We all know hydration is key to maintaining dewy, plumped out skin.

But is "drinking more water" really the solution to better hydrated skin?

The answer is no. The "drink more water" message has been overplayed. Healthy hydration is about the water you hold in the body, not the water you drink that passes straight through. There’s nothing wrong with drinking water, but if we don’t improve the capacity to get it into our cells and keep it there, it just means more trips to the bathroom. Too much water can deplete your body of vital minerals if they are flushed out too quickly.

Eating foods that are rich in "structured water", especially animal protein and local + seasonal fruits, is a more effective route to juicy skin. Structure water will hydrate our bodies twice as effectively as a glass of water. Why? Put simply, water in food is surrounded by other molecules that deliver it into our cells more easily.

Crucially, this hydration stays in our system for long enough to impact our skin cells. When we eat nutrient-dense foods, we absorb water more slowly because it is trapped in the structure of these foods. Structured water has the ability to better penetrate our living cells, delivering important antioxidants, fibre and other nutrients needed for a healthy-looking complexion. That slow absorption also means the water in food stays in our bodies for longer.

When it comes to water and cellular hydration:

• Quality > Quantity

• Not all water is created equal. We need to look at bioavailability and absorption.

• Tap/Bottled water is stagnant, not structured, often times chlorinated, fluorinated and contaminated with toxins. Lacking minerals, nutrients and living structure coherence.

• Eat our water. 50% of your hydration can come from foods not just liquids.

• Iceberg lettuce is 4x more hydrating than a glass of water.

• Plain water just flushes through our system compared to eating an apple (locally grown, and seasonally) which has fibre (slows down the hydration so we stay hydrated for longer), liquid/hydration, nutrients, enzymes and minerals. Nature’s design is perfect.

• Animal fats is extremely hydrating for our bodies. Raw is better. Raw butter, raw cheeses, raw cream, raw milk, raw eggs, raw fish

• You want your food to be grown under sunlight, and animals to be pasture-raised, living outside under natural light.

• Ultra processed foods being sold to us are extremely dehydrating for our cells.

• Our bodies make our own structured water (EZ water) through protein + heat from infrared light from the sun/sauna/movement + water.

Cellular Hydration Checklist

• Increase your protein intake. Eating enough protein helps you to get water out of your extracellular fluid and into your cells.

• Balance your electrolytes (sodium and potassium ratio). Adding celtic sea salt and a squeeze of lemon / lime to your water.

• Reduce EMF exposure. Switch your phone to airplane mode at night. Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom.

• Eat your water. Improve your skin’s hydration with nutrient-dense foods. Start eating more high-quality seafoods, animal fats (grass-fed), organ meats (liver).

• You can improve your cellular exclusion zone (EZ) water by pulling electrons in through grounding / earthing in nature.

• Create an environment conducive to the development of EZ water by spending time outdoors, getting as much exposure to natural light as possible via skin and eyes. Artificial light environments dehydrate our cells.