5. Be flexible: I think one of the greatest things about traveling is that it pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and to be flexible. Travel may give us a rare opportunity to get out of our daily routines and open ourselves to new perspectives. You may aim to maintain lifestyle habits that make you feel good and energetic at home, but it generally isn’t realistic to aim for perfection in doing so in a new place. If you have certain dietary preferences or restrictions, look for places that can accommodate you, but remain open to trying new foods and flavors. 

Enjoy the adventures, and Bon Voyage!