Hydration - Part 1
Hydration Basics
Your body is about 60% water and the balance of water in your body and your cells plays a key role in your health. Amazingly, your body can only survive for 3 days without water.
Strangely, in this age of modern medicine, how much water we need to drink each day is still unknown. There’s very little science behind the “8 glasses of water a day” recommendation, and I think we’ll find that the amount we need each day varies and each person absorbs and utilizes water differently. 8 glasses of water isn’t a bad starting point though, it’s super important to stay hydrated!
Benefits of being hydrated:
Better energy
Clear thinking
Better mood
Fewer headaches (esp if headaches are triggered by water loss, 40% of people suffer from dehydration headaches)
Better physical performance (athletes or just for a hike) – losing 2% of body’s water = lower performance
Better colon health (dehydration can trigger constipation)
Supports the kidneys and reduces the risk of kidney stones
Increases metabolism
Happier joints & less joint pain
Signs of dehydration (other than thirst):
Bad breath – your production of saliva slows down, causing bacteria to overgrow
Constipation – your colon will hold onto fecal matter longer so it can suck all of the moisture out of it. Dry, hard, pellet poops are a sign of dehydration-induced constipation
Sweet cravings – your energy dips and your body taps into your glycogen stores (stored sugar). Your body sends a signal to have sugar to replenish your glycogen stores, instead of water which is what it really needs.
Dizziness – dehydration drops your blood volume and blood pressure, making it harder for your body to push the blood up to your head. Feeling light-headed or woozy encourages you to lay down to allow your brain to get more blood/oxygen. This is more common with people who have low blood pressure normally.
Dry skin – your skin isn’t getting hydrated and the drop in blood volume causes dry skin
Dry irritated eyes – your eyes need water to stay moisturized. This is one of my first signs of dehydration
Feeling cold – your blood flow lessens when you’re dehydrated, lowering the circulation to your hands and feet, making you cold even on a hot day!
Headache – your brain sits inside a sac of fluid to protect it as you move around in your day. Dehydration lowers the volume of liquid in this sac, causing a headache
Irritability – research has found that even minor dehydration (a 1% decrease in water levels) can cause irritability
Muscle cramping – dehydration affects the electrolyte balance in your muscles, causing cramping. (low magnesium levels can also cause cramping)
Sleepiness – your brain needs water to work properly! Staying hydrated can reduce dehydration-induced brain fog and sleepiness (low adrenals and digestive issues can also cause brain fog, but see if water helps :)
Can I be too hydrated???
Yes and if it can be deadly (but you’ve gotta drink ENORMOUS amounts of water for that to happen).
Like this woman who died after drinking 11 litres (2 gallons) of water in 3 hours to win a contest:
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/jury-rules-radio-station-jennifer-strange-water-drinking/story?id=8970712
In general, over-hydration can be a minor problem, especially if you’re like me and you have a water-lovin’ body (my body prefers 6+ litres a day). Your electrolytes get flushed out with the water and if it’s too extreme (like the woman in that contest), it can lead to death. But mostly, it just flushes out important minerals that need to be replaced.
Completely colourless urine is a good sign that you may have overhydrated, pale yellow (or lemonade coloured) is the goal.
If you feel like you may have overhydrated, but this isn’t a common occurrence, then just cut back on your liquid intake and make sure you’re getting some extra minerals (aka veggies) in your next meal.
If you’re a chronic over-hydrator (like me…), there are a few things you can do to make sure your water gets into your body better instead of just flushing out:
Use unsweetened electrolytes or a pinch of salt in your water 1x or 2x per day
I find this works really well for me and I can feel good with ½ to 2/3 of the water I normally drink
Enjoy some watery fruit and veggies, like watermelon and cucumbers. They’re so nutrient-dense that the water absorbs really easily
Squeeze some lemon or lime into your water, it provides some electrolytes to help with hydration (and it’s yummy :)
Now, let’s look at all of the ways to get more hydration into your day! Head over to Part 2.
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :)