Our bodies are intuitive and often give us signals for what we may be needing. Many times we feel hunger pains but our bodies are telling us we are dehydrated. Likewise, craving salty things means the body is likely missing minerals.
Everyone seems to be selling electrolyte drinks these days. This isn’t a new idea, in fact, if you’re as old as I am you probably grew up drinking sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. Now, those are full of trashy ingredients that don’t actually benefit the body as much as some of the cleaner options out in the world today. I will talk about my favorites and which are GAPS-legal later on.
Minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride are all very necessary for the cells in our bodies to function properly. We should never be drinking distilled water – this is dead water without any natural minerals and does a lot of harm to the body. Water should be alive and full of minerals and in its natural state it is. I always encourage my clients to find a natural spring water near where they live, if possible. Natural spring water is full of all of the minerals that the body needs. If you happen to be in Colorado, the absolute BEST tasting water is from El Dorado Springs. Many grocery stores carry it here and you can go to the springs and fill up jugs. The next best option would be a good filtration system that also adds minerals back in. This is my favorite one. But even drinking high quality, clean water isn’t enough. Humans tend to deplete their mineral reserves rather quickly in today’s modern age.
Things That Deplete Our Minerals:
- Stress. I bet you’re not shocked. But this is a big one for depleting our mineral reserves.
- Growth spurts and puberty. It takes a lot out of a body to grow. We are seeing this with our son, Raleigh, right now. I am trying to focus on keeping him well-hydrated and replenishing minerals daily.
- Parasites. These nasty guys consume minerals quickly. It is important to keep that in mind if you are considering a parasite protocol. From time-to-time it is important to cycle through parasite cleanses. TRS is a very gentle cleanse and one I recommend. It is the one we use every time we feel the need to do some maintenance. You can learn about it and purchase it here.
- Stressed adrenals. When your adrenals are struggling you will crave salt to help them.
- Not eating enough fat and protein. I think we really under eat protein in general. I struggle with it personally. And we still live in a society that continues to demonize fat. It shocks me that in 2025 we are still blaming fat for what sugar did. So if you’re like me, and eat to live, it may be necessary to track how much protein and healthy fats you’re consuming.
- A Leaky gut. This guy is to blame for oh, so many ailments and here he is again. If the gut is leaky it will struggle to absorb nutrients well and this includes all the minerals your body needs to function properly. So get to healing! The GAPS diet is the optimal diet for gut healing. Please reach out if you need a coach. I am taking new clients. You can find the GAPS book here.
Here are some of my favorite products/supplements that help replenish minerals:
- Easiest and cheapest: A pinch of sea salt (real salt) and baking soda mixed in water. (GAPS-legal)
- San Pellegrino mineral water (GAPS-legal)
- Fiji water (GAPS-legal)
- Ionic magnesium from trace minerals. You can find it here. (GAPS-legal)
- Pique BT Fountain electrolytes
- Just Ingredients electrolytes
I am certain there are other good brands out there. These are my favorites at this point. If you have found another great brand please share it below! I’m always looking to try something new.
