Everything Electrolytes: Why You Need Them and Where to Get Them

Karen's Pure Balance
Oct 24, 2018
2 min read

Whether you exercise regularly or not, your body needs electrolytes. These

are necessary minerals that help us balance fluid in our bodies, muscle

movement, and brain function. These minerals are potassium, magnesium,

chlorine, calcium, and salt. Making sure your body has plenty of electrolytes

to stay charged is essential, even with the cooler weather this season.

Electrolytes help get your nerves active and regulate the water flow into your

cells, which makes muscles contract as they should, awakens you, keeps

blood pressure in check, and of course, keeps you hydrated. You probably

already know that in summer, you’ve got to stay hydrated. But in fall and

even winter, many people slack off, thinking because they’re not sweating

from the heat that it’s not necessary.

While it’s undoubtedly true that the more active you are, like during your workout or while running a marathon, you need more electrolytes. However, even at rest, we need electrolytes to keep our cells functioning. During exercise, electrolytes are deposited into your sweat glands. Thanks to osmosis, water comes along with those electrolytes. When your glands fill up, they release this salty mixture onto the outer layer of your skin. That salty water mixture evaporates, keeping you cooler. This is precisely why that overly-perky aerobics instructor is always telling you not to forget to drink your water. If you lose too many electrolytes, it can be harmful to your body in many ways.

But wait! Before you reach for that electrolyte-infused beverage of your

choice, you might be surprised to learn that you’re actually getting plenty of

electrolytes through your regular diet. Assuming you're eating healthy, that is.

Try eating more plant-based foods. Bananas, dates, coconuts, avocados,

raisins, spinach, lentils, potatoes, and beans are all foods that are great for

keeping your electrolyte supply full. And this is going to sound crazy, but add

pink Himalayan sea salt to your meals after you’ve been intensely sweating.

It benefits your hydration, believe it or not. Just make sure you’re drinking

adequate amounts of water, and keep the salt dose minimal. Water is the best thing you can use for hydrating your body and flushing away toxins.

As always, healthy eating and plenty of water are the essential elements you

need to keep your body healthy and thriving. Now that you know more about

electrolytes, you can focus on eating foods that will naturally supply them,