6 Smart Tips for Staying Hydrated Throughout the Day

Importance of Drinking Water

Hydration is very important as our human body consists of about 60% water. Water constitutes 60% of the brain, blood, and heart. Bones are also made up of 20% water. So staying hydrated helps to keep overall body parts working at an optimal level. Hydration is important for some of the below reasons.

• Regulates body temperature.

• Keeps joints lubricated.

• To deliver nutrients to cells.

• Required by all organs for cellular function.

• Being well hydrated improves sleep quality and cognition.

Being properly hydrated is always more than just drinking water. Hydration implies that we are not just getting wet but getting proper nutrition into the cells. In fact, to water means to grow and to make healthy.

What Causes Dehydration?

Our body is made up of water which we lose naturally on a daily basis in the form of sweating, perspiring, eliminating, etc., making or body dehydrated. So it is important to replace this amount of liquids and essential nutrients back to our body.

All the signs and symptoms which a person experience for not drinking enough water and shows that the body is dehydrated are −

• Muscle cramping.

• Dry mouth.

• Dry and wrinkly skin.

• Dark yellow urine throughout the day.

• Headaches.

• Exhaustion.

• Poor sleep.

• Physical fatigue.

• Dizziness.

• Bad breath.

• High levels of stress.

Cognitive Benefits of Staying Hydrated

A few of the benefits of staying hydrated all the time include −

• Helps your concentration and focus in a world full of distractions.

• Helps to balance out your mood and emotions.

• Helps with memory functioning.

• Helps to add more blood flow and oxygen to the brain which is a very important physiological factor of drinking water.

• It helps you to relieve or may even prevent headaches. So those who have pain in between the ears always think about the hydration.

• It helps you to relieve and manage your stress better. In stress our body is kept at fight or flight which is sympathetic mode and is not good for thinking, problem solving and for making better decisions.

How Much Water Intake Is Needed?

When you sleep, your body loses up to 1 pound of water overnight through respiration and perspiration. So you want to get hydrated. Take a brain break like 25mins of study, 25 minutes of workout, and then stop. After that take a deep breath as the lower 1/3rd of your lungs absorbs about 2/3rd of oxygen. Later move your body and take a moment to get hydrated. We need 8 glasses of water per day which is a baseline and it depends on a number of factors which includes −

• Body mass − Depending on your size we might need more or less amounts of water.

• Environment − If we live in a hot environment, we need to stay hydrated.

• Activity level − If we work out a lot, exercise a lot, and run a lot we need to be able to replace the water lost as well.

Along with the quantity quality of water is also important for maintaining good health. Avoid tap water and bottled water which contains BPA.

Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is extremely important for health. Water is always a fundamental requirement for all. There are a lot of healthy foods that can significantly contribute to your water intake. Six of the best water-rich foods which help you to stay hydrated are −

• Watermelon − It has a water content of 92%, and has fiber and several important nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, and magnesium. Have a very low-calorie density of about 46 calories per cup.

• Strawberries − These are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamin C, and minerals. Eating strawberries on regular basis has been shown to reduce the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, etc., due to the presence of phytochemicals in them.

• Broths and Soups − Due to the presence of high water content these help to keep body hydrated. Consuming broths and soups regularly also helps in weight loss due to low-calorie content. Studies found that eating soups before meals have said to have a low intake of calories through the main course. The nutrient values of soups can be increased by adding vegetables like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, etc.

• Cantaloupe (rock melon) − It is very nutritious and composed of 90% of water per serving. Also a rich source of vitamin A which helps boost the immune system to fight against infections.

• Cucumbers − These contain 95% of water. These are the lowest in calories when compared to other water-rich foods. Eating even in large amounts will not affect weight.

• Skim Milk − It has 91% of water and provides a considerable amount of vitamins, and minerals including vitamin A, calcium, riboflavin, B12, phosphorous, and potassium. It not only helps with hydration but also helps in rehydration after strenuous exercise.

Smart Ways to Stay Hydrated

In order to stay hydrated following tips are really helpful.

• When a person feels like grabbing a drink, drink a glass of water before anything. Avoid fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, carbonated water, etc. Taking electrolytes, a proper observation is needed to check for the presence of sugars on the label. Eat fruits and vegetables which are high in water content like watermelon, strawberry, celery, etc.

• Drink a glass of water first when you wake up in the morning. Doing this will help the body to get hydrated and breaks the fast that we had while we slept. When sleeping body gets dehydrated and as soon as we drink a glass of water, the body hydrates and also helps to increase the metabolism and thereby flushing out toxins that are built up in the digestive system.

• Simply follow the ratio of drinking 250 ml which is 8 ounces of water 8 times a day. There is no definite answer to say how much water a person should consume per day. There are a lot of factors that play a role based on how active a person is or what foods we consume. Certain processed foods like crackers absorb the water content in the system so avoid intake of them.

• Have a water bottle close by so we can stay on track and make sure we drink enough water throughout the day.

• There are certain apps that keep track of the amounts of water we consume during the course of the day. These kind of apps sends us a reminder to drink water. Also setting up reminders on mobiles is also helpful.

• Add a pinch of sea salt into every pitcher of drinking water not to change the taste but enough to re-introduce electrolytes and nutrients into it which are important for proper cellular function. Essential nutrients in water help to activate the enzymes which help in the exchange of fluids in and out of the cell which is called the primary respiratory mechanism of cells.

• As we improve body composition, hydration also improves. Muscles are 75% water which means the body stores nutrients in muscles as water whereas fat is only 15% water where the toxins are stored. Hence the more muscles we have the better hydrated we are.

Summary

Hydration is critical in overall health and well-being. In fact, water is known as the elixir of life and is required by all body systems. The human body should have about 60% of water inside the cells which is called intracellular fluid and 40% of water outside the cell as extracellular fluid. Drinking enough water per day is crucial for us. As long as eating plenty of water-rich foods and drinking water when feeling thirsty there will be no problem of dehydration.