Wat-er you drinking?
Water is the single most important nutrient essential for survival. Of all of our basic needs, water is the number one priority and it makes up 50–70% of our total body weight. Water plays a key role in regulating body temperature and blood volume, protecting vital organs, nutrient absorption, and is a medium for all biochemical reactions in the body. Without adequate hydration, all major functions in the body are running inefficiently.
Although this piece isn’t about sports performance, imagine your body as a F1 race car, vroom vroom! Now let’s take that car and fill all the necessary fluids up 80% of the way. This includes brake fluid, transmission fluid, gas, motor oil…you get the picture. The car would most likely be functional, but by no means is this car winning any races. We are the exact same and our ability to function at 100% capacity relies on the ability to hydrate properly.
The funny thing is that 75% of Americans are in a chronic state of mild dehydration even with fresh water available almost anywhere. And the trends are getting worse, in a 2015 broad spectrum study, a quarter of children aged 6–19 don’t drink any water as part of their fluid intake. It blows my mind how availability to clean water is taken for granted while places in the world are in dire need of access alone. ( Check out @Charitywater as they continue to help bring clean water to developing countries)
I’ll be the first to admit that there are days where I am not on top of my fluid intake (we all have those days where meetings run long or need to make deadlines). It’s common that I meet individuals who go through the whole day with a couple cups of coffee plus a 5 hour energy or diet soda to keep their energy up through the afternoon. We’re all looking for that quick fix for immediate energy, but please don’t overlook the benefits of a glass of water, especially if you haven’t had any yet.
While water may be boring, ignoring your thirst because there are no flavored beverages available could be the reason why you’re fatigued. Losing 1–3% of water in body weight can lead to impaired physical and brain function, which can easily happen without physical activity or being in a warm climate. The common symptoms in females were reoccurring headaches, and males had an increased sense of anxiety and fatigue. Once you lose 4–6% of fluid body weight, symptoms such as nausea, difficulty concentrating, and the inability to regulate temperature will start diminishing your overall ability to function. If the hydration is still ignored, next comes the dizziness and that’s the final warning. It’s likely that the delirium and muscle spasms will kick in shortly after if the fluid intake is not address, especially if you live in a warmer climate or are participating in strenuous activity.
A quick recommendation for most would be to use your body weight in pounds and take 70% of that number. That’s how many ounces you should aim to shoot for daily. As a fairly active individual, I aim to hit about 130 oz (about 8+ pint glasses) a day. Although 8 pints sounds like a lot, being a creature of habit definitely helps. My usual routine is to have two glasses of water with lunch and dinner, 1 before my workout, 1 during, and 1 with my post workout smoothie. Finally, I leave a bottle of water at my desk at all times to sip on throughout the day. Of course that’s on a good day, and there are plenty where things don’t go according to plan. Below are a few extra ways I like to get in fluids throughout the day.
- Herbal teas- Herbal teas that don’t have any actual tea leaves don’t contain any caffeine are great flavorful ways to bump up your fluid intake (just make sure you’re not getting a sweetened tea)
- Broth based soups- Broth is an excellent way to add fluid and extra micronutrients to your daily routine. This is my go to dinner appetizer mid- week since I can get home and quickly heat some up before dinner is ready.
- Breakfast smoothies- Mornings and spare time are like oxymorons in this day and age. By keeping all my dry ingredients in a blender, I can quickly add 12–16 oz of water to the mix and have my breakfast ready to go in under 5 minutes.
- Infused water- If you’re really craving some flavor in your water, pick up a fruit infusion water bottle to help you get through the day. Citrus fruits are my go to options, paired with mint if I’m feeling zesty, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to infusions!
EC
