Sole water is an easy health tonic that is simple to make at home. You can use sole water every morning to get the benefits of reduced stress and an improved sense of wellbeing.
What is Sole Water?
Sole (pronounced soh-lay) water is a combination of mineral-rich natural salts with filtered water. It’s essentially a saltwater brine with a balance of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium as well as trace and micro minerals.
Sole Water Benefits
Balanced Hydration
One of the most important benefits of sole water is balanced hydration. Over the course of a day, we lose sodium and electrolyte minerals along with water.
Hydrating with plain water is only replenishing one of these! This may be tough on our kidneys and doesn’t actually do a great job hydrating us on a cellular level (because our cells need sodium and other minerals to function properly).
Sole made with mineral-rich natural salt is the perfect way to hydrate. By hydrating with a mixture of water and electrolytes, we are giving our body some nutrients it needs to truly thrive.
Natural Salt is Necessary for Life
We hear a lot about the negative side of sodium, but the truth is: we need salt to live! Do we need tons of processed foods loaded with refined salt? Definitely not. But our bodies do require a healthy level of sodium each day to function at their best.
In fact, all traditional cultures use some type of unrefined salt rich in a variety of minerals.
Fact: Research says that both low-sodium and high-sodium diets are associated with health risks. (source) The key is to have the right amount of unrefined salt in our diets – not too much but also not too little. This happens easily when eating mostly real food every day and salting it to taste, and also by hydrating in the mornings with a little sole water.
Note: The key is to ditch the refined sodium and use high-quality, mineral-rich Himalayan salt. Not common table salt that is heavily processed and contains additives.
Lower Stress & Improve Sleep
Did you know that sodium may actually lower stress levels? It’s true! The right amount of sodium works with the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis to calm the body’s stress response. (source)
So a little sole water may help reduce your body’s stress response. This can help you feel calmer and more relaxed throughout the day, and may even help you sleep better at night. It’s a win-win!
Reduced Cravings
Often, we’re hit with major junk food cravings when our bodies are actually craving something more natural: hydration, salt and minerals.
When you start your day with sole, you give your body some of the nutrients it needs to feel your best mentally and physically. You might suddenly find you don’t need that afternoon potato chip fix anymore!
How to Make Sole Water
Here’s how you can make your own sole water in four simple steps:
- Fill a glass jar (like a mason jar) 1/4 full of natural unrefined salt. Both pink Himalayan salt and Celtic grey sea salt are great choices.
- Add filtered water to fill the rest of the jar, leaving about an inch at the top.
- Put on a lid (plastic or non-metal) then shake the jar gently to mix the salt and water.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 12 - 24 hours. The salt will saturate into the water and settle on the bottom of the jar.
Now your homemade sole water is ready to use!
How Much Sole to Drink per Day?
A good "dose" is 1 teaspoon of sole per day, mixed into an 8-ounce glass of room temperature water. You can add a splash of lemon juice or a citrus essential oil for a refreshing flavor. TIP: don't shake or stir your jar of sole water. Just dip out a teaspoon full and add to your glass of water.
Drink this mixture on an empty stomach in the morning to start your day with balanced hydration ... because the mornings are when we are most depleted of water and electrolytes.
Try It for a Week
Not sure if sole water is for you? I challenge you to make a batch of sole water and add it to your morning routine for a week. See if you can feel the difference!