Tara Leigh Rose, from The Kit, was challenged with incorporating Hydralyte into her daily life for five straight days. Below is her hydration experience.
I’ve tried it all: the high-tech water bottles, the tracking apps, phone reminders… it’s still difficult for me to remember to drink enough water. I often get headaches and I’m prone to heatstroke (I blame my almost-black hair!) Not to mention, I work out frequently and love spending time outdoors, so yes, this girl needs electrolyte replenishment.
I’m always game to try new things, so testing out the new Hydralyte all-natural, instant-dissolve powder sticks was a total no brainer. The best part? It has no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners and up to 75% less sugar and 4x more electrolytes than leading sports drinks (like, hi! Trying to be my most healthy self). So, armed with my Hydralyte powder sticks, I began my 5-day *hydration journey*. Read on for my test-drive:
DAY 1: WAKING UP IN THE MORNING
I often wake up groggy—which, I now know, is a sign of dehydration. I think that’s pretty normal because I’ve just spent 8+ hours without any water. I usually start my day with lemon water, but I opted for Hydralyte’s colourless lemonade.
My thoughts: This may be TMI, but every time I set out to drink the “right” (read: copious) amount of water in a day, I end up needing to use the washroom every 30 minutes. Not ideal for a busy day. But with Hydralyte, I feel hydrated and ready to tackle the day without having to endlessly search for a washroom. TBH, pretty shook to learn that plain water actually isn’t the most efficient way to hydrate the body.
DAY 2: AFTER A WORKOUT
My friends and I have been motivating ourselves to work out together and as part of our weekly social distance meetup, we decided to run 8 km (a mix of running and sprinting up and down stairs). Needless to say, I was sweating profusely, so I decided to down a Hydralyte.
My thoughts: With the thin packet, I was able to fill up my water bottle and dissolve the contents on the go. In changing my diet, I’ve also become more careful about how much sugar I consume, so I love that these are only 20 calories per serving.
DAY 3: RIGHT BEFORE BED
I remember waking up in the middle of the night from muscle cramps (probably caused by dehydration), so drinking a glass of Hydralyte before bed is something I want to maintain moving forward.
My thoughts: Waking up dehydrated is a thing of the past. Replenishing electrolytes before bed also helped me to wake up less groggy. Making my morning latte has become less of a chore and more of a delight, so points all around!
DAY 4: HANGOVER
A few friends and I had a socially distanced wine tasting (hit me up on Vivino for all my stellar reviews) and I woke up a little (ok, a lot) hungover. It’s true what they say about hangovers beyond your late twenties: they’re rough.
My thoughts: Words can’t express my gratitude. Normally, I’d wake up with a terrible dry mouth and spend the entire day in bed or on the couch with what I call a “hangover headache”, but I was actually able to get things done throughout the day! Yes, I felt a little tired (blaming the 3 hours of sleep), but I didn’t have any debilitating symptoms.
DAY 5: BEACH DAY
Knowing I’d spend a day in the sun, reaching for a Hydralyte packet was by then second-nature. Usually, if I’m spending a day in the sun, I can be 99% sure that I’ll get a headache and feel somewhat dizzy. I dissolved the powder stick into my water bottle and sipped throughout the hours spent by the water.
My thoughts: A perfect day by Lake Ontario with my gal pal—headache not included. Your girl played beach volleyball, swam in the lake and honestly forgot about heat illnesses past.
The past week has been interesting! The truth is, I didn’t pay much attention to hydration before this experiment. Now, it’s apparent to me just how often I was dehydrated (mornings, workouts, too many vinos)—and it never occurred to me that water alone isn’t the fastest way to rehydrate. Now, I have a pocket-sized tool to help me stay hydrated everywhere I go.
—Tara Leigh Rose