This post is written in partnership with Halo, who make clean electrolytes. All opinions are my own. I only work with and recommend companies whose products I love, and I’m so excited to share my new wellness must-have with you! 

Can preventing heart failure be as simple as drinking more water? It would seem so! 

A new study from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (part of the National Institute of Health, or N.I.H. in the U.S.) has shown that ‘maintaining good hydration can prevent or slow down the changes within the heart that lead to heart failure’ (1). 

Researchers found that many people struggle to reach even the lowest levels of daily fluid intake (1.6 liters of water a day), and as such, this was having consequences for their heart health. Hydration status is measured by assessing an individual’s serum sodium level, and when someone is not drinking enough water the concentration of serum sodium increases. 

Serum sodium concentration is tightly regulated within the body, so even when allowing for fluctuations in daily water intake it is a useful marker for hydration status within the body. 

The study found that higher serum sodium concentration levels in midlife were associated with both heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy (which is associated with increased risk of congestive heart failure and irregular heart rhythms). 

With adequate hydration now showing even more health benefits than before, reaching your daily water goal is even more important. But whilst in theory, this seems easy, in practice, it can be hard to do. One way of reaching this goal is to make drinking your water a treat rather than a chore, and Halo’s clean electrolyte powder comes in 4 delicious flavours making adequate hydration easy and enjoyable. And unlike many electrolyte products they are low carb and contain no added sugar, making them even more heart-healthy (diets high in refined sugars and carbohydrates can be a key driver of atherosclerosis) (2). 

And hydration is more than just drinking endless glasses of water. For water to be absorbed by the body and used by our cells electrolyte balance is essential. With many people deficient in essential nutrients and trace minerals (over half of the American population are magnesium deficient) adding in a daily electrolyte such as Halo (which can help replenish much-needed nutrients can keep you hydrated day in, day out. 

• Drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake up: make this easy for yourself by placing it on your bedside table and not leaving your bedroom until you have finished it. Adding in electrolytes and trace minerals as found in Halo can also give you a morning energy boost by benefiting your adrenal health. 
• Coffee + Water: we wouldn’t dare to tell you to give up your morning coffee, but pair every caffeinated drink with a large glass of water. Do this with alcoholic drinks too as both caffeine and alcohol can be dehydrating to the body. 
• Hydrate your workout: inadequate hydration can lead to poor performance in the gym or the sports field, so make sure you are adequately hydrated before, during, and after. Halo can help replace the trace minerals and electrolytes lost through sweating, so keep a Halo powder stick in your gym bag at all times to add to your water bottle whenever you are working out. 
• Eat water-rich foods: including water-rich foods such as radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and cauliflower to your meals can be a delicious way to add hydration to your day without evening thinking about it. Add some low-sugar fruit such as berries or an apple to your breakfast, and serve lunch and dinner with a side salad to up your fiber, antioxidants, and water consumption. 
• Beat the mid-afternoon slump: that 3 pm slump can often be attributed to dehydration, so before reaching for (another cup of coffee make sure you are adequately hydrated. A can of Halo over ice can boost both your energy and mental cognition, without that dehydrating caffeine hit.

1. https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Drinking-sufficient-water-could-prevent-heart-failure
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11883-005-0062-9
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/

Want to add Halo to your daily wellness routine? Click here and use the code Jenn to save 20%!