She emphasized the value of getting electrolytes from a healthy diet. In addition to the fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products mentioned above, they can be found in certain types of fish, such as sardines, yellowfin tuna and canned salmon.
“Electrolytes are going to be foods that we should be eating more anyway,” Rosenkranz said.
Fruits and vegetables have the bonus of also being a potential source of hydration.
Recommendations on just how much water a person needs to drink each day vary. The National Academy of Medicine considers the equivalent of 13 8-ounce glasses of water a day to be adequate for men, and nine to be adequate for women, more if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.
However, about 20% of an adult’s water intake comes from food, and Rosenkranz said summer staples such as strawberries, watermelon and cantaloupe, along with lettuce, celery and squash, can be sources of water as well as electrolytes.
“Changes in temperature, changes in humidity, changes in altitude, changes in physical activity, all can affect how much water you do need,” she said. And sweat rates differ from person to person as well. “The good news is thirst is a pretty good indicator of hydration status. And yes, by the time you’re thirsty, it is true that you probably have some level of dehydration going on. But your body does a pretty good job of telling you, ‘Hey, you need to drink.'”
Overall, getting the right levels of water and electrolytes is simple, she said. It’s more about listening to your body, and focusing on food from plants, than doing a lot of math on finding the right ratios. “For most people, that’s just really not necessary.”
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Original article published by American Heart Association