At The Forge, we believe that better education leads to a better industry. Education doesn’t stop in the classroom, so we asked Dr. Laura Cayce, DC, MS to share her knowledge with the film community. From gut health to recommendations on staying comfortable during long days in harsh conditions to nutrition and stress management, Dr. Laura is coming in with short snippets to make your film life a healthier one.
Two Minute Tuesdays: Episode One - Hydration
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated
Even if you drink lots of water daily, you might not get the full benefits of electrolytes, essential to fluid and nutrient absorption. Your body naturally loses these particles along with fluid, and it’s essential to replenish. These electrolytes, listed below, are found naturally in most foods.
Sodium
Potassium chloride
Calcium,
Magnesium
Unfortunately, most of our diets, even those with the best intentions (I’m talking to you, clean eaters, too!), do not include enough electrolytes naturally, leading to mineral deficiencies. Without these minerals, aka electrolytes, you will not absorb enough water or nutrients. Electrolytes also play a role in healthy muscle and nervous system function.
So, how do you get enough of these electrolytes in your body? Eating a balanced diet with healthy fruits, vegetables, nuts, starches, and proteins is always a good place to start. Supplementing with a zero/low sugar electrolyte formula can benefit daily water and nutrient absorption and help quickly rehydrate in hot environments or after physical exertions and exercise.
Food sources
Potassium: Bananas, avocados, potatoes, spinach, salmon, tomatoes, beans
Magnesium: Dark Leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, brown rice, tuna
Sodium: celery, beets, pears, mango, table salt, canned seafood, milk, nuts, pickles, olives.
Chloride: not as common in unprocessed foods but found in seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery and olives, raw peanuts, peanut butter, and table salt.
Electrolyte recommendations
Look for products without sugar like these:
LMNT
DripDrop
Electrolyte Synergy by Designs for Health
Electrolyte/Energy Formula by Pure Encapsulations
Weekly Challenge
This week, try to eat more whole foods (fruits and veg; buying chips from Whole Foods doesn’t count) - there are electrolytes in your food! If you’ve had a lot of water, try adding electrolytes.
Who’s Dr. Laura?
I'm Dr. Laura, a chiropractor who married the owner of The Forge. Hello. Enough small talk.
When I learned what a day on set is like, one of my first questions to Sarah was, “What do you do to recover? How to do you make sure you’re getting good nutrition?” I see filmmaking like athletics - you can be a novice, a weekend warrior or a pro and still have a commonality.
Recently, I made a pretty radical shift from a corporate healthcare job - the job I thought was the career of my dreams. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to help people how I want to in such a broken system. After almost a decade treating patients and then years in health administration, I quit, unable to reconcile many experiences that went against my ethics.
A producer called the day after I quit, wondering, “What would it look like to have a chiropractor on a film set?” After watching my wife and friends for the last five years, I have many ideas on making film sets better suited for longevity. A few days later, I was the set doctor for a Netflix documentary and have said yes to every other on-set opportunity I can.
This industry is incredible and mentally and physically demanding. Not only do you make words on a page a reality, but you also have to have the physical stamina of a marathon runner to get from ideation to completion. To show up and do good work, you have to feel good. Pain, low energy, poor nutrition, and environmental overexposure can be covered up for a short period with bandaids, but eventually, they rear their ugly heads, and you start to get sick or injured.
In the same way I see athletes who continue to compete, I want you to have longevity in your career. I want to change the culture around health and wellness in film and television: Teach people that no matter the budget level, better nutrition, better recovery, and better education will lead to a more creative and fulfilling industry.
I look forward to educating the film community so they can make great projects while feeling good, too.
Comments