navigating the complexity of wellness

Drink Water

Part of the Pillars of Health series

Why should I care about this?

Your body is more water than anything else. Without water you can’t function properly and your health and quality of life will suffer. Millions of Americans are chronically dehydrated – don’t be one of them.

What You Need to Know

  • Drink half your weight in ounces every day (150lb person = 75oz)
  • Drink throughout the day (you can’t absorb it all at once)
  • Water, sparkling water, herbal tea and coconut water count
  • Soda, juice, coffee, caffeinated tea and alcohol do not count
  • Add electrolytes (pinch of sea salt) to your water

Deeper Dive

Why Water is Important

The human body is 50-75% water. All of your cells need water to survive and thrive. And when you starve them of this vital element, they don’t function well. When you’re dehydrated your body actually goes into reserve mode; i.e. it deprioritizes non-essential services. Think dry mouth, chapped lips, dry skin. Some other symptoms of dehydration include:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Brain fog, trouble concentrating
  • low blood pressure
  • Dizziness
  • Dark colored urine

Plain ole water (with electrolytes) is your best bet to ensure you stay hydrated properly. Sparkling or infused water is also good, as are herbal teas. Coconut water is handy in a pinch due to the natural electrolytes but drinking solely that isn’t a good idea as it does contain some natural sugar (more on sugar below).

8 glasses a Day is BS, Here’s what you need

A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight, divide it by 2 and change that to ounces. So if you’re 150lbs, half of that is 75 which means you need 75oz. That’s how much water you need on any given day. On days when you’re sweating your ass off you need more. And if you’re detoxing you need even more than that.

But there’s a caveat to intake of water – you can’t drink it all at once. That’ll just make you feel incredibly full and then have to pee. Your body can only absorb so much water at a time so it’s critical to drink throughout the day. My suggestion is to keep a large water bottle with you all the time, then it’s always at your fingertips and you’ll be less likely to go multiple hours without drinking some.  

Don’t Hold The Salt

But wait, there’s more! Not only do you need to drink plenty of water, but you also need electrolytes. Our bodies actually run on sea water.  Electrolytes are minerals that have positive or negative electrical charges that keep all our parts running smoothly. Think sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. If you drink tons of water but don’t include enough electrolytes, your body will still not function properly as you’ll essentially be rinsing out all the electrolytes from your cells. Think of it this way – water to your body is like gasoline to your car’s engine. Your car won’t run without gas. But it also needs oil to run efficiently and not blow up. Similarly, your body needs electrolytes. If you drink tons of water and don’t support your electrolyte levels you’re going to cause other issues.

An easy way to get electrolytes is to put a pinch of sea salt in your water. But it MUST BE SEA SALT. Table salt does not have the other minerals so it’s pointless. It also might have nano plastics in it so beware. Look for salts that have 70+ minerals in them like Celtic.

There are also tons of electrolyte products out there but you have to read the labels. Avoid products with added sugar, natural flavors, artificial coloring and other synthetic ingredients. Many also contain caffeine and B vitamins which aren’t good to consume late in the day. Also be mindful of stevia as many people are sensitive to this sugar sub. Here are some examples of products that are clean:

Hydration’s Nemesis

Soda is not hydrating. It might feel refreshing, to crack a cool, fizzy, sweet beverage after a hard day’s work in the sun, but you’re actually kind of being a dick to your body. Most soda contains high amounts of sugar, or rather high fructose corn syrup which is even worse than sugar. Sugar is naturally hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) so just consider that for a moment… It also has to be processed by your body which requires water, and if you’re already dehydrated you’re further depleting the supply of H2o. This also means that you shouldn’t be jugging a bunch of OJ or apple juice as well (tons-o-sugar).

Soda often also contains caffeine. As does coffee and green or black tea. Caffeine has a natural diuretic effect which causes your kidneys to produce more urine. And when you pair it with a bunch of sugar you’re essentially giving yourself the ole one – two punch. The sugar is creating additional need for water while the caffeine is causing your body to purge existing water… Something to think about when you reach for that grande quad shot vanilla latte after sleeping for 8 hours and not having any water when you wake up.

Alcohol is another whammy. Like caffeine, alcohol has a diuretic effect on your kidneys. And to make things worse, it also suppresses vasopressin, which is an anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). ADH influences your kidneys to reabsorb water back into your body, rather than expelling it. So a reduction in ADH directly causes you to pee more, which, of course, reduces your internal water supply.

Wrap It Up

Start and end your day with water and electrolytes. Keep it around at all times and get into the habit of sipping it throughout the day. Take it easy on the alcohol and sugary, caffeinated drinks. Be mindful of times when you might need to boost your intake.

Feed Your Curiosity

Want to learn more? Here are some sites you might find interesting:

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