We have all heard every doctor, health expert, and self-help guru tell us to drink more water. Spoiler alert, in this post, I’m going to tell you to drink more water. Hey! KEEP READING. This is really important and can be totally game-changing. I’m going to tell you why water consumption is so important, why consistency is key, and how to get and stay adequately hydrated.
Why Water is Important
Water is one of the most important nutrients for the body. However, most of us aren’t getting enough. Water keeps joints lubricated, helps nutrients be transported around the body, regulates body temperature, and is necessary for proper elimination. Chronic dehydration can be a contributing cause of many health issues. Whether your health struggles are as simple as experiencing a bit of an afternoon slump or major issues with various systems of your body, water plays a role in your body’s dysfunction.
Consistency is Key
When we talk about dehydration, we’re really talking about two different but compounded issues. First, there is acute dehydration that we tend to be most aware of. It’s having a headache after a full day in the sun drinking champagne on the beach or having one too many coffees one day. Secondly, there’s chronic dehydration. This is dehydration that lasts for a longer period of time.
If you drink enough water one day and not the next, your body is not going to use water efficiently. On the day you drink a lot, you’ll probably lose some water weight. The following day, if you pretend to be a camel, you may not feel thirst in your mouth. Then on the next day, if you go back to drinking the water your body needs, your body may actually hold onto it, like a camel. You are not a camel, friend.
Drinking enough water for a day can resolve acute dehydration from being out in the sun and sweating a lot or working out, but is not enough for chronic dehydration. Many of us are chronically dehydrated….meaning that we didn’t just not have enough water yesterday, we’ve been doing this for a long time.
We’ve all had those days where we drink a bunch of water and just keep going to the bathroom all day long. Those days make you feel like you never want to drink water again. It’s annoying to have to get up all day. One reason this happens is inconsistency throughout the day. If you chug 32 ounces of water all at once, you are going to have to go to the bathroom. For the water to be used by your body, it has to be spaced out. I don’t like to have to get up in the middle of the night, so I typically stop drinking water an hour and a half before bed. A good rule of thumb is to divide your day in half and aim to drink 50-60% of your daily water in the first half of the day, no less, and no more. Sip water throughout the day, and mostly away from meals.
How to Get (And Stay) Adequately Hydrated
First, determine how much water you need. Girl, you probably do not need a gallon. Take your weight in pounds and divide by two. Drink that many ounces. So, if your weight is 150lb, you’d need to drink 75 ounces. If you drink coffee or black tea, add 1.5x the number of ounces of coffee/tea you drink. So, if you drink a 10oz coffee, add 15oz of water. That means a 150lb coffee drinker would need 90 ounces of water a day. How to STAY hydrated? Actually drink the water every single day.
A Note About Electrolytes
Sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium play a key role in maintaining adequate hydration. These are found in abundance in real whole foods. You do not need a powder drink. It’s important to eat an array of vegetables on the regular. Your body will thank you for so many reasons. In addition to having a real food diet, high-quality salt is a great addition to water after a long sweat session. And please salt your food, with high-quality salt because unsalted food is gross, and we need those minerals!
Curious to see how many symptoms of dehydration you have? I made a list of common signs and symptoms of acute and chronic dehydration and a printable to help you calculate how much water you need. Stick it somewhere that will remind you to drink more water. Click the button below to get it!