Hydration: How Much Do You Need?

I always ask my clients what they drink & how much… And sometimes drinking more water goes on their to-do list!

👉 We are about 60% water! 💦

Adequate hydration is essential for:
💦 Transporting nutrients in the body
💦 Lubricating joints
💦 Digesting food
💦 Regulating body temperature
💦 Supporting kidney and bladder health
💦 Eliminating wastes through sweat, urine and bowel movements

🥤 It’s important to be well hydrated, but be careful not to take it too far by forcing yourself to drink excessively. This can dilute your electrolytes and cause central nervous system issues (and even death–although it’s rare).

Fluid recommendations from The National Academy of Sciences for generally healthy adults:
💦 15.5 cups/day for men
💦 11.5 cups/day for women

This includes water from food, which contributes about 20% of daily hydration.

Not taking food into account, our fluid needs are about:
💦 11 cups/day for men
💦 9 cups/day for women.

☕🍵And yes, coffee and tea count!!
(Keep caffeine under 400mg/day)

💧 Dehydration can cause: headaches, lack of energy, constipation, kidney stones and urinary tract infections.

🥵 Any activity or hot weather that causes you to sweat means that you need to drink more fluids to replace what you lose.

🟡 The color of your urine is a good way to check your hydration. It should be a pale yellow. Dark yellow or amber may indicate you need to drink more.

🥰 And lastly, don’t forget the obvious:
Pay attention and listen to your thirst!

💙Drink enough
💙Not too much
💙 Mostly water

Bonus tip:

🍋If you’re prone to kidney stones, try adding True Lemon to your water (or fresh lemon or lime juice).  Lemon and lime juice contain citrate which may help prevent kidney stones. I always have samples here at my office if you’d like to try it.