Hydrate Your Body

As the weather is starting to get warmer, it is important to think about whether you are drinking enough water to stay well hydrated. Many people don’t pay enough attention to how much water they are drinking and tend to be somewhat dehydrated.

Why is staying well hydrated so important?

The human body contains on average 60% water. Women tend to have a little less water in their bodies compared to men since fatty tissue contains less water than lean tissue; women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. Older people also tend to have more body fat and therefore less water in their bodies.

Water helps your body:

• Control body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
• Lubricate and cushion joints
• Protect your brain, spinal cord and other sensitive tissues
• Moves nutrients into your cells
• Get rid of waste products through urine, sweat and bowel movements
  • Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys to filter out waste products and also helps us to not be constipated. Chronic dehydration can cause kidney stones. When you don’t drink enough water, calcium and other minerals will build up in your urine and are more difficult to filter out. These minerals can form crystals that make up kidney stones.
• Maintain a healthy metabolism
  • Water is involved in every type of cellular process in your body so when you are dehydrated the processes are less efficient. Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that take place within your body. Staying hydrated helps keep these chemical reactions running smoothly and efficiently. Even being slightly dehydrated can decrease metabolism. 
• Have hydrated, healthy skin that has increased elasticity and less fine lines and wrinkles.
• Maintain a healthy weight
  • It can be difficult for the body to tell the difference between hunger and thirst. If you are feeling hungry try drinking a glass of water first in case you are dehydrated. You can also drink a glass of water before a meal. Research has shown that this can help you to feel full sooner so you eat less.

The average adult loses about 80 ounces of fluid daily through breathing, urination, and sweating. To maintain your body’s fluid balance, you need to replace the lost fluid each day. 

How much water do I need?

The Institute of Medicine has determined an Adequate Intake (AI) for total water (which includes drinking water, water in beverages, and water that is part of food, especially foods that have a high water content such as fruits and vegetables). The AI for total water for men is 125 ounces and for women it is 90 ounces. For water and beverages only (not counting fluid from foods), the AI is 100 ounces for men and 75 ounces for women. Since the Health Plus program focuses on drinking beverages without calories, focusing on drinking more water would be a good goal. 

The AI for total water is meant to be enough to prevent dehydration, which is a condition that can cause unclear thinking and mood changes, can cause your body to overheat and/or to have an increased heart rate or lower blood pressure, and can lead to constipation and kidney stones.

Your body needs more water when you are:

• In hotter or colder climates (extreme temperatures require more fluids to maintain a normal body temperature).
• More physically active.
• Running a fever.
• Having diarrhea or vomiting.

It is best to not rely on thirst to determine when to drink more water, especially since exercise can decrease the thirst mechanism. Rather, just drink water frequently throughout the day, including before, during and after exercising.

How do I know if I am drinking enough water?

If you are drinking enough water: 

• You should rarely feel thirsty. 
• You should need to urinate every 2-4 hours. 
• Your urine should be clear or very light yellow and not have much odor (except for your urine first thing in the morning after waking up). The darker your urine is and the more odor it has, the more dehydrated you are.

Tips for drinking more water:

• Carry an insulated water bottle with you at all times and/or keep it on your desk at work and fill it up regularly.
• Keep another water bottle next to your bed so you can drink some water as soon as you wake up. Many of us wake up dehydrated in the morning.
• Serve yourself water during meals. Order water when you eat out.
• Add a wedge of lime or lemon to your water. This can help improve the taste and help you drink more water than you usually do. You can also add other fruits and herbs/spices to add flavor to your water. Click here for ideas: Infused Water Ideas
• Try drinking lemon-flavored hot water or hot tea for a change.
• Drink small amounts of water throughout the day. Drinking multiple glasses of water all at once isn’t good for you! Consider setting alarms to remind you to drink water.

Information Compiled From:

CDC.gov Water and Nutrition
Institute of Medicine DRI for Water
Penn State Water Water Everywhere
Webmd Water For Weight Loss
Webmd Quest For Hydration