The Ocean Within

There’s a reason you crave those potato chips. By now, the message regarding the importance of proper hydration has fully saturated (pun intended) mainstream consciousness. However, the importance of salt intake to aid in proper hydration has not.

I was recently reminded of this when I got in the shower and my fingertips immediately pruned up like little angry raisins. And this happened while I was drinking a gallon of water a day. I was stumped, until I remembered author F. Batmanghelidj’s chapter on salt in his book Water for Health, for Healing, for Life (Warner Books, 2003). According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, “Water, salt, and potassium together regulate the water content of the body” (p. 242).

He suggests that you need roughly “…3 to 4 grams of salt a day for every ten glasses of water you drink.” This equates to a quarter teaspoon of sea salt (not table salt) per quart of water twice a day. So if you’re drinking a gallon of water daily, especially for those of you who are doing a series of Harmonic Egg sessions, you’ll want to add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to two of your four quarts of daily water. If you sweat as a result of exercise or hot flashes, you’ll need additional salt. The author also recommends using good quality sea salt because of its high mineral content. (Of course, if you have concerns about increasing your salt intake it’s never a bad idea to consult with your doctor.)

Since consistently adding sea salt to my water I’ve noticed some really nice benefits including more energy, deeper sleep (which was already pretty deep – thank you, Harmonic Egg!), and an absence of prune-y fingertips!

I highly recommend adding a copy of Dr. Batmanghelidj’s book to your personal library. It's filled with valuable, well-researched information that demonstrates not only the importance of proper hydration, but also the connection between dehydration and illness.