Stay Hydrated: How Much Water Should You Drink

Water is a huge part of us and our lives. As humans, water is up to 60% of our body and every single bodily function we have requires water in some form. While we may think of it as just another way to quench our thirst, water plays an enormous role in our well-being and quality of life. Because of this, it is crucial we stay hydrated, drink plenty of water, and understand different qualities of water. Dehydration occurs when your body is losing more fluid than it is receiving. This can cause difficulty with basic bodily functions and lead to more severe, even fatal effects.

Kids and elders are at higher risk of dehydration than teenagers and younger adults. Keep reading to discover how to keep your household and yourself safe and healthy. Your doctor can help you determine how much water on the daily is right for you.

Why Drink Water?

Drinking water is beneficial for a number of reasons. It assists in many bodily functions to keep you healthy. Aside from regulating your temperature, lubricating your joints, and protecting your muscles and joints, water is essential for flushing out any toxins from your body. Whether through your urine, stool, or sweat, water helps to remove any waste from your body. Regulating temperature is also very important. Water helps you from overheating on a hot day and avoids any serious health issues like heat stroke or dehydration.

Where Do We Get Our Water?

This might seem like an obvious answer to an obvious question. But much more counts as water than just water. While water comes in different forms (purified, spring, sparkling, etc.), it also is in everything we drink that we don’t normally count as “water”. For example, soda, alcohol, juice, and coffee all have water in them and count for your water intake. But is important to note what is in these drinks as well. Coffee and tea contain a lot of water, but they also contain caffeine. Caffeine will cause you to lose more water through your urine. Same as alcohol. While drinking alcohol, you can actually become dehydrated and run the risks associated with that. You need to be conscious of the sugar and calorie intake when drinking soda, juice, and alcohol as well.

Don’t Forget to Eat Your Water!

Although the concept may seem silly, eating is actually an important way to stay hydrated too. Remember: proper hydration is related to how much water you hold, not how much water you drink. (This is why high caffeine, sugar, and alcohol drinks are not good sources of hydration, regardless of their water capacity) You can eat fruits and vegetables high in water to stay hydrated too. Cucumber, strawberries, watermelon, celery, and grapefruit are all great ways to get water intake through healthy foods. Properly hydrated cells will translate to beautiful skin and a healthy body.

Water Intake for Every Age

For children, it is essential to give them eight ounces of water for every year they have in age. This is in addition to the other beverages or meals they are already consuming. For teens and adults, everyone is familiar with the “8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day” concept. However, there is no hard evidence to back this up. If you are an athlete, diabetic, or work outside in hot, harsh conditions, chances are you will need a lot more than 8 glasses of water a day to avoid dehydration. Senior citizens are at a higher risk of dehydration because they have a weakened sense of thirst and don’t hold fluids the same as younger people. Hydration can be added to their routine to maintain consistent hydration. For example, drinking a tall glass of water before leaving the house and with every pill they take. During especially hot days, it is safer they just stay in cool areas to avoid overheating and dehydration.

Talk to Your Doctor

At Hillandale Primary Care, your health is our priority. Hydration is important for overall health and bodily function. Your doctor can help you determine if you are getting enough hydration and how it affecting your health. Helping you plan daily lifestyle changes to increase or sustain daily water intake can help reduce further health risks.

For more information call 770-322-9660 or contact us today.