Improve Hydration this Summer

We’ve long awaited these hot, summer days! Out and active early – and late – with commitments scheduled mindfully around midday heat, it’s time to be extra aware of hydration!

You might feel drained from endless activities in the sunshine; hikes, bike rides; barbecues and eating/drinking less consciously in between everything else. While chapped lips and sticky skin indicate need for more water, unprepared active folks have let dehydration lead to devastating outcomes.

My clients realize how good they feel with improved hydration: better sleep, more energy, less hunger, fewer sugar and salt cravings, easier joint and muscle mobility, and improved bowel movements. Proper hydration also helps reduce absorption of heavy metals from foods and our living/natural environments, supporting the organs that keep us hydrated.

USDA and CDC show stats indicating Americans’ water intake is astoundingly low. A whopping 25% of us drink no plain water on any given day; only 25% drink more than 5.5 cups (66 oz); and average daily consumption is under 4 cups (<48 oz). Adults 20 to 59 who exercise drink more water than sedentary adults, and folks over 60, who need more water due to physiological changes, don’t meet daily water needs.

How much water do we need? Actual amount is individualized and based on many factors such as age, diet, digestion, organ function, sweating, location, and types of fluids consumed. Drinking alcohol and caffeine increases water needs, as does eating a diet high in salt and “dry” foods (breads, crackers, and similar shelf-stable, processed foods).

 A few basic principles apply. Healthy-weight individuals can divide their weight in half and use that number for their target water intake in ounces. Increase that amount if you live at a high elevation, in dry climates, and if you sweat a lot and often. For each caffeinated and alcoholic beverage, add approximately 8 oz more water.

Consume plenty of hydrating plants, especially vegetables and fruit; soups with water, bone, or mineral broth; smoothies with juice, milk, non-dairy beverages, water or tea. Drink primarily hydrating beverages, especially plain water, coconut water, herbal tea, fermented beverages low in sugar, and unsweetened carbonated water.

10 ways to improve hydration.

1.     Ensure proper digestion. Gut function is foundational.

2.     Eat fiber-rich foods. Nutrients, including electrolytes, in plant-derived foods support your liver (the hub of nutrient metabolism), colon (healthy bowels support hydration), and microbiome (transporting electrolytes).

3.     Eat vegetables and fruit high in water: celery, cucumber, grapes, citrus, leafy greens, herbs, cruciferous veggies.

4.     Eat foods with omega-3 fatty acids: flax, hemp,  chia seeds; walnuts, soy and wild, fatty fish to support cellular membrane integrity and hydration.

5.     Eat vitamin B-rich foods. B1 and B6, specifically, enhance electrolyte function and are obtained from meat, fish, and plant-based proteins.

6.     Eat magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium is an electrolyte, often low in the diet, and derived from nuts and seeds, leafy greens, pseudo-grains, beans, and some fish.

7.     Stress less. Sodium is regulated by the adrenal glands, and stress depletes B-vitamins needed for electrolyte balance.

8.     Limit alcohol intake. Caffeine is a diuretic, which is generally dehydrating.

9.     Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine is a diuretic, which is generally dehydrating.

10.  Limit toxin exposure. Environmental toxins contribute to digestive dysfunction, nervous system distress, neurotoxic effects, chronic dis-ease and other factors known to contribute to dehydration.

RESOURCES
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/80400530/pdf/DBrief/7_water_intakes_0508.pdf 

https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.html

Institute for Functional Medicine