Morning Hydration and Recharge Strategy

The Importance of Morning Hydration

Fluid balance is much more important than commonly given credit for and is an opportunity for starting the day strong. A good practice of hydration upon awakening helps eliminate the byproducts of metabolism that accumulate through the night and provides a chance to replenish electrolytes necessary for cellular function while delivering healing products to the lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Hydration Routine

There are many opportunities and variations, but my general approach is to fill a glass with 10 to 20 ounces of filtered tap water, add a standard dose of your favorite noncarbohydrate electrolyte (three of my favorites are listed below), and if you don’t have any options immediately available – consider using 1/3 of a teaspoon of your favorite sea salt (until you get a product that works). Sea salt will have sodium chloride and some trace minerals but no magnesium or potassium. Then I suggest you add 1 to 2 ounces of Aloe Vera gel to help heal and maintain the lining of the upper track (my favorite brand is below). Next, stir it up or froth it (see below for the best frother, and I suggest getting one for your kitchen “pharmacy”), and then drink it down in a few gulps and start your day with a smile. You can then have your tea or coffee as usual but now hydrated before the diuretic effect or these traditional drinks.

Monitoring Fluid Status

Suppose you are low on your protein intake. In that case, you may want to add a scoop or two of collagen protein (5-10 grams likely), which will not likely trigger an insulin response at this low dose but will help you maintain your body weight and muscle mass, especially if you’re doing intermittent fasting. Ideally, you will notice a full urination (taking out the metabolic trash) in the next 90 minutes, reflecting a favorable fluid status and efficient kidneys.