Today we’re going to talk about Hydration. If you’ve read my Foundations of Health article a few months ago, you know that a lot of us (about 70% of us) are walking around chronically dehydrated. This is not great. Most humans can go something like 8 weeks without food, but we can only go a few days without water.
Basic Hydration Facts
Some quick facts about the roles water plays in our bodies:
- Water makes up 55-60% of our bodies.
- Water transports nutrients (including oxygen) to our cells
- Cushions bones and joints and helps absorbs shocks to our organs
- Helps regulate body temperature
- Removes waste and flushes toxins
- Maintains normal electrical properties of cells
- Empowers our bodies natural healing process
- Improves cell-to-cell communication
Where do our bodies source water from?
Our body is able to produce a small portion of our water needs through metabolic processes but mostly we get it from our food and beverages. Water is not something we can store in our bodies so we need to consume it everyday in order to maintain our health.
Most of our water is absorbed in our GI tract, specifically the small intestine (a small portion is also absorbed in the large intestine as well) through osmosis. Osmosis is the movement from an area of higher water concentration to an area of lower concentration.
Also, an important thing to remember is that we need to have electrolytes available in order to properly absorb water. What are electrolytes? They are minerals such as Chloride, Sodium, Potassium and others that help balance our body’s pH levels. They have many roles in the human body but when it comes to hydrating, they control the osmosis of water, help maintain the pH balance, and are cofactors for many processes within the body.
Now, let’s discuss dehydration!
We can’t talk about hydration without talking about dehydration. Since statistically, 70% of us are already dehydrated, what does dehydration look like?
Some of the earliest signs of dehydration are fatigue, cramps, headaches, being irritable, and cravings (yes, sometimes the sugar craving just means you’re thirsty). Now if we let it go on for too long and become even more dehydrated, then we start to see some bigger symptoms – things like heartburn, joint pain, headaches turning to migraines, constipation and other more serious health concerns.
So how much water should you be drinking? The most commonly accepted formula is your body weight divided by 2 in ounces. So if you weigh 150 lbs, then you should drink 75 oz. of water each day. I know it sounds like a lot, but if you spread it out throughout the day it isn’t that bad! Work up to it by adding a couple more ounces each day until you reach your target. However, keep in mind that this is just for a normal day, if you do a strenuous workout, or are at a higher altitude, then you need more water, as much as 50% more.
But…I don’t like water.
What if you don’t like water? I’ve heard that a few times before. Some quick suggestions to improve the flavor. You should start with filtered water, that can help a lot. Our tap water has chemicals in it that make it safe for us to drink but sometimes they do not help the flavor.
Some things you can do are infuse the water with herbs such as mint or basil and fruit. Things like cucumber, watermelon, orange slices are yummy. You can make herbal tea (enjoy hot or cold). Add flavored electrolyte packets to your water (watch out for added sugars in those), or drink sparkling water. Let us know your favorite ways to get in your daily water intake in the comments below.
Now I’m going to go refill my water glass… maybe you should too.
Sources: Nutritional Therapy Association, Module 8 – Hydration – Nutritional Therapy Consulting Curriculum
