Water You Waiting For? Smart Ways to Keep Your Body Hydrated

I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

For just $6 per month/$60 per year, you get access to the entire archive of over 200 newsletters, audio voiceovers (with extra content and always read by me), and participation in the brain training raffle to win monthly biohacking gift bags.

---

If you’re like me, you want the best bang for the buck. Get the most benefit from the least investment of time/effort/money. There are myriad ways to improve your health, so where should you focus for maximal impact? A good starting point is focusing on what you do every day. We all drink water, so that should be easy to get locked in.

According to estimates, the human body is about 60% water on average. Water is vital to life, and humans can last approximately three days without water before the show is over. Well before that, many studies have confirmed that losing just 1-2% of body water can impair physical and cognitive performance.¹

Signs You are Dehydrated

• Thirst

• Dry mouth and dry skin

• Dark yellow urine

• Urinating less frequently

• Feeling sluggish or low on energy

• Headache

• Dizziness/light-headed

You can’t always rely on these clues. Busy people who are harried and constantly saying they have no time have conditioned themselves to ignore thirst cues. My dad coined a term for these people: hurryolics. One option is to use a thirst self-assessment developed by scientists in Turkey in 2023.²

On a scale of 1 (not at all) to 4 (intensely, yes), rate the following statements:

1. My mouth and throat are dry.

2. My lips are dry.

3. My saliva is thick.

4. I have a bad taste in my mouth.

5. I want water.

Add up the numbers for each question.

5 to 9: Hydrated

10 to 14: Mildly dehydrated - Consider taking a short break and grabbing a drink.

15+: Dehydrated - Stop whatever you are doing and sip 16 ounces of water right now.

By the way, you may be tired of me harping about sleep, but a 2018 study published in SLEEP found that adults who sleep less than eight hours per night are more likely to be dehydrated.³

Two Steps to Stay Hydrated

Step 1: Drink clean water.

I stopped drinking tap water many years ago. Tap water quality varies, and you can check yours using the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database. Multiple filtration options are available at different price points. *Note: Some links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

• Reverse osmosis under-the-counter system - Reverse osmosis is considered the gold standard in water filtration.

• Countertop system - These are less expensive options that do not require complicated installation. Consider systems like AquaTru, Waterdrop King Tank, Epic Pure Countertop, and Apex MR-1050.

• Pitchers - You get what you pay for with pitchers. ClearlyFiltered pitcher is the top and best choice. The LifeStraw Home is a less expensive option.

• On the go - I avoid plastic water bottles if I can. Here is a ranking of bottled water based on source, packaging, and flavor. Filter water from any source with a LifeStraw filtered water bottle. I discovered GOpure pods, which are another great option.

• Hardcore biohackers may want to research smart water bottles, apps, and devices that can help you stay on track. Club members have received Vivoo at-home urine tests in raffle prizes. This test measures pH, vitamins and minerals, and overall hydration status.

Step 2: Use Strategic Additives

Clean water is great. Water with minerals/electrolytes is much better.

• My favorite supplement to add to water continues to be BEAM Minerals, which I wrote about in a previous newsletter. BEAM Minerals are plant-based and made from rainforests that decomposed millions of years ago. The liquid product is 100% ionized (no digestion required) and 100% bioavailable. Go to the BEAM Minerals website and use code BRANDON51920 to save 20%.

• More recently, I have been using Quinton marine plasma, a formulation that has existed since 1897. Sea water is extracted from plankton blooms and cold-filtered to preserve the organic material, which contains 78 minerals and trace elements. I start the day with BEAM Minerals and use Quinton throughout the day to get the best of land and sea.

• I’ve written about adding quality salt to water, but be careful about your brands. Surprisingly, independent testing has shown that many salt brands contain aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, and lead.

• If you get tired of water and turn to sports drinks, coconut water, etc., check the brands and pick healthier options.

• Hydrogen is another excellent additive to water. I’ve written previously about the benefits of hydrogen water and why you may want to consider adding it to your routine.

Here is a sneak preview of a breakthrough water technology that LifeWave will introduce later this year. The X20 water machine filters and infuses water with specific light frequencies to create a novel species of water. How cool is that!?

---

The Daily Habit is where I share my habits related to the fundamentals: sleep, diet, physical activity, mindfulness, and stress management.

A vet can tell in two seconds if a dog has fluid loss by pinching the fur on the back of its neck. The dog is not dehydrated if the scruff immediately snaps back into place. Another test is to touch the dog’s gums with the tip of a finger. If the finger sticks, the dog is dehydrated.

We are not dogs but can use a skin pinch test⁴ to measure hydration status.

1. Lightly pinch the skin on the back of your hand for three seconds.

2. Let it go.

3. Count how many seconds it takes the skin to return to normal. Less than two seconds indicates you are hydrated, while longer than that may indicate dehydration.

4. Repeat fifteen minutes after rehydration.

---

Last week’s answer

Be Wellthy Club entrants: Scott L, Ariel E., Scott S., Renata B.

Raffle prizes are for Be Wellthy Club Members only. Club members can email bewellthy@substack.com with the correct answer to each week’s brain training and be entered into a monthly raffle to win one of two prize packages every month. I do respond to every email.

This week:

Eliminate twelve letters from the phrase below to leave a word meaning “shakes.”

READ BETWEEN THE LINES

See the answer.

---

Mattress sales around President’s Day in February are a long-standing retail tradition for several reasons. Mattress manufacturers typically release new models in the spring, so retailers want to clear out older inventory. After the holiday shopping rush, January and early February tend to have sluggish sales. The three-day weekend gives many people more time to shop (especially in person). Finally, many Americans start receiving tax refunds around February. Last year, I suggested some tips for buying a new mattress.

Keep your loved ones informed with the most up-to-date information about wellness by sharing this newsletter.

1. https://www.intake.health/hydration-science

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37121897/

3. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/42/2/zsy210/5155420?redirectedFrom=fulltext

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35544778/