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From her awkward fumbles to no-BS interviews, Jennifer Lawrence is the down-to-earth actress that many look up to, but experts are warning fans against adopting one of her latest fitness habits.
Her former trainer Dalton Wong – the man responsible for getting the Oscar winner in shape for X-Men: First Class – has released a new book The Feelgood Plan: Happier, Healthier and Slimmer in 15 minutes a Day featuring some of the tips and tricks Lawrence uses.
The one raising eyebrows? Redbook reports Dalton taught Lawrence to mix a little salt water in with regular water, lemon water and coconut water throughout the day to stay hydrated and replace salt lost through sweating. (Watch. Looking for a healthy drink? Try this green smoothie recipe. Post continues after video.)
“The idea is that this would increase her electrolyte consumption to make her more thirsty, encouraging her to drink more,” explains Melbourne-based dietician Melanie McGrice.
“It’s essentially like having a homemade sports drink.”
However this isn’t a miracle solution for just anyone. In fact, if you aren’t working up a sweat worthy of an elite athlete then it’s actually wholly unnecessary.
“Most people don’t need more salt in their diet, so I wouldn’t recommend it unless someone was doing large amounts of physical activity and sweating a lot,” says McGrice.
And while the external benefits of sea water are widely lauded, drinking it can have some serious health consequences.
"It’s a worrying fad. Obviously, please don’t drink sea water, or in excessive amounts, because that overloads your kidneys and that’s how people have died from renal failure," Dr Adam Sheridan, a spokesperson for the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) previous told The Glow.
While this is worst case scenario, Sydney-based dietitian and sports nutritionist Robbie Clark warns that the practice holds big risks for certain people.
"Sodium intake needs to be strictly monitored in people with acute and chronic renal (kidney) failure and disease. People with high blood pressure also have to be careful with how much salt they consume through the day as excess sodium intake can elevate blood pressure," he says. (Post continues after gallery.)
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"Before I would consider recommending this to someone, I would be looking into their medical and family history and exercise/physical activity levels."
Dietary intake also needs to be taken into consideration.
"We already get some natural sodium from the foods we eat so if you are relatively inactive, you might find you consume enough sodium in your diet to regulate your electrolyte levels without the need to add more into it," he says.
While it all comes down to the amount, given the risks of over doing it (and unless you're consulting an expert or are a professional athlete), it's probably best to steer clear.
"Water is the best choice for most people. You only need to start considering sports drinks, coconut water or drinks with added salt if you’re sweating for more than an hour per day," says McGrice.
Do you drink salt water for health or fitness benefits?