3 Facts You Need to Know to Up Your Hydration Game
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
Hydration. It’s a super important component of health and well-being. Specifically, drinking enough fluids helps prevent kidney stones, regulates body temperature, ensures our organs are functioning correctly, and much more, per a study in Nutrition Reviews!
Do you feel lost when it comes to how to stay hydrated and how to know if you even are hydrated? We’re sharing three facts to help make hydration fun and doable!
1.Drinking water isn’t the only way to hydrate
Yes, water is great, but not everyone loves plain water and that’s okay. There are other ways to stay hydrated.
Some ways to stay hydrated besides plain water include:
Sparkling water
Water with fruit slices
Milk
Smoothies
Mocktails
Kombucha
Furthermore, foods with a high water content like fruits and vegetables contribute to hydration. Hence, why we tend to crave them more in the summertime or in hot climates.
Ready to bust a myth?! Studies have found that drinking caffeinated beverages in moderation is not dehydrating. For example, in a 2014 study in PLoS One, participants who drank about 3 ½ cups of coffee per day didn’t show signs of dehydration compared to those who drank water instead.
2.Fluid needs vary a lot
You’ve probably heard the recommendation to drink 8 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated. While that is a good estimate for most people, there are other factors that impact your fluid needs.
Some reasons you may have higher fluid needs, per the American Heart Association, include:
Being in a hot, humid climate
Physical activity
Being over age 50
Sweating a lot
Traveling
Having a heart condition
That being said, the best way to stay hydrated is also not one-size-fits all!
For some, staying hydrated is easy. You may have strong, frequent thirst signals that promote regular hydration.
Others may not experience these signals as frequently or connecting to the body may be challenging. But that doesn’t mean hydration isn’t still important!
If you’re looking for ways to up your hydration game, try always having a drink with you at your desk, in your bag, or wherever you spend a lot of the day.
Also think of ways to build it into your routine. For example, having a glass of fluid with every meal and snack can significantly contribute to meeting your fluid needs.
Some people also thrive using water bottles that have markers for hydration goals by the hour.
3.Thirst isn’t the best way to gauge hydration
As we mentioned above, thirst is unique to the individual. Some people feel thirst more or are more connected to their thirst signals than others, and we all still need to stay hydrated. Thirst usually comes when you’re already at risk of dehydration.
Some other signs of dehydration, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, include fatigue, headache, low energy, and slower cognition.
If you’re wondering how hydrated you are, a good way to tell is by the color of your urine.
Urine color charts like this one from ResearchGate can help you gauge what your urine color says about your hydration status.
Something important to note is that consuming things like vitamin C, beets, and riboflavin can impact the color of your urine and adjust the reliability of urine color as an indication of hydration status.
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