Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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With many in the US experiencing 100 degree + days, what do you do to keep hydrated? Is there a paleo-friendly Gatorade type drink (besides coconut water)?

I've been drinking a lot of of water (with a pinch of Himalayan salt sometimes), mineral water, orange juice, fruits, and even had a Gatorade. But despite getting in a lot of liquids I still feel a bit dehydrated. I work outdoors and am sweating most of the time.

So what's the best way to stay hydrated?

Also, I find eating meat and fatty foods very hard in this hot weather. Anyone else eating more vegan in this heat?

flag	asked Jul 6 at 16:58 Kyev 191●1●5

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Oh wow, interesting to hear that you too are having an aversion to meat/fat in summer weather. I couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me when it started getting hotter. All I wanted to eat were fruits, vegetables, and the occasional piece of fish. I finally stopped fighting it and realized I'm not going to have a steak again until after the temperature drops. – Jaych Jul 6 at 19:59

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I second that - I work with a paving crew 12+ hours a day. I do find I'm eating a lot more fruit - a lot of watermelon! It's not LC, but it is SOOOOOO good. I can't stomach meat & fat on hot days. – Divrgurl13 Jul 7 at 1:31

@Jayech, yea same here. It wasn't even a big deal when I realized I was out of meat. More heat = no meat! – Kyev Jul 8 at 4:14

Mark · Answer 1 · 2012-07-06 17:03:21Z UTC

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Drink some coconut water.

answered Jul 6 at 17:03

Mark
121●2

Yea I love coconut water...problem is it's hard to enjoy the bottled stuff when you've had it straight out of a coconut in the tropics. – Kyev Jul 6 at 17:45

Sam Knox · Answer 2 · 2012-07-06 17:35:17Z UTC

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Basically, in order to avoid dehydration, you need water and salt.

You can roughly gauge water consumption by urine color and frequency of urination. Urine should be fairly clear, and you should be going at least as often as you do at other times of the year.

If water consumption is adequate but not doing the trick, add salt to your diet. Take salt tablets if necessary.

Also, lose the orange juice and Gatorade. The sugars will not be doing you any favors.

answered Jul 6 at 17:35

Sam Knox
3,729●2●13

	My urine is not always clear (sometimes pretty straw colored) which is why I'm a bit concerned. Do you believe there is any advantage in getting "organic" salts from plants (i.e. barley greens, beets, greens) over sea salt/Himalayan salt/the white stuff? – Kyev Jul 6 at 17:56
	As far as the Gatorade, that was a one time kinda thing...someone offered it to me and I couldn't turn it down. I guess I'm in a different camp when it comes to fueling the body. I believe adequate protein is certainly necessary to maintain good structure and organ function, but when it comes to supporting a healthy metabolism simple sugars (i.e fruit) are the way to go. – Kyev Jul 6 at 18:03
	@Kyev: I don't know if there's an advantage to organic salts, but I'd have to wonder if they would be available in the quantities you're likely to need. You didn't mention it in your question, but being low carb will increase your need for salt, too. Here's a link to some recipes for homemade electrolyte drinks that use water, fruit juice, and salt: fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/… – Sam Knox Jul 6 at 18:47
	Thanks for the link, some nice ideas there. Well I also have IBS so I'm sure that's affecting my hydration levels in some way. But in the past when I've used barley juice powder (Just Barley brand), I've noticed big improvements in digestion & overall wellbeing. And it's very high in organic sodium. So I'm gonna start supplementing that again. How does low carb increase the need for salt? – Kyev Jul 6 at 20:57
	It's most pronounced during the first stage of a VLC diet when glycogen stores are being depleted. Glycogen in the storage form is roughly three parts water and one part glycogen, and high-carb diets cause sodium retention. So when you cut carbs you lose both water and salt. – Sam Knox Jul 6 at 22:38

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Varelse · Answer 3 · 2012-07-06 17:26:56Z UTC

I'm in the same boat with you when it comes to hydration! I live in the South, without central a/c, and it is brutal. I avoid going outdoors during most of the day, doing my gardening and everything in very early morning and evening hours. I feel for you working out there!

In addition to water, I drink kombucha like it's going out of style. Iced hibiscus tea (you can sweeten with a lil raw stevia, or some fruit juice, if you prefer) is also really tasty and refreshing. To keep your salt in balance, without having to put salt in your water, try munching on a little salty snack (I like jerky and baggies with salted cut-up tomatoes and cucumbers) throughout the day.

The heat does make it hard for me to eat the rich foods I normally love. I end up eating a lot of meaty soups and salads topped with meats, to get my nutrition in. Also lettuce wraps and stuffed tomatoes.

Liana · Answer 4 · 2012-07-06 17:05:25Z UTC

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Have you tried adding Nuun tablets to your water? They're hydration tablets that add much needed electrolytes to your system when consumed.

http://www.nuun.com/products

answered Jul 6 at 17:05

Liana
111●2

	No, I haven't. Kinda something I was looking for, thanks! – Kyev Jul 6 at 17:44
	I used to like these, but now the ingredients include sodium benzoate! Isn't that bad stuff? – Chinaeskimo Jul 6 at 23:28

Meatymichael · Answer 5 · 2012-07-06 19:40:11Z UTC

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Watermelon. During the summer eating fatty meats sounds very nasty. I eat so much watermelon during these few months. I'm also outside for most of the time too. Skating, working construction, Park workouts and I feel as if watermelon is extremely hydrating as well as delicious.

answered Jul 6 at 19:40

Meatymichael
1

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Salted watermelon is also yummy and helps get more salt into you! – MathGirl72 Jul 6 at 20:00

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@Meatymichael Ahh yes, I love watermelon. @MathGirl72 +1 for the salted watermelon. – Kyev Jul 6 at 21:01

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Cantaloupe (sp?) is very hydrating and refreshing too. I also sprinkle salt right on a cuke and eat it - not peeled or chopped - just down that bad boy. Or fresh tomatoes - eaten just like an apple (again with a little salt) YUMMO – Divrgurl13 Jul 7 at 1:34

Yes I agree. I prefer to eat my watermelon unsalted though. I juice many green veggies so I get plenty of salt anyway. – Meatymichael Jul 7 at 4:31

Jamie · Answer 6 · 2012-07-07 03:28:49Z UTC

Coconut water has most electrolytes. If you dont like the canned stuff, you could use whole coconuts?

Salt + unsweetened cranberry juice + mineral water is a good one.

Cranberry doesnt have much sugar at all, and most of it is glucose (which is good for hydration actually, in moderation) + its got plenty of potassium, which is important. If you got sodium (salt) and potassium (cranberry) + glucose (cranberry), you got basically everything a poweraid is bringing to the table...

Tomatoe juice is also a low sugar juice, thats a bit higher in potassium than cranberry. So you could add a bit of salt to some tomato juice, and dilute it a bit wit mineral water, and that may work pretty well too.

BoneBrothFast · Answer 7 · 2012-07-06 17:34:56Z UTC

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Blended liver smoothie.

answered Jul 6 at 17:34

BoneBrothFast
4,564●2●17

I wouldn't doubt that it works (I eat it occasionally)...but a liver smoothie sounds not so appetizing. – Kyev Jul 6 at 17:53

Okay, that sounds really, really gross! And how would that help with hydration? – Dave S. Jul 6 at 17:55

seriously gross. I'm about to puke. – gydle Jul 6 at 19:54

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Recipe, or it didn't happen! – Canis Minor Jul 6 at 20:03

lol...hey, don't knock it! this is how I trick my kids into "eating" liver (not for the purpose of rehydration though). Put in some yogurt and plenty of berries with a bit of honey and your set. – JayJay Jul 6 at 20:06

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Chinaeskimo · Answer 8 · 2012-07-06 23:29:45Z UTC

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Water and fresh strawberries (or other fruit). And salt on everything I eat :-)

answered Jul 6 at 23:29

Chinaeskimo
4,649●5●24

Very good, any particular salt you use? – Kyev Jul 8 at 4:27

Smitty · Answer 9 · 2012-07-07 01:14:22Z UTC

You should definitely try the drinks by a brand called Vidration! They are awesome... It is sweetened with Splenda so its not Paleo but its 0 everything... Or you could check out your local Whole Foods and see what they have! Good Luck.

Being a Marine, Hydration is part of my job. If you are in the Military and are reading this then you know exactly what I'm talking about! lol

UncleLongHair · Answer 10 · 2012-07-07 02:56:31Z UTC

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At the risk of stating the obvious, extra water and a little extra salt on my food? I make it a point to drink at least a quart of water per day, and put some extra sea salt on my meals. I definitely have salr cravings in the summer.

I avoid all processed and sugary drinks, and drink smoothies in moderation, since they are usually full of sugar. I mean, drink water, y'know?

answered Jul 7 at 2:56

UncleLongHair
15k●9●28

	Yes, I do like water and I do like salt. But can get boring sometimes. – Kyev Jul 8 at 4:26
	Why is it that everything you drink has to be "exciting"? That is what the soft drink companies would love you to believe, that drinking their magic potion will be both delicious and healthy. It's all bunk. – UncleLongHair Jul 8 at 12:47

raydawg · Answer 11 · 2012-07-07 10:45:42Z UTC

In the mornings, I have a large glass of holy basil + green tea in the morning, after the coffee.

Work does provide water, but it's in plastic bottles.

So, I bring a chilled refilled 750ml glass bottle of Pellegrino with me to work. I refill this at home using RO filtered water and a sodastream. To this, I add a few drops of liquid minerals. I'd love to use the 1L bottles, but they don't have a screw on cap, so I stick to the 750ml ones.

I also carry 1-2 8oz tetrapacks of coconut water, and sometimes only need 1.

This works very well despite the fact that I walk about 30mins to/from the train station and work, and during lunch I spend about an hour outside in the park, part of which is a long walk - yes, even when it's over 90F outside.

How do you guys stay hydrated in this heat?

11 Answers