Health Benefits of Hydration: How to Drink Enough Water Each Day
Health Benefits of Hydration: How to Drink Enough Water Each Day
Author: Emily Grochowski, Certified Functional & Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
We all know staying hydrated is important, but it’s easy to overlook just how quickly dehydration can sneak up on you.
Some people don’t experience strong thirst cues, and we lose water in ways we don’t always notice, like through breathing or water evaporating from our skin (even when we’re not sweating). Learn exactly why water is foundational to maintaining a healthy body and mind, and ways to better meet your body’s fluid needs.
Why is hydration so critical?
Water is the most important nutrient that humans must consume in order to maintain all of our body’s systems and most biochemical processes. Water constitutes the majority of our body’s total weight (50–80% depending on lean body mass) and is vital for transporting nutrients, oxygen, and waste between cells and throughout the body.
How do I know if I’m dehydrated?
Although bodily responses to dehydration vary from person to person, some of the most common symptoms include dry mouth/tongue, thirst, headaches and migraines, lightheadedness or dizziness, strong smelling and/or darkly colored urine, muscle cramps or tightness, and fatigue.
Since every cell in the body requires adequate hydration to function properly, it’s perhaps not surprising that most body functions are also negatively impacted, both acutely and over time, to the effects of dehydration. To further assess your fluid status, pay attention to your bowel regularity and overall digestive function, athletic performance, blood sugar levels, blood pressure balance, stress and hormonal balance, and immune resilience. Consistent issues in these areas may also indicate the need to increase your fluid intake.
For example, findings from a recent meta-analysis study suggest that depletion of body water impairs cognitive performance, particularly for tasks involving attention, executive function, and motor coordination.1 Other data sets suggests that people who consume more water seem to have a significantly easier time maintaining their bodyweight (i.e. avoiding weight gain).2
How much hydration is enough?
Water needs can vary from person to person based on physical activity, environmental conditions, body size and composition, age, genetics, and more.
A general rule of thumb for achieving adequate baseline hydration is to aim to consume about 1/2 your body weight (in lbs) in fluid ounces each day. For instance, a 160 pound person would aim to consume about 80 fl oz per day.
It is important to note, however, that anyone engaging in physical activity or actively sweating should increase their fluid intake beyond this baseline level, with a reasonable estimate being to add 4-8 fluid ounces for each 15 minutes of exercise (or other sweat inducing activity).
How can I reach and maintain my hydration goal?
1. Start the day with a large (e.g. 20 fl oz) glass of water, hot/warm tea, or other unsweetened, de-caffeinated beverage. This is an especially useful strategy to get a jump on your hydration goal since our kidneys tend to process fluids most effectively in the morning
2. Keep multiple water bottles, mugs, and other hydration vessels in all your work and relaxation environments to remind you to hydrate throughout the day
3. Pair drinking water or other unsweetened beverages with other routine activities such as checking your email, starting a Zoom meeting, taking your lunch break, or feeding a pet
4. Track water intake using an app and/or set timers to remind you to drink
5. Eat hydrating foods (especially fresh veggies and fruits) or add a fun spin to your typical beverages. Novelty and variety is important for developing consistency in achieving and maintaining hydration goals. Here are a few ideas to consider:
Add a pop of flavor via sugar-free electrolytes, berry or cocoa flavored collagen powder, or greens powder to a pre- and post-workout water bottles
Enjoy medicinal mushroom or other adaptogen coffee alternatives for a late morning or after lunch pick-me-up
Sip a soothing cup of ginger or peppermint herbal tea after work
Add bone broth as a side to dinner meals
Swap alcohol for premade or homemade mocktails at parties
Eat plenty of fresh, frozen, and blended produce as most vegetables and fruit are naturally packed with water
Enjoy a protein-rich smoothie full of frozen berries and leafy greens like kale as a tasty, hydrating option for a meal or snack
Emily Grochowski (MSN, RDN, CD (WA), CLT, CFIN) is a Certified Functional & Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from UW-Madison and Master of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She practices evidence-based, personalized, holistic medical nutrition therapy at the Institute of Complementary Medicine.
Sources:
1 Wittbrodt MT, Millard-Stafford M. (2018, November). Dehydration Impairs Cognitive Performance: A Meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29933347/
2 Cunningham, E. (2014, November). What Impact Does Water Consumption Have on Weight Loss or Weight Loss Maintenance? Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(14)01505-6/fulltext
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