When we think of keeping our bodies healthy, we often think of a good well-balanced diet, regular exercise and a good sleep pattern, but there is something much much smaller that can help us feel less fatigued, more active and all round healthier. The humble electrolytes are a mixture of minerals to help us feel our best, but what are electrolytes and how can we increase them?

Electrolytes are a collection of minerals such as sugars, salts, calcium and potassium that we need to constantly replenish to stay healthy. Not having enough electrolytes can leave us feeling dehydrated, fatigued, irritable and can increase muscle spasm. Electrolytes are important when it comes to maintaining a good pH level in our bodies so they are vital for its function. So how can you increase electrolytes in your diet? Well, thankfully there are loads of easy ways. 

There are a variety of foods that you can eat that can help you increase the volume of electrolytes in your body. You can find electrolytes in leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli and avocado. Eating food high in electrolytes is an excellent way of promoting all round wellness and health, but if you find that you are dehydrated, they may not solve the problem as quickly as other supplements. If eating your electrolytes doesn’t suit your fancy after you have exercised, you can always blend up some spinach, kale, avocado and apples to make an electrolyte friendly smoothie that’s low in sugar but will help your body rebalance itself. One really good source of naturally occurring electrolytes is coconut water. You can buy this in most supermarkets, and it is naturally sweetened, therefore there is no additional sugar. Not only does it contain low levels of sugar, it is also loaded with sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. 

We’ve all seen the adverts of people reaching for the isotonic drinks after a sports game or a particularly hot gym session. Most things like this we see on TV are usually marketing and we have no reason to fall for them, but isotonic drinks are slightly different. If you opt for a low calorie or low sugar option, they are very effective for after sport use. If you train regularly and sweat a lot, you may find that after your training session you have a headache and feel lethargic, you will need to get electrolytes in you and there isn’t a quicker way than grabbing an isotonic drink. Unlike food, you are given a high dose that instantly replenishes the minerals you have lost through exercise. You can also use isotonic drinks if you have been unwell and suffering from food poisoning. You will want to make sure that you are at the position where you are able to keep food down so that you can feel the full range of benefits from the minerals. 

One of the main electrolytes is calcium, so if you are feeling particularly under the weather or you are having muscle spasms or cramp, dairy may be able to help. It is loaded with naturally occurring minerals, sugars and salts that can help replenish and increase the number of electrolytes found in your body, after eating some you’ll feel better in no time. 

Supplements can be a tricky one as you are never totally sure what you are going to get and what you are putting in your body, but when it comes to electrolytes, ketone supplements are an excellent way of increasing them. Normally ketones are reserved for people who suffer from epilepsy or who want to lose weight using the keto method, but a lot of the products that are marketed to people that follow keto diets are actually packed of electrolytes. So even after a long gym sweaty session, you still feel fatigued and warn down, by taking ketone supplements, you can help restore balance. 

Electrolytes are naturally occurring super compounds that we often take for granted. They are the minerals that help our body function correctly, keep it within the small pH window that we have, reduce fatigue and help our muscles repair. Regardless of how hot it is outside, we can always do with topping up our electrolytes and if you do exercise, then you will need to consider doing this more frequently. If you don’t want to make yourself a post work out smoothie, you can either grab yourself an isotonic drink or a ketone supplement bar to boost you and you will feel the difference almost straight away. Don’t let your electrolytes get too, keep hydrated and keep balanced.