Hydration Options for the Summer

Summer is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to start prepping for the heat. How you ask? With minerals!

Minerals are the spark plugs of life and help keep our bodies going. They work as catalysts to speed up various reactions in the body, help our muscles to expand and contract, and help us to regulate fluid balance, which is especially important in the heat. Minerals, in the form of electrolytes, help keep our hydration status optimal and are important for preventing headaches and fatigue that can be caused by dehydration when electrolytes and water are lacking.

Drinking too much plain water by itself can sometimes have the opposite effect of what we intend and be dehydrating, especially if it is reverse osmosis or distilled water that is lacking in minerals. This is due to the way our body tries to keep osmotic balance. When we consume water devoid of minerals, our body often pulls these minerals from other areas of the body to balance out. 

Ways to Get in Better Hydration

• Drink fresh lemon squeezed into water and you can add a little salt and honey if desired
• Milk is a great source of various minerals, including calcium
• Coconut water is a rich source of potassium and also contains some calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium
• Fruit juices can be a way to get extra potassium in too, but might not be so blood sugar friendly
• Herbal tea rich in minerals like nettle, alfalfa, raspberry leaf, oat straw and other mineral rich herbs
  
  

While there are many electrolyte brands on the market today, most of them can be too high in salt, which may not be beneficial for those who aren’t sweating heavily and those who are prone to fluid retention. These electrolyte supplements also contain isolated minerals like potassium chloride that isn’t as bioavailable and comes in such small amounts. Sometimes magnesium is added, sometimes it isn’t. Some brands contain about 3 electrolytes, others may contain 5 or more. For those looking for unflavored versions or versions without sweetener, the options often don’t taste great and make it hard to get it down.

This is the beauty of getting minerals from whole foods. They are in ratios that the body better understands and in forms that the body can easily use, helping to minimize waste. You also get a plethora of minerals, instead of a few to several that have been isolated in a lab.

Mt. Capra Mineral Options

Here at Mt. Capra we have several different versions of minerals and electrolytes for you that have been concentrated from wholesome, grass-fed goat milk. Read on for which option would be best for you for maintaining hydration, joint support, energy and stamina this summer.

Capra Mineral Whey 

We have been making Capra Mineral Whey since 1928. We started out making raw goat milk cheeses, and when you make cheese, you end up with a lot of whey! We have been turning that whey into nutritious Capra Mineral Whey for nearly a century now! Enjoy the sweet, rich, caramelized flavor in your coffee, tea, smoothies, on top of ice cream, or simply in hot water for a tea-like-drink. For those looking for maximum mineral content, Capra Mineral Whey is the product for you.

Clean Minerals 

Clean Minerals contains organic brown rice hulls to prevent the product from caking, instead of the silica in Capra Mineral Whey, for those looking for an alternative option. Just like CMW, enjoy the graham cracker-like flavor in hot drinks, smoothies, oatmeal and more for a significant potassium boost and 240 mg calcium.

Clean Minerals with Collagen Peptides 

For those looking for some extra protein, the Clean Minerals with Collagen Peptides is a great choice. Collagen is unique in that it is much higher in the calming amino acid known as glycine compared to muscle meats. Glycine is also beneficial for hair, skin, nails, and joints, and can be soothing to the stomach. Each serving contains 9g of collagen peptides from grass-fed cows. (The minerals are all from our grass-fed goat milk). If you love a delicious, sweet treat that is actually good for you, check out the hot cocoa version. Simply add it to hot water for a rich, chocolately treat, or blend in smoothies for a chocolate boost. 

Clean Electrolytes

Clean Electrolytes contain most of the same minerals as our other mineral products, just in different ratios. The minerals from the milk go through a slightly different process than they do with our other mineral products, leaving the Clean Electrolytes with a more savory, slightly salty taste. (No salt is added, there is naturally some sodium in goat milk). This higher sodium ratio makes Clean Electrolytes better for rehydrating in the Summer when the heat is taking its toll, as well as after a sweaty workout. It can be mixed in cold water by itself or mixed into fruit juices, smoothies, matcha, coffee and more.

Interesting Fact: Electrolytes are best absorbed with some sort of sugar due to the sodium glucose transport chain in the intestines that helps you to absorb electrolytes faster. While we want to minimize extra processed sugars as much as possible, natural sugars can be beneficial in supporting our hydration efforts. The mineral products that we offer have an added benefit of naturally containing lactose, which can help with electrolyte absorption. Lactose also feeds the beneficial bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus in the gut as a prebiotic. As an added benefit, it makes our Clean Minerals and Capra Mineral Whey taste naturally sweet and delicious, kind of like gluten-free graham crackers!