Get Hydrated!
The Importance of Hydration
Good hydration is essential to our overall health, but many people find maintaining fluid intake challenging.
I’ve never had this problem because I am very much a creature of habit. Two things that I do to ensure that I am sufficiently hydrated:
1: I have set times when I drink water. When I wake up, while waiting for the kettle to boil, I have my first glass.
2: I normally try to have another glass of water half an hour before meals.
So the bare minimum, is that I’m close to drinking one litre of water a day. Between meals, I just top up and replenish.
We should all aim towards drinking about eight glasses of water per day
How to Stay Hydrated
There’s lots of misinformation about what contributes to hydration. Some say that anything liquid counts towards hydration. For example, it has been suggested that tea, coffee, and cooldrinks, count towards towards hydration. Unfortunately, caffeine and sugar can act as diuretics which means that instead of replenishing your water, you are losing water.
I was led to believe that anything that you drink contributes towards hydration but recently I’ve learnt that excludes any of your fizzy cool drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks because they’re very high in sugar and caffeine. Fruit juice is also very high in sugar.
Anything that is high in sugar increases urine production which could lead to dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic which increases urine production. Phosphoric acid interferes with calcium absorption and could potentially lead to dehydration. Some of your sports drinks contain excessive amounts of sodium which can also lead to dehydration. They could also cause an electrolyte imbalance. So, water is king.
I know that on a really hot day, not even water can touch sides if you’re thirsty. You need something effervescent so you reach for cool drinks. I like to dilute my fruit juice with soda water because I find it makes it a little bit more hydrating and reduces my sugar intake. I find something as simple as soda water gives me that effervescent rush without the sugar rush.
You have to be mindful of how much water you are consuming. Are you hydrated? A good measurement of hydration is the color of your urine. Your urine should be as close to pale as possible. Although, I’ve recently just read that if your urine is too pale, it might be a sign that you’re overhydrated.
(Bearing in mind that I’m not a medically trained professional, and I really don’t know what I’m talking about- and I really don’t know why you would listen to me, but I do think it’s sound advice to stay hydrated.)
Ten Compelling Reasons to Prioritize Hydration
- Boosts Energy and Brain Function: Even mild dehydration can impair cognitive performance, memory, and mood. Staying hydrated enhances focus, productivity, and mental clarity.
- Supports Weight Loss: Drinking water helps with appetite control, metabolism, and digestion, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
- Flushes Toxins: Hydration helps eliminate waste products, reducing the risk of diseases and maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails.
- Improves Athletic Performance: Proper hydration enhances endurance, strength, and flexibility, reducing muscle cramps and injuries.
- Maintains Healthy Blood Pressure: Drinking enough water helps regulate blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Supports Kidney Function: Hydration helps kidneys remove waste and toxins, reducing the risk of kidney stones and disease.
- Promotes Healthy Digestion: Water aids in nutrient absorption, prevents constipation, and reduces the risk of certain gastrointestinal disorders.
- Reduces Headaches and Migraines: Dehydration is a common migraine trigger. Staying hydrated can help alleviate and prevent headaches.
- Enhances Skin Health: Hydration keeps skin hydrated, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and acne.
- Supports Immune Function: Drinking enough water helps support the immune system’s ability to fight off infections and diseases.
Additional Benefits of Hydration
- Reduces risk of urinary tract infections
- Improves joint health and reduces arthritis symptoms
- Supports healthy blood sugar levels
- May reduce risk of certain cancers
- Improves overall quality of life and well-being
Daily Hydration Goals
- Aim for at least 8-10 250ml glasses of water per day
- Adjust according to age, sex, weight, activity level, and climate
- Monitor urine output: aim for pale yellow to clear colour
- Make hydration a habit to experience these benefits and improve your overall health!
Looking at beverages that are good to drink, obviously, water is king.
Hydration Tips
Some people say they don’t like the taste of water; and personally, I think they’re stupid, because water is flavourless. But let’s assume that you don’t enjoy the taste of water… try adding a few slices of fruit. Citrus is very good for flavouring water, adding blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, mint or cucumber, are creative ways to infuses flavour into your water that can make it more palatable to drink.
I suggest you infuse your water overnight. Literally fill up a litre bottle of water, pop in some herbs, fruit slices, anything that tickles your fancy. Allow it to infuse overnight so that you’ve got something refreshing to drink throughout the day.
Healthy Beverages and Hydrating Foods
Hydrating foods can improve your hydration- any food that has got a high water content. For example, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, and lettuce, are very hydrating. Try include as many hydrating fruits and vegetables as possible.
I love herbal teas. I’ve never been a fan of black tea, because I can’t drink it. I can’t say I’m really mad about green tea either. I think people only drink green tea because they’re told it is good for them but I can’t really say it’s particularly pleasant. Although, I do love rooibos tea.
If you look at your herbal teas, I always recommend building up a library of teas, so you never get bored. I love chamomile, peppermint tea, and hibiscus tea. Occasionally I’m able to find buchu tea, which I think is a treat. Licorice tea rates very highly as one of my favourite teas.
Start creating a hydration habit. For example, when I wake up, I have my first glass of water. I’m going to be standing waiting for the kettle to boil for my first cup of coffee, so I may just as well kill time and drink my first 250ml of water.
I also carry a water bottle around with me even when I’m working from home. I fill up a one-litre glass bottle, and I make sure that I just keep sipping from it so that by the time I have lunch I would have drunk at least one litre of water. And then before I have supper, I need to finish a second litre of water. Notwithstanding, I need to have a cup or a glass before each meal. It just becomes habitual. I don’t even have to think about it. I’ve always got a litre of water reminding me that I need to drink.
BTW: By the time you’re thirsty you are already dehydrated so let’s improve your hydration today.