We’re on a mission to educate as many as we can on the truth about hydration. Hint: it has everything to do with electrolytes.

With the proliferation of those ever-present giant pastel tumblers — many of them biggest than our heads! — you may be surprised to learn that, unless you’re filling that tumbler with electrolytes too, you may not be getting well hydrated after all. You know that bloated feeling you get having guzzled your way through half a tumbler of water and somehow still not feeling quenched? That’s the lack of minerals. Try it our way for just three days and feel the difference — it may be the easiest, most comfortable hydration challenge you’ve ever tried.

No, we didn’t make this up this hot take on electrolytes just to annoy you with a new wellness trend — electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride are all found in abundance in naturally flowing spring water. The problem is that what’s flowing from your tap or filter just isn’t the same.

While drinking more water serves most of us well (and we really don’t want to derail anyone’s newfound hydration habits!), plain, filtered water alone won’t do the trick!

We’ve partnered with our hydration obsession, LMNT for a simple, 3-Day Hydration Challenge that’ll educate you about the importance of electrolytes and potentially impact you more than any month-long hydration challenge ever could!

The Truth About Hydration + Why Even Your Giant Tumbler Isn’t Enough

For most Americans, more water is a good thing. Chronic dehydration is an all too real issue that too many of us suffer with. But did you know that plain water isn’t enough to hydrate you well? You heard that right: even if it’s filtered, plain water alone will not deeply hydrate the body.

That’s what we’ve learned from LMNT’s founder, biochemist Robb Wolf. Wolf has reintroduced us to the science behind electrolytes and we’ve been guzzling LMNT ever since. Here’s what you need to know:

+ Good hydration is about proper fluid balance and for that the body needs not just water, but electrolytes.  These charged minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium conduct electricity to power your nervous system and regulate the fluid balance inside and outside your cells.

+ When you drink plain water beyond thirst, it can actually dilute blood electrolyte levels—in the worst cases, causing hyponatremia with symptoms like headaches, cramps, confusion and fatigue. In fact, many of us tend not to get enough key electrolytes sodium, potassium, and magnesium in our diets. Preventing these shortfalls can prevent muscle cramps, fatigue, and a range of other symptoms.

+ Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels requires eating plenty of salt. The evidence points to 5000 mg sodium, 4700 mg potassium, and 600 mg magnesium per day from diet and supplements.* Does all that salt sound a bit shocking to you? A 2011 JAMA study actually found that 5 grams per day was the sweet spot for heart health outcomes. We actually have a lot to say about salt and your heart health HERE.

+ Athletes and anyone who has a regular fitness schedule lose significant sodium through sweat—up to 7 grams per day in warm climates! Inadequate potassium may hamper muscle gains. Sodium and magnesium are also important for muscle function.*

+ Both water and sodium need to be replaced when we sweat to prevent muscle cramps, headaches, and energy dips. Most people only replace the water. Why? Because since the 1940s, we’ve been told to drink 8 glasses of water a day, thirsty or not.

Welcome to Your Hydrated Era –
Join Our 3-Day Hydration Challenge with LMNT

Now that you understand why electrolytes are essential to hydration, are you ready for the easiest hydration challenge you’ve ever embarked upon? Welcome to your hydrated era.

Healthy electrolyte levels are crucial for that satisfying sense of hydration. One stick of LMNT contains 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium designed to deeply hydrate and replenish electrolytes for a full body effect that is truly quenching. Our brain health, heart health, hormonal health, immunity, and many other health indicators rely on it.

If you’re on a mission to be your most hydrated self this year, stack our LMNT challenge into any hydration challenge you’re participating in this winter — official or otherwise! The difference is, by the end of just three days, your disciplined efforts will transform into a wellness ritual you’ll never quit.

Here’s how to participate:

01 Order LMNT with our exclusive offer. Order any LMNT pack and Chalkboard readers will receive a Sample Pack with 8 additional stickpacks for FREE — more than a week’s worth of LMNT and more than enough to complete the 3-day challenge. The LMNT Recharge Variety Pack contains 12 stickpacks for a little as $18. Combined with the free sample pack, that’s almost a month’s worth of electrolytes for a little over fifty cents a day!

02 Commit to 3 days of water with electrolytes Once your LMNT arrives, here’s the simple 3-day challenge:

+ Morning | Upon waking, and before coffee, enjoy one full 16 or 32-ounce glass of water with a stick of LMNT. Drinking water right when you wake up replenishes any fluids you might have lost during the night and starts your day off on the right foot. Optional: Use just half of your LMNT stickpack and save the other half for your mid-morning tumbler.

+ Mid-Morning Option | Change your tumbler routine: Stop guzzling plain, filtered water and add electrolytes to that Stanley, Bink or Camelbak! Add the other half of your stickpack to the tumbler you tote through the morning.

+ Lunchtime | Include hydrating foods in your meal! Water and electrolyte rich foods are also a great way to hydrate naturally. Lemon, celery, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, peas, corn, snap beans, beets (greens too), cantaloupe, grapes and watermelon all make simple inclusions to salads, wraps, soups and more. Pick a few to keep in rotation.

+ Mid-Afternoon Check-In | How are you feeling? Did you know that thirst can often be mistaken for mild hunger? At no other time is this true than during that mid-afternoon snacking slump.

Over your three day period, take stock of your afternoon mood: are you experiencing less cravings? How is your energy? If you’re still feeling the need for more hydration, enjoy another stick of LMNT at this time. 1-2 packs a day are optimal, but everyone is different. Enjoy the flavor of your choice poured directly in your tumbler or try LMNT’s new chocolate flavors in a warm mug of water — salty hot chocolate like you won’t believe!

+ Evening | Time your evening hydration wisely. Too much water can hinder digestion. Drink your second stick of LMNT or any other water at least 30 minutes before or after dinner. Finish your electrolyte-packed water at least an hour before bedtime to avoid sleep-disruption and mid-night runs to the bathroom.

Get Started + Enter To Win Our Challenge Giveaway!

Begin our Challenge with your first LMNT order, receive your free Sample Pack, and get started at your own pace. We’ll also be gifting 3 challenge participants with yet another FREE sample pack at the end of the month! Just comment HYDRATE in the comments below to be entered to win. We will select 3 entrants at random who will be contact through email to receive their winnings. Giveaway closes 2/17/24

*All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.

This story is brought to you in partnership with LMNT. From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers.