Stay Hydrated, Age Gracefully: The Fountain Of Youth

Hydration is an essential key to keeping the body functioning at a healthy level. In most cases, the average person drinks less than the number of fluids they need daily.

Drinking water is essential to maintaining basic bodily functions and improving overall fitness. Below is a brief guide on staying hydrated for a healthier lifestyle.

Understanding Hydration

Hydration is considered a process of replacing the fluid lost from your body, This loss can occur due to sweating, exhaling as well as eliminating waste.

It is always necessary to maintain a complete balance of water, nutrients, electrolytes as well as other compounds. These elements ensure that your body in functioning properly.

Things That You Must Know About Hydration

The first thing is how much to drink. Well, on average, the body loses as well as requires the replacement of around 2-3 quarts of water on a daily basis.

Here, you can consider a rule of thumb: drink a mouthful of water every five minutes. And you must ensure that you are not going for more than 10 minutes between the drinks.

The next thing that you just consider is what to drink. Water is always known for being the primary choice. However, milk or diluted fruit juices can be a great substitute. On the other hand, various kinds of sugary drinks, sodas, and energy drinks can also contribute to dehydration.

Notes: In sufficient fluid replacement or hypohydration excessive fluid intake or hyperhydration can have a significant effect on your health.

The Major Benefits Of Proper Hydration

Hydration is necessary for many aspects of health. This includes:

• Gastrointestinal and renal function
• Better skin health
• Muscle function. Hydration helps to prevent cramps and fatigue.
• Helps to maintain proper body weight and composition.
• Neurological function, which includes mood and cognitive function.

Don’t Get Dehydrated

There are many ways you can get dehydrated. You may work out a lot and don’t drink enough water. Or, you may not drink enough water in general.

Using marijuana without drinking enough water can also lead to dehydration. Even if you try to enhance your high (learn how to here), ensure you stay hydrated throughout the experience.

If you are feeling fatigued, moody, anxious, headaches, or impaired concentration, it could be due to dehydration.

You should immediately up your water intake to ensure you get the proper amount. Unfortunately, dehydration is something that most people don’t consider. Even before, during, and after exercise, you may not replenish your body with its lost fluids.

The human body is about 60% water. This means we need even more water to maintain proper performance and efficiency.

Not getting enough fluids can wreak havoc on the body. Without water, your health is affected in the long term and the short term. Even mild dehydration can have adverse effects on the body.

The following is a list of benefits you can expect when you properly hydrate:

• Regulation of body temperature
• The prevention of infections
• Nutrients delivered to cells
• Improved sleep quality
• Better brain cognition and mood regulation
• Better organ functioning

How Much Water Do You Need?

You may wonder how much water you need to drink. This often depends upon whether you’re a male or a female and your body weight. Experts recommend that the average man drink 16 cups of water daily. They suggest a woman drink 11 cups daily.

Keep in mind that you aren’t required to drink plain water. You may get tired of drinking water without any flavor. Try adding a bit of fruit or vegetable flavoring to add flavor. Adding a sliced lemon, cucumber, or berries will make it more palatable.

Also, it is essential to avoid including sugary beverages when meeting your daily hydration goal. Sodas and other sugar-loaded beverages lack nutritional value. Drinking them worsens dehydration.

This also includes energy drinks. Gatorade and other so-called energy drinks are also sugar-heavy. Even if any of these products had some nutritional benefit, it is negated by the sugar content.

The hydration may vary in different environments. In a hot and humid environment, you must drink more water. This can help you to compensate for your sweat loss.

On the other hand, in cold and high-altitude environment, you may lose your body water due to the increased amount of urine production. Thus, you must stay hydrated.

Sources Of Water

Water is always considered the best way to stay hydrated. However, there are other foods and drinks that can suffice. In the following, I am providing you with a list of hydrating foods and drinks that you can consider:

Practical Tips for Staying Hydrated

Let’s face it: many people don’t enjoy drinking water. You may be one of those people who doesn’t care about it. However, there are a few things you can do to make it a priority:

Drink Before And After Meals

Do your best to hydrate before and after meals. Instead of taking a few sips from the water bottle, chug it down before eating. Not only will you be fuller, but you will also regulate digestion better.

Daily Water Intake Recommendations

According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine:

• Men must consume around 15.5 cups of water to stay hydrated, which is around 3.7 liters in a day.
• As for women, they should consume 2.7 liters of water, which is equivalent to 11.5 cups.

Drink Water Before Bed

Drink a bottle of water for about two hours before you go to bed. If you drink too close to bedtime, remember you may have to get up frequently to go to the bathroom.

According to studies, people who did this saw decreased blood pressure. Plus, they also experienced better kidney function in just a few short weeks.

Get Water From Fruits And Vegetables

You can also get water from fruits and vegetables. Watermelon, strawberries, and apples are excellent sources. Eating fruits and veggies is essential to your health. Plus, there’s the added benefit of adding water to your body.

Use A Smart App

Download an intelligent app that regulates your water intake. This is an excellent way of keeping track, and you can also make adjustments.

Always Have A Water Bottle On Hand

Keep a water bottle with you at all times. This will encourage you to drink more water. There are also high-tech models out there that will keep track of how much you consume every day. So, consider getting a water bottle that’ll keep you motivated to drink more throughout the day.

Hydration and Exercise

It is really necessary to stay hydrated while exercising. You must continue drinking fluids or water before, during, and after the workout.

Before workout:

• Try to drink 24 ounces of sports drink or electrolyte-infused water at least two hours before exercising.
• Other than that, you can also drink 400-600 ml water almost 2-3 hours before you start workout, and you have to drink 200-250 ml water before you start exercising.

During workout:

• Try to drink 4-8 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. However, this totally depends on the type of exercise you are doing or the weather.
• Now, if you are an adult and exercising for more than 45 minutes or a kid and exercising for more than an hour, then you must drink sports drinks instead of just water.

After workout:

• Try to drink at least 16-24 ounces of water to make up for every ounce that you lose through sweating.

Hydration Myths and Facts

Here are some of the common myths and facts about hydration:

Myth 1: Clear urine means you are hydrated

No! This is a complete myth. Clear urine. You are drinking too much water. This excessive water is depleting your body with electrolytes. The urine should be of straw color.

Myth 2: Drinking too much water is dangerous

It is possible to drink too much of water. This can cause a decrease in your blood sodium level. However, healthy kidneys can help to filter as well as absorb water.

Myth 3: Drinking water helps you to lose weight

This is a fact! Water can be useful to replace calorie-dense beverages and make you feel fuller.

Special Considerations For Different Life Stages: Hydration

Hydration may vary across life stages. Infants (0-6 months) get their water supply from breast milk. Children from the age of 1 to 12 years need more water during any kind of activity. So, offer them water frequently.

Now, adolescents (13-19 years) need more water due to their growth spurts as well as activities. So, you must offer them water over any kind of sugary drink to stay hydrated. Adults (20-59 years) need eight glasses daily, adjusted for activity level and climate.

Older adults (60+) may have decreased thirst sensation, so encourage regular water intake. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need extra water; consult a doctor for specific needs.

Notes:

Do you know how much water should a 70 year old woman drink per day?

A 70-year-old woman should drink around 9 cups of fluid every single day. This fluid intake can include water, food, beverages, etc.

Recognizing and Treating Dehydration

Dehydration often occurs when the body loses more fluid than you take in. You can also treat dehydration by replacing both fluids and electrolytes.

These electrolytes play a huge role in treating dehydration. The electrolyte helps to balance the total amount of water in your body. You must also balance the acid/base (pH) level in your body, while moving nutrients in your cell.

The entire treatment depends on the age, cause, and severity of the dehydration.

Here are some of the ways to treat hydration:

Mild dehydration:

Drink lots of water or any other fluids. So, if you lose electrolytes, then sports drinks can be a huge help.

Moderate to severe dehydration:

You may need to go to the hospital for intravenous or IV fluids.

Infants and children:

You can give them an oral rehydration solution or diluted squash. You can also provide them with breast milk or any other kind of formula. However, one thing you must ensure is that you must avoid diluting the formula.

Babies:

You can give them regular sips of oral rehydration along with their usual feed.

Common Symptoms Of Dehydration

Here are some of the symptoms that can lead to potential dehydration:

• Dry mouth and tongue
• Decreased urine
• No tears when crying
• Dry and cracked lips
• Dry skin
• Increased thirst
• Cool, blotchy hands and feet

Conclusion

Keeping your body hydrated daily is vital to your overall health. If you need more water, you should implement a hydration protocol in your daily health routine. This will ensure you reap the health benefits required to maintain proper bodily functions.

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