The Importance of Water
Water is vitally important for your body’s core functions, and as a result can affect how we feel on a day to day basis. I’ll lay out how much water you should be consuming, the importance of being properly hydrated, and the risks of dehydration.
Table of Contents:
-Water Requirements
-Hydration
-Dehydration
-Hydration Summary
Water Requirements
How Much Do You Need?
Your brain is around 75% water and water makes up about 50-75% of your body weight!
This is why proper hydration is so important - your body literally needs it to function!
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
Using a standard 32 oz Nalgene bottle this equates to about 4 bottles for men and 3 for women.
Keep in mind if you live in a hot climate and/or are physically active then your water requirements may need to be higher
About 80% of people’s water comes from drinking water and beverages. Where do you get the final 20%?
From food! Some of the best foods for hydration are fruits and vegetables.
Like our human bodies, plant cells contain high density of water which we can tap into while getting other essential nutrients.
Beverages
In terms of getting your 80% water from beverages, are there any beverages you should avoid? If you can, yes!
Try your best to limit caffeine use to the morning. Caffeine can take 8 hours or longer to metabolize and you don’t want it to negatively impact your sleep!
Caffeine can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and lead to salt loss. Most importantly to this discussion, caffeine is a diuretic meaning that it promotes water loss through urine. A cup of coffee in the morning (or two… or three) doesn’t equate to hydrating yourself; in fact it does the opposite!
Additionally, delaying your morning coffee 1-2 hours after waking allows your morning spike in cortisol clear out adenosine which aids in better energy levels throughout the day.
Keep in mind, I’m not your parent and I’m not trying to tell you what to do. Rather, just explaining what we know based on research!
Try to avoid drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners. Obviously the most popular drink in this category is soda, whether it’s regular, diet, or sugar free! No soda is considered healthy for you, and while they do contain water this does not offset the negatives.
Also, beware of energy drinks and vitamin water! A lot of people turn to energy drinks to help them “power through,” but they often leave in a place worse than before you drank it.
Drinks with added sugar or sweeteners such as energy drinks or vitamin water not only provide you with additional unhealthy calorie sources, but can also contribute to dysregulation of blood sugar and mental/mood crashes.
Perhaps the sneakiest high sugar drink that we should all be drinking in moderation is fruit juice. You might be saying to yourself “but fruits are healthy!”, and while fruits make a good healthy snack, fruit JUICES are extremely high in natural sugars (and sometimes added sugar, too).
Do your best to limit alcohol consumption. For example, only drinking at special occasions or socially.
Alcohol can lead to dependence, negative physical and mental health impacts, and sleep disruption. Just like caffeine, alcohol is also a diuretic.
Make sure you read the nutrition label!
Food
Fruits
You can get water from MANY fruits! Here are some hydrating fruits:
-Apple
-Berries
-Grapefruit
-Lemon
-Melon
-Orange
-Peach
-Tomato
Vegetables
To avoid the “is a tomato a fruit vs a vegetable” debate, I just put it under both categories!
You can also obtain part of your water requirement from vegetables!
Here are some hydrating vegetables:
-Asparagus
-Carrots
-Celery
-Cucumber
-Lettuce
-Tomato
-Zucchini
Hydration
As mentioned above, we literally NEED water to function!
Proper hydration can aid in:
-Cognition
-Digestion
-Joint health
-Kidney stone prevention
-Mood
-Sleep
-Temperature regulation
Here is an article by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discussing the importance of hydration. The National Council of Aging also has a great article about the benefits of hydration you can read here.
Dehydration
One of the first things you should do when you wake up is drink a glass of water! Your body is dehydrated from not consuming liquid while sleeping. This also helps to manage your appetite so you don’t overeat at breakfast!
You may also feel dehydrated during/after engaging in physical activity.
Dehydration can lead to:
-Constipation
-Cramps
-Headaches
-Increased heart rate
-Kidney stones
-Lowered energy
-Trouble with focus
Some common signs of dehydration are being thirsty, dizzy/light-headed, or producing dark colored urine. You can read more about dehydration on the Mayo Clinic website here.
Salt helps you maintain proper hydration by playing a vital role in fluid balance. Without consuming adequate electrolytes you can actually get fluid TOXICITY, where the electrolytes are drawn out of your cells at an unhealthy rate. This is an example why you don’t want to over hydrate with just plain water!
Proper hydration includes water AND salt! About ⅓ of your body’s water is salt water.
Hydrate
Hydration electrolytes include:
-Chloride
-Magnesium
-Potassium
-Sodium
It’s important to replace all of these electrolytes for proper hydration in the morning and after exercise.
I started using the LMNT electrolyte drink mix in my morning water and it has REALLY helped!
However, beware of electrolyte drink mixes and read the nutrition label as many contain large amounts of sugar. I love the LMNT brand because it contains no sugar but has 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium.
Kind reminder that just because I use a product doesn’t mean it would be recommended for you by a medical provider! Nothing in this blog is a treatment plan, but rather general advice. This has worked well for me and is worth exploring if it’s right for you!
The general recommendation is to stop eating when you’re 80% full
Hydration Summary
Water is a principal component of your body making up the majority, 50-75%, of your body weight. Additionally, 1/3 of that water is salt water.
Your body LITERALLY depends on water to survive and function! Men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day and women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day.
Especially focus on hydrating first thing in the morning and during/after exercising!
Salt helps you maintain proper hydration by playing a vital role in fluid balance. Hydration electrolytes include sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium. It’s important to replace all of these elements for proper hydration.
Try your best to limit caffeine, drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and alcohol.
The Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic have great summaries about hydration!
Thanks for reading! Stay hydrated!
Disclaimer: This blog section is meant to provide general advice about mental health. By no means should this information be taken as a personal treatment plan. Please consult with your provider.