Nutrition 101: Hydration

It makes up ~60% of our body and 70% of the earth. It is often used as a symbol for life or motion; 2 things that we want to help you enhance here at Mejoria. It is not a nutrient, but it is arguably more important than any nutrient we’ve talked about thus far. Have you guessed it yet... Today, we’re talking about water and hydration.

Water is not technically a macronutrient. It doesn’t provide us with any calories but does raise our energy levels and allow our body to function properly similarly to how the 3 macronutrients do. Today, we’ll discuss why water is important, how we consume it in our diet and how we lose it from our bodies. We’ll also highlight the function of electrolytes and outline how much water you need to consume on a daily basis.

Water - Why is it Important

Anything that makes up the majority of our body must have a high level of importance. But what is it? Why do we have so much water in our bodies and why do we need to continue to consume more every day?

The reasons are seemingly endless...

Water helps to transport substances throughout our body. That includes oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and other waste products. Water helps to regulate the acidity and basicity levels in our body to keep a normal pH balance. It is utilized in several chemical reactions including the one that creates energy in the form of ATP.

Quality water consumption prevents constipation, regulates body temperature and blood pressure, and maintains clarity in your skin. We just scratched the surface of the functions that water has in our bodies and haven’t even touched on the role it plays in our ecosystem as a whole. Like I said, it’s importance on this earth is supported by countless pieces of evidence.

So, we know we can drink pure water. But there are several other sources, both in liquid and food form, that we can consume to help keep us hydrated.

Water Sources

Many of the liquids that we use on a day-to-day basis contain some amount of water.

Milk, juice, coffee, alcoholic drinks, vinegar... they all have at least some water in them.. With that being said, just because each of these sources contain water doesn’t mean that they will all properly hydrate you. Substances in beverages like coffee and alcohol cause our body to lose water leading us to become more dehydrated when we drink them. So, if you ever feel tired and dizzy after a long night of drinking or day of only drinking coffee, part of the reason is because you are slowly dehydrating yourself with each sip.

In addition to liquids, many food sources contain water in them as well. Typically plant-based foods contain the most water. Fruits like tomatoes, watermelon, peaches, and pears all have high water content. Vegetables like cabbage, squash, zucchini and lettuce all contain a lot of water as well. So, along with the micronutrients they provide, eating more fruits and vegetables will also increase your water intake. It's a win-win.

So, we can get water from food. But our food also provides another substance that is key to proper hydration: electrolytes..

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are ions that we can find in our bodies as well as the foods and drinks we consume. A few well-known examples include sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium, phosphate, and magnesium. We need a proper balance of these electrolytes to maintain a proper bodily-fluid balance. Too much or too little of any of these ions can throw our body’s fluid balance off and leave us dehydrated or worse. Below is a list of the electrolytes listed above as well as food sources that contain each. One place where we find both water and electrolytes is in our sweat. The more we sweat, the more water and electrolytes we lose. So it's important to replenish those substances in hot environments or during exercise. There are a few other situations in which we are at a higher relative risk for dehydration and should prioritize consuming water and electrolytes.

Electrolytes and Sources

• Sodium

  Table salt, canned foods, condiments, cheese, cereals, fast food

• Chloride

  High sodium foods, seaweed, rye, tomatoes

• Calcium

  Dairy, kale & other leafy greens, canned seafood, soy

• Potassium

  Bananas, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beets, beans

• Phosphate

  Dairy, red meat, seafood, poultry, legumes, nuts

• Magnesium

  Pumpkin seeds, avocado, beans, almonds, cashews, dark chocolate

*All food sources for each electrolyte are not listed here

How Do We Lose Water

Exercise and hot, humid weather are just two situations in which we should seriously focus on hydration. Another situation that we should focus on hydrating is when we are sick. Depending on how sick you are, your hydration levels may be the last thing on your mind. But, ensuring that you are drinking water and getting a proper amount of electrolytes could help you feel better.

See, if we have a fever, we may, once again, lose water from sweat. Digestive issues, such as diarrhea or vomiting, will also cause excessive water loss. And I don’t know about you but when I’m sick, I don’t typically feel like eating or drinking. So, the combination of losing water and not consuming much water can put us at serious risk for dehydration. When sick, it’s important to find water sources that you can tolerate and drink slowly throughout the day..

We already mentioned how alcoholic drinks and coffee can lead to dehydration. And of course there’s the water we lose from using the bathroom. So, we’ve captured several ways that we can lose water. Now, to prevent any consequences from the risky situations mentioned above, and to stay properly hydrated on a regular basis, let’s discuss how much fluid we should consume.

How Much Water Should I Have?

In general, it's recommended that men have 15.5 cups of fluid per day and women have 11.5 cups. Now the daily recommendation for water is 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women. So, that insinuates that you will, and should, get fluid from other sources that are not water.

These numbers may seem daunting to some. But if you’re not hitting this recommendation, you don’t have to reach them overnight. Start by increasing your intake by 1 cup per day. Get your own water bottle and carry it around with you everywhere you go. Start to sip on the water bottle as soon as you wake up. Fill and finish it with each meal. Start one of these habits tomorrow and continue to add to your water-drinking routine until you get to your intake goal.

Those recommendations above don’t account for your workouts or hot days. An adult can lose 1-1.5 liters of fluid through sweat. So, it’s crucial to replenish. For every pound that you lose during your workout, you should drink 1 cup of water to replenish the fluid lost. If you’re doing long endurance training, you can also sip on a sports drink during your workout to help replenish your electrolytes.

Water... it's abundant. It’s pivotal to life. It’s so well-researched and yet there is still so much to discover about this valuable resource. Remember to prioritize your water intake by using the bolded tips above and stay tuned for next week’s post.

Perseguir la Mejoría!
- Craig