Convenient Ways of Staying Hydrated–and the Benefits

Are you drinking enough water and is drinking enough water the same as being hydrated? NTD spoke with Dr. Chad Walding, doctor of physical therapy, co-founder of Native Path and he's also a certified nutrition specialist to learn more. Good morning Chad, good to see you again. Today's topic is about dehydration. Is this a big issue and what leads to people generally likely to being dehydrated? It's a big issue. Over 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. It's a big deal that's affecting most people, right? And there's three key reasons why. So number one is the modern food that we're eating is lacking water and of itself because it's ultra processed. Over 70% of the foods that humans are eating today are ultra processed foods that has water stripped away from it, right? So that's a big thing and when you compare that to whole real food, which is what we're designed to eat, you know tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, all these whole real foods have water inside of them. So food is a big deal. The other thing is of the drinks, of the beverages that we're drinking, they tend to be dehydrating beverages. So we drink lots of coffee, lots of energy drinks, alcohols. These are all diuretics that causes us to release fluids and not hold on to them. And the last thing is we're not absorbing the water very well when we do actually drink it because the water that we're drinking has been stripped of a lot of vitamins and minerals that help us absorb the water. So the food, what we're drinking and poor absorption really is what's contributing to dehydration with Americans. We know that our bodies are around 60% water but talk to me in more detail why is hydration important to stay healthy and if you can give some examples on quality of life and bodily functions. Yeah our body is mostly made up of water and I always like to say water is needed for life. It's what carries nutrients and oxygens to every cell of your body. The food that you eat, if it doesn't have water, the nutrients from the food can't get into those cells. And every single cell in your body from your head to your toe is reliant on water. So your brain for instance, your cognition, your nervous system needs water, needs good hydration to function properly. Otherwise we get brain fog, we get memory issues. Your joints for instance, in between the joints of synovial fluid all made up of water. So we need to be hydrated for good proper functioning in our joints. Our organs, good hydration is what protects our organs and keeps it going healthy. And then you know firstly everything from regulating our body temperature to bladder health to muscle strength to balance to respiration. Every single thing in our body is impacted by the quality of our hydration. And so tell me about the product, tell me about what ingredients you have added to Native Hydrate that benefits our body. Native Hydrate is one of the least things you can do that will make the most difference in how you feel in boosting hydration. So it has over 22 vitamins and minerals and at the base of it are pure electrolytes. So potassium, magnesium and sodium. These are vital minerals that help you actually absorb the H2O inside of your body and it's good for your energy, your digestion, and really the absorption of the body is the main thing. But the additional vitamins, things like amino acids, B12, biotin, folate, zinc, glycine, all of these also support muscle health, joint health and nerve function. And the amino acids, research shows that further helps you absorb the electrolytes in your body. So that's really what makes Native Hydrate a unique product. Got it. And I know that sometimes with those with those products I know people are concerned about maybe the ingredients being contaminated. So where do you source those ingredients from? So at Native Path we value purity. Like anything you see with Native Path on it, you know that we've done the due diligence and is sourced from ethical, sustainable places all over. And everything is manufactured and third party tested in the United States and we're looking for mold and toxins and any contaminants that don't need to be in there. Everything that comes to the customer is in its purest, most close to nature form as possible. What is the difference here between just drinking water and actually hydrating? There is a difference, right? Yes, so most people are just drinking water and they're not actually absorbing it, right? They're drinking water out of a tap or they're putting in a Berkey or a bread or something like that and they're filtering out vitamins and minerals that actually help you absorb it. So it's not how much you drink, it's how well you actually absorb the water that you're drinking. And natural spring water for instance would have lots of vitamins and minerals but we've stripped that out. So what we need to do is put that back in and that's where the potassium, magnesium, the sodium, all those vitamins and minerals are there to help you absorb the water so you feel better. Your cognition is better, your digestion is better, and it's immediate impact on how you notice that, right? So on that note then, when is the best time to maybe also drink Native Hydrate? What have you maybe found yourself that works well? Is there a recommended dosage? Stuff like that. So one to two scoops a day is ideal. Now if you're someone who works out and if you work out in a way where you sweat a lot, I would recommend doing it in and around your workout. So just sipping it a little bit before, during your workout, and a little bit after, that's a great time to use it if you're sweating a lot in your workouts. If it's a rest day or someone who's not sweating a lot with your activity, the best time to take it is first thing in the morning. And the reason is because we've just slept all night. You know, it's been a long time since we've had any water at all, so we wake up very dehydrated. That is the best time to rehydrate your body. Got it. Well, I really appreciate your talk because people that know me know that I don't drink enough, so I appreciate that. Dr. Chad Walding, thank you again. Thank you, Evelyn.