Hydration - Part 3
Your Hydration Questions
These questions were submitted by email and through our Private Facebook Group. If you have any questions I haven’t covered, send them in and I’ll add them!
What do I do if water goes straight through me?
Do you feel like water just flushes through you? Your bladder is very full AND you’re thirsty? If so, there are some ways to help it absorb a bit better.
Enjoy some watery food, they can increase your absorption by slowing down the liquid in your digestive system. Vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, and a bit of sugar are really helpful. Here are a few high-water foods:
fruit and veggies (low in fat, but contain the other important nutrients :)
yogurt (it’s surprisingly high in water)
soup
watered down fruit juice (straight juice has too much sugar, which affects the water’s absorption)
Or, try adding a pinch of sea salt to your water. Water follows salt and it makes it easier for the water to be absorbed through your intestinal tract instead of just flushed out.
I’m not drinking water with meals…but now I’m struggling to stay hydrated!
I had the same problem when I first moved my water intake away from meals. It helped my digestion but man! It was hard to drink enough!
Drinking at different times does become a secured habit eventually, but here are a few things to try while you’re still in the new habit limbo zone.
First, drink a big glass of water when you first wake up. Your body loses water as you sleep so it’s a great time to rehydrate and it tends to get the digestive system moving (this is extra helpful if you deal with constipation).
Put some water where you can see it between meals. It can be hard to remember to drink when you’re not used to drinking and visual cues are helpful. Reminders on your phone to fill a glass or water bottle might also be helpful.
Drink out of a bigger glass. This is surprisingly effective and helped me a lot one summer. I’m a good water drinker in general (I have a VERY strong thirst signal), but one hot summer I found myself dehydrated a lot (with unpleasant bloodshot eyes and irritated sinuses). I spend most of my workday on my deck and I realized that I wasn’t walking into the house to fill my water glass enough.
That’s when I switched to the 1 litre mason jar I’m sure you’ve seen me drink out of in Q&A videos. It worked like a charm :)
Does putting ‘good salt’ in water help with hydration?
Yes! It does!
Water follows salt and it allows the water to pass through your intestinal wall easier. Also, sodium is an electrolyte and that also helps with hydration. Low sodium levels can be very dangerous which is why athletes sometimes use salt tablets in their water.
But/and, you don’t have to drink super salty seawater to gain the benefits of adding sea salt (or Himalayan salt) to your water. Start with a pinch – if it tastes terribly salty to you then your body doesn’t need any extra sodium (your body always knows). If instead it feels amazingly refreshing, then keep it up and/or add a bit more. You can adjust the salt in your water every day from none to a tbsp, depending on how it tastes to you. For most people, a pinch does the trick :)
Why do I retain water???
This isn’t quite a hydration question but it relates to hydration because sometimes all that water you drink goes to the wrong place…like your ankles or belly.
This happens when there’s a breakdown in your body fluid systems. This could be due to hormonal issues, lymphatic imbalance, kidney issues, or a combination of things.
If it’s a chronic problem then you might be prescribed a diuretic (water pill). This helps to release the excess water from your system but it will also dehydrate you. You need to be extra EXTRA careful with your water intake if you’re on a water pill.
High histamine levels and deficiencies in Vitamin B6 can also cause a lot of water retention. If you add some water weight when you suffer from allergies, then a natural antihistamine like quercetin or Vitamin C might help.
Movement helps to move water that’s accumulated in your lymphatic system (might show up in your arms or legs). Being sedentary or standing for long periods can pool liquid at your extremities. If you’re dealing with a lot of lymphatic retention, a good physiotherapist can give you exercises to help drain this fluid and fit you with a compression garment to help reduce the swelling.
Some conditions and medications can cause you to be extra thirsty and hold onto water:
congestive heart failure (CHF)
liver disease
kidney problems
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
uncontrolled diabetes
What about alkaline water?
Alkaline water is all the rage and you’d think that I would be all for it. But I’m not.
First, I am a fan of eating more mineral-dense alkaline forming foods. There’s some reasonable evidence that they can help strengthen bones and help the body function properly. But, that doesn’t include alkaline water.
Most alkaline water is created through mineral filters that increase the alkalinity. Usually bringing it to a pH of 8 – 10. It doesn’t take a lot of minerals to alkalize water, so I don’t feel that it would make much of a difference in your body re: your alkalinity. Others filters use ionization.
But, it may (this is a BIG “may”) be harmful. Natural spring water is a pH of 7, which is very neutral. If the pH of a lake rises to over 8 then the fish die. How is this alkaline water bad for fish somehow good for us?
Overall, there’s a lot of hype about alkaline water but very little research to support it. It’s probably not very harmful but probably isn’t worth the money.
Should I start my day with a glass of lemon and water?
Yes! It helps to flush out your gallbladder and it’s a tasty way to get your first glass of water in each day :)
How long does water take to pass through your body?
If nothing is impeding it (your stomach is empty), it can start getting absorbed in about 5 mins. A study found that absorption starts in about 5 mins and half the water is absorbed within 15 mins. The rest is absorbed within 2 hours.
But, if there’s food in your stomach, then the process can slow down considerably (could be 1 – 2 hours or more before the beginning of absorption).
How often should a person be peeing in a day?
The average amount is 6 – 7 times in a day, but anything from 4 – 10 is considered perfectly healthy. Everyone is really different when it comes to urination, your bladder size, ability to absorb water, and your age along with how much you drink determines how often you’ll get the urge.
I struggle with dehydration at the end of the day but drinking water before bed has me up at night.
That’s a common struggle, and sleeping is very dehydrating so you might feel dehydrated at the end but you’re probably mildly dehydrated all day long.
Try to drink more throughout the day. If you find yourself running to the bathroom constantly when you drink more, add some electrolytes to your water 1 – 2 x in the day to help with absorption (sea salt, coconut water, electrolyte products). And sip on water instead of guzzling, it helps you absorb more (instead of it just flushing through your system).
One way to increase your water intake throughout the day is to drink out of a bigger glass (so you don’t have to refill it as often) or get a big jug or water bottle (at least a litre or bigger) to sit on your desk to remind you to drink :)
In Conclusion
Drink water, stay hydrated, keep your body happy. I don’t know why it took me 3500 words to say that, but it’s true :). If you have any hydration questions, send them along and I’ll add them to this masterclass.
And go drink some water!
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :)