Feel so much better: “Before I came to Clearwater, I had been living in a very warm and humid climate in Australia. I exercised a lot and was very diligent about my salt and potassium intake and rarely had a problem. So I thought when I came to Clearwater I knew everything that there was to know about keeping hydrated in a hot and humid climate. How wrong I was! Recently I started to feel very rundown and lethargic and I could not figure out what was going on. I even had to cut down on my study hours, I felt so bad! I went and saw Desiree and she pointed out several things, like being in air conditioning about 21 hours out of 24 (I don’t have AC at home in Australia), I was using cheap salt and the salt I was taking in tablet form, didn’t have all the extra goodies that a body needs when in a hot and humid climate. Within 24 hours of taking the Sea Salt vials (Sea Electrolytes), I was feeling SO MUCH BETTER! About a week after that I was able to increase my study hours again. Thanks so much, Desiree, you are truly a life saver!” Judee O, Australia
Energy levels and heat: “I have been taking CalMag for about 12 years. I used to buy calcium and magnesium by the pound and mix it in vinegar for acidity for absorption. It is an old formula from the 50′s. A few years ago I discovered your pre-mixed Instant CalMag-C and it is just as good and tastes better. I most always have a glass in the morning and then at night time. Thank you for running the article on natural salt and the benefits of it.
“If anyone has an issue with low energy levels like I was having, I strongly advise them to take some time and look up the benefits of Himalayan Crystal Salt. My energy level has increased ten times over and the heat does not bother me much anymore. With the use of Instant CalMag-C and Himalayan Crystal Salt, I feel almost 20 years younger. The only other thing that I take is fish oil and a good multi-vitamin with iodine. I am 69 years young again. THANK YOU! Sincerely, Thank You.” Kenneth W. Madera California
Tired and rundown: “Thanking you kindly. A while ago, when I was in Clearwater, I suddenly started feeling very tired and rundown. This happened after about a week after having arrived. I was sure that I was over the jet lag so was puzzled as to what was going on. I realized that I needed to increase my water intake which I did, but I still didn’t feel good and was unable to carry on with my life. I saw Desiree about it and she suggested that I go onto a course of Sea Electrolytes. Almost immediately I started feeling better and full of energy and vitality. Desiree went out of her way to help me and I would like to express my appreciation for her help, and kindness. Thank you for your friendship and help. You are awesome! 🙂” Bev N, South Africa
WELL, CAN TOO MUCH WATER DEHYDRATE YOU?
YES, it can. What the heck? Let me explain…..
What is Dehydration?
Dehydration (from the Greek hydor – water and the Latin prefix de- indicating deprivation, removal and separation) occurs when more water and fluids are exiting the body than are entering the body.
Dehydration usually begins with thirst – but not always – and has varying degrees of severity. The severity of the symptom depends on the degree of dehydration. Please note that this applies to babies as well. A restless child who is fretting and has been fed may just be dehydrated.
Although most people feel thirsty when they’re dehydrated, this is not always true. Many don’t even feel thirsty but are suffering from dehydration – often severe.
What Causes Dehydration?
Apparently it’s a lack of water, but there’s more to it than that.
Drinks: Some of the big culprits that cause dehydration are things we drink that pull water out of the body, such as:
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Caffeinated drinks, such as tea or coffee.
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Caffeinated and/or carbonated sodas.
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Juices high in sugar.
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Alcohol.
Believe it or not, these things do NOT provide water for the body even though they are liquids. They actually cause or worsen the problem.
Air-conditioning: This can be a big culprit where air-conditioning with a dehumidifier is used, especially in high-humidity parts of the world. The humidity has to be lowered so people can be comfortable. Of particular note is airplanes and airports. This type of air-conditioning system extracts moisture (humidity*) from the environment. Unfortunately, the biggest moisture-carrying object in any room – or airplane – is the human body, so it literally sucks it out of you.
(*Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.)
Cold weather areas: Of course, it is obvious that heat will cause dehydration but those living in cold parts of the world generally run heaters, make fires and use central heating. Unless there is a humidifier, you can get dehydrated too.
Test: Hang a wet towel or similar object in an air-conditioned room. Check it periodically. At some point – not too many hours later, it will be bone dry. That’s because the moisture has been sucked (evaporated) out of it. You also see this if you have plants or fish bowls. The water levels keep dropping due to evaporation, which is speeded up with the air-conditioning evaporation units or heating.
Other dehydrating factors: excessive sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, running high temperatures, hot flashes, exercising, hard work and many more.
Excessive urination: If you hold a very dry sponge under the faucet and open it, the water basically just runs straight through with very little getting into the sponge. This is a simple analogy to explain the phenomena of cells being so dehydrated that the water just runs straight through. The water just goes through you, much like the water through the sponge. What this does is take minerals and other water-soluble vitamins with it. This just worsens the dehydration problem.
It is important for the water to access the cells, which it obviously can’t do in this scenario. Excessive urination is sometimes assigned to other problems and it may just be something as simple as dehydration. In order to hydrate you, your body needs minerals, aka electrolytes.
Blood pressure: The adrenals are responsible for contracting and relaxing the blood vessels that lead to the heart, thus they are involved with controlling blood pressure. In order for them to carry out this function, they need salt, potassium, calcium and magnesium. If they have an adequate supply of these minerals, they can do their job.
Observation: Several people arriving here in Clearwater, Florida from more temperate climates around the world, are found to experience some of the symptoms described above within 7 – 10 days of their arrival. They often experience lack of energy, sleep problems when the the body’s metabolism is slowed. As a note, Florida is a high humidity area.
How Your Nervous System Works: Your nervous system is pretty much like an electrical switchboard in a building. When
The body works in pretty much the same way. The body’s electrical “switchboard” needs minerals (electrolytes**) – calcium, magnesium and other minerals – for the “electricity” to flow through the nervous system and keep all the organs, glands and muscles functioning.
A slight deficiency will make one feel uncomfortable and if the deficiency increases, it can result in even more severe symptoms, many of which are described in the lists above. In an extreme case, the “power” is cut completely and the body functions stop altogether.
(**Electrolytes: any chemical compound that ionizes when molten or in solution, allowing it to conduct electricity. Source: Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fifth Edition.)
Minerals (Electrolytes) and Their Importance
Water and Salt: In order for your body to get hydrated and for its “electrical” system to function properly, it needs both water and salt (minerals/electrolytes). That’s right – salt!
Salt is so vital that you would die without it. I’m not talking about the white refined stuff you get in the supermarket or the sea salt tablets, which are only sodium chloride (one very small part of real salt). Real salt is loaded with almost all the minerals your body needs.If it’s white, it’s refined.
Unrefined salt has color to it – greyish, brownish or pinkish, depending on where it comes from. If there was an emergency and it’s a matter of life or death, even the white stuff will help but it’s not recommended for general use.
Real (unrefined) salt contains dozens of minerals or electrolytes – 80 or more. It even contains some potassium. You may need additional potassium though.
Sea water and human blood: If you’ve ever pricked your finger and sucked the little drop of blood that came out or been sweating and licked yourself, you will have noticed that both your blood and sweat are salty. Tears are salty too.
That’s because your blood and most body fluids are salty like the ocean. Their chemical structures are very alike. If you sent a sample of them to the laboratory and got them analyzed, you would see how similar they are.
When people get severely dehydrated and end up in hospital, they are put on a saline (salt water) drip. It’s that important for the human body – it can be a matter of life and death. The way you feel, when you’re low on salt, can be anything from slightly tired or headachy to the other extreme – death.
History of salt: The word ‘salary’ derives from the Latin word salārium, referring to money given to soldiers so they
Water: Drinking water may actually worsen the dehydration problem UNLESS you’re also replenishing your minerals (real sea salt). The reason is that the more water you drink, the more you sweat or urinate, the worse the condition will get because you’re losing your minerals through the sweat or urine. Dehydration is a lack of water and salt.
Unrefined salt: The best way to get salt is by taking unrefined sea salt, such as Real, Himalayan (if you use the inland salts, be sure to also take kelp) or Celtic, whenever you drink water. You can either add just enough to your drinking water so it tastes pleasant or you can just take a pinch of it each time you drink water and you can add it to your food. Be aware of it and make sure you get it daily. Don’t withhold yourself from taking salt. Real salt will not cause high blood pressure. It’s the refined stuff that does that.
In addition to this, make sure you’re getting enough potassium. This can be in the form of lots of green raw vegetables/salad, bananas and any potassium-rich foods. Should you need more than this, you can get it in a health food store in the form of homeopathic tablets or any decent quality potassium supplement or even add Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to some water and drink it.
Calcium and Magnesium: These two minerals are essential for more than 300 functions in your body, such as sleep, pain, cramp and muscle spasm alleviation, nervousness, restless leg syndrome, relaxation, alleviating stress, hyperactivity, heart function, blood pressure, blood clotting (especially important during tooth extraction, dehydration, child birth, operations and so on), etc. They work in tandem, one with the other.
Recommendations: Drink water and take real sea salt with it. Do NOT drink excessive amounts of water without also adding salt or another good source of minerals in their natural state. You need both the water and the salt. The salt I’m describing is usually available at the bulk section of your health food store and is very cheap. That’s the simplest way to go. Make sure you’re getting adequate calcium and magnesium too.
Emergency conditions: I’ve helped people handle serious symptoms of dehydration with the Sea Electrolyte vials. (I call them the Rolls Royce of salt.)
Do NOT use the refined table salt as a rule. That’s only sodium chloride and is the stuff that can cause high blood pressure and create deficiencies in the other minerals. Only buy the unrefined stuff and use it in your food too. Get rid of the white stuff. They use chlorine to bleach it white – just like white sugar. However, if it’s a matter of life and death, use whatever salt is available.
Don’t forget to have water along with the salt as well as calcium and magnesium, calcium being the most abundant mineral in the body and magnesium not far behind.
Food Sources of Minerals: Fruits (especially cantaloupes, watermelons, bananas, apples etc), vegetables (especially celery, cucumbers, green leafy vegetables, coconuts, etc).
Further Words from Desiree On the Subject
As noted earlier, my observation has been that just around a week to ten days after arriving in Clearwater, Florida USA or any similar climate or environment with high humidity and air-conditioning use, many people start feeling not so good, start having problems with sleep, they experience metabolism problems, etc. The longer this goes unhandled, the more it affects the person because dehydration can also cause mental effects (see the symptoms listed above). In areas where the air-conditioning is run at even lower temperatures, the condition is worse.
A simple way to test the theory with regards to air-conditioning is when you first go into a room – be it a restaurant, a classroom, etc the room feels pretty cool and comfortable for most – unless you’re a “cold” person. As the room fills up with people and time goes on, it may start to feel less comfortable and invariably the air-conditioning is turned down to compensate for the increased humidity in the room. When it is turned down, the air-conditioning sucks harder so it causes more dehydration. The more people in the room, the faster the room gets less comfortable. This is caused by increased moisture in the environment due to it being “pulled out of” people’s bodies.
As a trained Purification (a detoxification program) In-Charge and Case Supervisor, I know about dehydration because I have people sitting in the sauna detoxing for hours on end and can’t allow them to overheat, but it was only after having been here in Clearwater, Florida helping many overcome the dehydration problem, did I really get to observe and understand more about the additional dehydrating factors. I hope you find this information useful.
*Sea Electrolytes is a vial of pure salt water that you can snap open and drink straight or in some water. Obviously when a person drinks one or more of these vials they do need to also drink the appropriate amount of water.
CONTACT DESIREE WITH QUESTIONS: Desiree@CalMag-C.com or call (727) 642-8087
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Should you have a problem, we advise you consult your health practitioner. Just make sure they don’t give you drugs when you’re dehydrated.
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