Water isn’t often thought of as a nutrient when, arguably, it is the most important nutrient for our health and well being! We can survive weeks without food, but only days without water.
More than merely quenching your thirst, consuming enough water daily ensures that you are supporting the essential bodily functions that rely on water to run smoothly.
Our bodies are made up of water. In fact, roughly 60% of the adult human body is good, old H2O! So it should come as no surprise that proper hydration is a key habit for overall health and well being.
Let’s dive into the importance of hydration and how we can stay hydrated and stay healthy!
The Many Roles of Water
Water is at the heart of virtually every bodily function. From the blood coursing through our veins to the sweat on our skin, water is the primary constituent of all bodily fluids. In the circulatory system, it ensures the efficient transport of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products throughout the body. Within the digestive system, it aids in the breakdown of food and facilitates the absorption of vital nutrients. Water strengthens our body’s defences by supporting the lymphatic system. And water is essential for elimination, allowing the removal waste materials through the kidneys and out of the body as urine. Below are some of the key roles water plays in our well-being:
- Lubricates joints and tissues
- Flushes wastes and toxins
- Regulates body temperature
- Transports nutrients
- Keeps mucus membranes healthy (important for immune function!)
- Prevents tissues from sticking, aiding in flexibility
- Improves cell to cell communication
- Maintains electrical properties of cells
Hydration and Health
Water is more than just a beverage; it’s a critical factor influencing our physical performance, mental acuity, and emotional well-being. Chronic dehydration can lead to long-term consequences, including premature aging, chronic disease development, and even premature mortality.
What Happens When You Don’t Drink Enough Water?
Dehydration and Risk Factors
Even a mild 1% to 2% drop in hydration levels can impair cognition, induce fatigue and affect our moods. It’s important to recognize the common signs of dehydration. Have a look at the chart below to see if you experience any of these symptoms:
Certain factors put us more at risk for dehydration, making proper hydration an even more important habit. These factors include aging, as older adults often experience a diminished thirst sensation. Many health issues in the elderly, including falls, confusion, constipation, infections, and drug toxicity may be related to this increased susceptibility to dehydration.
Individuals who engage in strenuous exercise or those living in a hot climate are more susceptible to dehydration. They will have increased fluid requirements due to increased perspiration.
This chart outlines common dehydration risk factors.
Understanding Your Hydration Needs
Having discovered all of the important ways water helps our bodies function and stay healthy, it’s pretty clear WHY we need to be drinking water. The next question that should be popping into our heads is: How much do I need to drink?
Why Thirst Isn’t The Answer
Dylan, B. (1997). Standing in the Doorway [Recorded by Bob Dylan]. On Time Out of Mind [CD]. Columbia.
“I’ll eat when I’m hungry, drink when I’m dry”
Sorry Bob, but I have to disagree with you there.
Although thirst is our body’s natural signal for water intake, relying solely on this signal to gauge our hydration needs can be misleading and even harmful. Thirst isn’t always accurate or timely; you might already be mildly dehydrated by the time you feel it
We’ve already looked at several factors, such as aging and medication use that can either override the thirst signal or make it less effective. But one of the biggest reasons why relying on our thirst signal is a bad idea is that we are just so good at ignoring it!
In our fast-paced lifestyles, we often overlook subtle thirst cues, especially when focused on tasks or responsibilities. By delaying or ignoring our need to drink water we are leading ourselves to dehydration.
Determining How Much Water You Need
You may be familiar with the recommendation to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. While this certainly isn’t a bad target to shoot for (especially if you aren’t a regular water drinker), the truth is that water needs are going to vary from person to person. On top of that, the same person’s water requirements can change from day to day!
To be properly hydrated, our water gains must offset our water losses. We gain water through the beverages and foods we consume, as well as a small amount that is a byproduct of metabolic reactions in the body. We lose water through our breath, sweat, urine and feces. Anything that increases water loss also increases your need for hydration.
The Water Equation
A good estimate of how much water you should consume daily is the Body Weight Equation.
How To Know If You Are Well Hydrated
While the Body Weight Equation provides a more personalized target, losing track is easy without a method to check hydration. Lucky for us, there are several simple ways to assess if we are meeting our hydration goals.
Our Free Hydration Status Assessment is a thorough, but super easy way to do a hydration self-check. It can help you readily identify signs of under hydration, so you can get back on the water wagon.
Two other ways to determine if you are meeting your hydration needs are The Turgor Test and the Urine Color Test.
Turgor Test
Perform a skin turgor test by pinching the skin on the back of your hand, tenting it up, and holding for several seconds. If well hydrated, the skin will snap back quickly when released. If it does not return to its original state quickly, it could indicate it’s time to up your water intake. Although quick and easy, skin turgidity does decrease with age. This can potentially affect test reliability.
Urine Color Test
One of the simplest way to keep tabs on your hydration is to keep an eye on your urine color! Just like our stool can give us big insights into our health (you can read more about that here), the same can be said for our urine. When we are properly hydrated, our urine should be pale yellow or straw coloured, clear and have little odor. If your urine is darker, you need to start drinking! If your urine is colourless, you may want to back off the water bottle for a bit. Urine that is cloudy or has a strong odor could indicate an infection and you should follow up with your primary care provider.
Drink Wisely: Making Smart Hydration Choices
When it comes to hydration power, not all drinks are created equal!
Certain beverages act as diuretics and cause us to lose water, sabotaging our attempts at hydration. Caffeinated drinks, sodas, fruit juices and alcohol are all drinks that can have a negative impact on hydration. A good rule of thumb when consuming these types of beverages is to add in extra water to offset their negative effect. For example. if you have an 8oz cup of coffee in the morning, add 1.5 times that amount (12oz) of water to your daily intake.
While pure, filtered water is the holy grail for hydration, other hydrating beverages include things like broths, most herbal teas, dairy and non-dairy milks and coconut water. And let’s not forget food! Water contained in the food we eat also counts towards our daily hydration goal! Foods that contain a lot of water include many fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, melons, lettuces, as well as soups.
A Note on Electrolytes
Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Chloride) are minerals that are capable of conducting an electrical charge when dissolved in water. They play many important roles in the body, including being necessary for proper absorption and utilization of water. Fruits and vegetables are good food sources of these electrolytes. Other ways to supplement with electrolytes to support hydration are to utilize unrefined sea salt and/or consume Sole Water or another electrolyte solution.
When you lose excess water, you also lose electrolytes. Replenishing both is crucial to prevent dehydration because electrolytes help your body absorb and use the water. Intense activity that causes increased sweating or illnesses with water loss through diarrhea or vomiting are situations where electrolyte solutions can be extremely helpful in preventing dehydration.
*be sure to consult with a healthcare provider prior to supplementing with electrolytes if you have any underlying health conditions, such as kidney problems, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
Optimal TIming for Hydration
While it may be tempting to chug down a big amount of your water requirement in one go, the best way to consume water is in small sips throughout the day. This allows for better absorption of the water and may prevent numerous bathroom breaks throughout the day!
Reserving most of your water intake for the times between meals is also preferable. Drinking too much liquid at meal times can dilute your digestive juices and make breaking down your food more difficult. Keep meal time beverages to 4-6oz.
The Importance of Water Quality and Safety
When it comes to water, quality is just as important as quantity! While most cities claim their tap water is potable, in reality, tap water contains over 700 chemicals, with only a fraction of them being tested. Additionally, tap water undergoes treatment with chlorine and other substances to eliminate microbes. While this is necessary, these agents don’t discriminate and can also negatively impact the good bacteria in our microbiomes.
Using a filtration system to purify your water is a good idea. There are many types and brands of filtration systems available, from simple carbon filters to whole house reverse osmosis systems. This article can help you research which options are available and best suited to your needs and your budget.
The vessel you drink out of is also something to be considered. Plastic bottles and containers can leach hormone disrupting plastics and other chemicals into the liquid they contain. Using stainless steel or glass containers for your beverages is a better choice for your health and the environment..
Easy Ways to Boost Hydration
Now that we know why we need to hydrate and just how much we should be drinking, the final piece of the hydration puzzle is HOW to do it! Below are some tips to make the hydration habit do-able!
- Wake up to water! We become slightly dehydrated during sleep, so start your morning off with water. A mug of warm water with lemon juice and a few grains of sea salt will boost your hydration and give your digestive system a kickstart.
- Invest in a re-usable water bottle. Purchase a good quality stainless steel or glass water bottle to sip from during the day. Having that constant reminder of hydration nearby helps!
- Spruce it up! If you get tired of plain water, give your routine some pep by changing it up! Try sparkling water, brew up some herbal tea and enjoy it hot or iced or add citrus, berries or herbs to enhance the flavor (see our Spa Water suggestions below!)
- Limit dehydrating beverages like caffeinated coffee and tea, soda, fruit juices and alcohol. When you do consume them, add extra water to your daily goal.
- Set reminders! Schedule water break reminders on your phone or download one of the many hydration reminder apps available.
- Enjoy hydrating foods. Many foods can contribute to our daily hydration goal. Soups, broths and fruits and veggies are great ways to add both extra water and whole food nutrients to your diet.
- If you sweat, don’t forget! In hotter climates or during exercise, we lose more water as sweat and will need to replace that loss. Adding some electrolytes to your water can help replace electrolytes lost during perspiration and ensure we can absorb and utilize the water effectively.
Take Action!
Now that you’re armed with knowledge about the importance of hydration, it’s time to take charge:
Make hydration a priority. Download our free hydration assessment here to see where you are starting from.
Incorporate hydration into your daily routine. Keep your water bottle handy as a constant reminder to drink up.
Listen to your body. Pay attention to its signals and give it the hydration it deserves.
Diversify your hydration sources. Explore different beverages, check out the recipes below and find what works best for you.
Every sip is an investment in your well-being. So, let’s drink up!
Recipes
Sources
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