It is a fact that hydration is crucial for overall health and well-being!
Let’s review some of the benefits:
- Cell Function: Water is essential for cellular processes, including nutrient transport, waste removal, and maintaining cell structure.
- Temperature Regulation: Proper hydration helps regulate body temperature through sweating and evaporation.
- Digestive Health: Adequate hydration supports digestion, prevents constipation, and ensures efficient nutrient absorption.
- Joint Lubrication: Water acts as a lubricant for joints, reducing the risk of joint pain and stiffness.
- Detoxification: Water is needed for the kidneys to filter waste from the blood and excrete it through urine, aiding in detoxification.
- Skin Health: Hydrated skin is more elastic and resilient, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and promoting a healthy complexion.
- Mental Function: Proper hydration supports cognitive functions like concentration, memory, mood stability, and more energy!
- Hormonal Balance: Adequate fluid intake helps maintain the balance of hormones and supports the overall endocrine system.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer as to how much hydration we need per day. The general rule of thumb is to drink between 0.5 to 1 ounces of water for each pound of body weight. Since we obtain about 20% of the water we need from food, it is suggested that we get between 9-13 cups of fluid a day. And, of course, we need to keep activity level and environmental temperature in mind as well. Clear to slightly yellow urine means you are well hydrated.
If we were thirsty all day, we would all drink lots of water but thirst is not a good indication of whether you need more water. Thirst is the body’s way of letting you know that you are dehydrated. So, we need to get creative to make H20 more delicious, so that we want to reach for it all day long.
To overall increase hydration, here are some great beyond-H20 fixes and tips that will want you to go for more:
Tip #1: Infuse Water:
Add fruits, vegetables, or herbs to your water for added flavor and variety. (add plenty of ice to a pitcher and infuse overnight):
- Orange, blackberry, and ginger
- Pineapple, coconut and lime
- Grapefruit, Pomegranate and mint
- Watermelon, kiwi, and lime
- Cucumber, lemon, and mint
Tip #2: Prepare ice cubes from your favorite herbal tea
Use a flavorful herbal tea, such as hibiscus or passion fruit tea, and freeze the tea in ice cube trays. You can simply add these frozen tea cubes into your H20 in the morning with some slices of lemon and you get delicious hydration for the whole day.
Tip #3: Eat Hydrating Foods:
Incorporate water-rich foods into your diet, such as cucumbers, oranges, watermelon, and strawberries.
Tip #4: Create a hydration habit:
Set reminders or use apps to ensure you drink water consistently throughout the day.
Tip #5: Carry a Reusable Bottle:
Keep a water bottle with you to make drinking more convenient and track your intake.
In regards to preparation and storage, keep fruits, herbs, and veggies in the H20 for a maximum of 24 hours. Your H20 pitcher can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days. Alternatively, get an infuser bottle and make it fresh daily with your favorite fruit, veggie, and herb combo. Mine is cucumber, lemon, pomegranate, and mint!
Last but not least, here’s the scoop on caffeine:
Let’s clear up whether caffeine is dehydrating. So, we know that coffee is a diuretic and increases urine production, and if we don’t adequately replace fluid lost, we will get dehydrated.
The dehydrating effects of coffee depend on how much you consume and whether you consume any other fluids. A 2016 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that caffeine doesn’t lead to dehydration for healthy adults in moderate amounts. So enjoy your morning cup of coffee and then drink your fresh fruit, herb & veggie H20, or iced herbal tea concoctions for the rest of your day!
Author Bettina Mackenbach, Registered Dietitian and Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
September is a great time for a nutrition check-up, and Bettina will help you make the changes you are ready to make to be your best healthy self, whether it is to review your bloodwork, go over your supplements, review your current eating routine, come up with nutritional strategies in managing a health condition, always keeping in mind a food first approach, as well as breaking down some of your barriers to change and helping you move towards a more confident and healthy you one step at a time.
