Water is an Essential Nutrient
Signs of dehydration are very subtle and most of us do not recognize them. Despite the importance of water for our health, we feel signs of hunger much more readily — by the time we acknowledge that we are thirsty, we are significantly dehydrated. Many of my clients think they drink enough water, however, when I inform them that a good estimate is 1/2 their body weight in ounces each day, they are shocked (and frankly, think I am a little crazy).
Prior to feeling thirsty, we may be fatigued, irritable, light headed or dizzy, our urine is yellow, our skin and eyes are dry, we may suffer from constipation, muscle cramps, or heart palpitations due to a lack of electrolytes. These symptoms may concern us, but may not lead us to consider that we need to drink more water. A top complaint I hear from my patients are muscle cramps, specifically at night; we don’t realize that while we sleep, our bodies are hard at work repairing and rehydrating all of our cells. Water is essential in order to restore and refresh for the next day and when we have not provided our body with enough to complete that process, we may wake up with muscle cramps or stiffness in our back and joints.
When we are dehydrated, we are also putting a significant strain on our brain and our most vital organs causing stress and increased blood sugar. This is an interesting link between the stress hormone, cortisol, and blood sugar; so, when we are chronically dehydrated, then we are chronically stressed, and this contributes to a chronic increase in our blood sugar. Elevated blood sugar contributes to cellular dysfunction throughout the body and contributes to many chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes.
Attempting to increase your daily water intake can be a challenge and possibly frustrating due to making more trips to the bathroom day and night. Try these tips when trying to drink more water:
Drink a full 16 ounces of water immediately upon rising in the morning; put a glass next to your bathroom sink.
Drink a second 16 ounce glass with electrolytes while fixing breakfast and/or before having your coffee or leaving the house for the day. (Whoohoo! 32 ounces to start the day!)
Carry a water bottle and sip throughout the day, this helps us hydrate and is better for the Earth by reducing the amount of plastic bottles that we are using. Drinking water between meals helps us to control hunger and cravings (remember: we don’t feel thirsty until it’s too late!). It is also important to note that when we drink huge amounts of water while consuming meals, we are watering down our stomach acid that is important for breaking down food and likely leading to poor nutrient absorption.
Reduce your water consumption in the evenings, especially 2 hours before bed to reduce night time trips to the bathroom.
~Reducing caffeine consumption to 1-2 cups of coffee, reducing or eliminating black or green tea, carbonated drinks, and alcohol as well as making sure that you have electrolytes included in your water can also help to reduce trips to the bathroom.
~Here is a link to the Dhru Pruitt Podcast (20 minute listen) where he encourages his listeners to participate in a morning water challenge for one week if you need more encouragement.
Two important things to consider when drinking more water include the source of the water and the importance of electrolytes. We want to drink plain, clean water. Water does not add empty calories or sugar to our diet and when obtained from a good source, it does not add other toxins to our system. I am passionate about reducing my foot print on the Earth, so please consider carrying a glass or stainless steel water bottle instead of purchasing your water in plastic - they may tell consumers that it is BPA free, but it is only a guess as to what new chemical they are using as a substitute and what that one does to our body. Filters or a reverse osmosis system can be purchased for homes in order to filter tap water. (I installed mine myself, so these can be purchased and installed for relatively low cost.) Municipal water can have chlorine and/or fluoride to name only two chemicals that can disrupt our endocrine (hormone) system, so it is best to filter these out.
Water follows salt (yes, another essential nutrient!), that is the chemistry behind getting water into our cells instead of just flowing through our digestive tract. Therefore having a good balance of electrolytes is important when drinking water. An easy way to do this is to add a dash (up to 2 teaspoons) of mineralized - Celtic Sea salt or Pink Himalayan salt to your water in the morning and after exercise. Himalayan or sea salt salt adds sodium, iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which are essential to cellular function and minerals that we do not get enough of in our diet. Many of my patients are concerned about sodium intake due to a history of high blood pressure or heart disease. I understand this concern, however, consider that this method adds a very small amount of essential electrolytes to our water in order to ensure that water is getting into our cells. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention list the top 10 sources of sodium in the American Diet as bread/rolls, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts/cured meats, soups, burritos, tacos, savory snacks (pretzels, chips, pretzels, popcorn, crackers), chicken, cheese, eggs, and omelets. Specifically bread/rolls and snacks are overly processed and contribute to high blood sugar and therefore should be avoided or eaten in very small amounts. Therefore by taking these items out of your diet you will be able to significantly reduce your intake of of high doses of sodium as well as work toward lowering your blood sugar. Fast food, restaurants, and prepared foods are also significant contributors to high sodium and high blood sugar. This Harvard, School of Public Health Article is a good resource for more information about salt and sodium in our diet.
Electrolyte products are gaining popularity, these can add flavor and a good mixture of minerals to your water, however, I will just caution you that they also may contain various sources of sugar. So, be sure to read the label on the back of the product to be informed of the ingredients and carbohydrates. The best way to add flavor to your water without the calories or sugar is by adding a slice of citrus fruit or garden herbs like mint, basil, or lemon balm.
The main take away is to drink more water! Every cell in our body — from our neurons to our muscle cells need water to perform essential functions. So, if you happen to feel dizzy, have a headache, or maybe you can’t sleep, consider that your body may be telling you that it is dehydrated and that you need to drink a glass of water.
