Complete guide to healthy hydration

July 22, 2024

Providence Health Team

[5 MIN READ]

Healthy hydration: What you should know

We all know just how good a cold glass of water can look during hot weather — especially when your mouth is bone-dry. But drinking water does more than just quench your thirst — it helps your overall health. When you drink enough water, you can more easily avoid the most serious heat-related illness: heat stroke.

Why is proper hydration important?

Water performs a wide range of functions that are important to life itself, including:

Regulating body temperature.
Metabolizing and transporting carbohydrates and proteins.
Removing bodily waste.
Lubricating and cushioning joints.
Protecting the spinal cord and brain.

“Daily replenishing of clean ‘free-fluid’ from fresh water is a fundamental necessity for every cell in our bodies to survive and hopefully thrive,” says Robert Lichfield, D.O., a family medicine doctor at Providence Urgent Care – Providence Medical Park in Spokane Valley, Washington. “Plenty of clean water daily enables our vital organs to function optimally. When we stay consistently well-hydrated, that allows for some ‘buffer capacity’ in our body’s cells, so that we can adapt to unexpected physical and mental demands.”

How much water do you need?

“The recommended daily baseline intakes for men and women are about 12 and 9 cups of fluids, respectively,” says Dr. Lichfield. “This seems like a lot, but spread out over the course of a day, it is definitely achievable.”

When you lead an active lifestyle and spend a lot of time outside in the sun and heat, you will have even more water needs, depending on the intensity of the physical activities and conditions. A good rule of thumb is to drink 4 cups of water for every hour you are out in the heat.

For children, the recommended fluid intake is:

4-8 years: 5 cups

9-13 years: 6 cups

14-18 years: 6-8 cups

What should you be drinking?

Plain water is the healthiest way to stay hydrated, but other foods and drinks can add to the amount of fluid you get each day. It’s important to choose wisely.

The Beverage Guidance Council looked at several types of beverages and ranked them according to their health benefits and risks:

Water is the perfect beverage for quenching thirst and restoring fluids.
Tea and coffee are among the most commonly consumed fluids. They contain antioxidants, flavonoids and other healthy substances. Adding fat, sugar and flavorings can reduce their health benefits. Drink coffee and tea in moderation, especially since they often contain caffeine, a diuretic that can cause dehydration when you drink too much.
Low-fat and skim milk and soy beverages are good sources of protein and other essential micronutrients.
Non-calorically sweetened beverages include diet sodas and other diet drinks that are sweetened with calorie-free artificial sweeteners. Drink these as an occasional treat rather than a regular beverage choice.
Caloric beverages with some nutrients include vegetable and fruit juices, whole milk, sports drinks and energy drinks, vitamin-enhanced waters and alcoholic drinks. Each has individual risks and benefits.
Calorically sweetened beverages earned the status of least recommended. They include soft drinks, fruit drinks and other beverages containing added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and other high-calorie, low-nutrient sweeteners.

Ways to increase your water intake

If the idea of drinking 9 or 12 cups of fluid each day sounds daunting, Dr. Lichfield has some ideas for how you can increase your daily fluid intake:

Find out whether you prefer cold or lukewarm water. Ice or no ice?
Buy a “big, snazzy drinking cup” that you really like, and keep the water bottle full and with you.
Try water flavoring, such as Crystal Lite, which can help make it easier for you to get more fluids.

Recognizing and avoiding dehydration

It’s particularly important to figure out ways to make drinking more appealing, because if you don’t, you run the risk of dehydration. Dehydration is when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough fluids to carry out its normal functions.

Some of the most common signs of dehydration include:

Dry mouth
Pale skin
Muscle cramps
Thirst

Some of the most commonly overlooked signs of dehydration include:

Lack of sweat
Confusion
Irritability
Headache

“As soon as you are thirsty, drink water!” says Dr. Lichfield. “The body is very good at regulating and conserving fluids, but it can only do so much without consistent replenishment. If you are outside and active, especially in the sun or heat, utilize available shade and drink water every 20 minutes.”

Signs of good hydration

When you are properly hydrated, you can participate in your normal activities and not have to worry about passing out. Three signs that you have drunk the right amount of water include:

Urine that is the same yellow as lemonade – When the color of your urine is paler than that, you may be too saturated with water, and when your urine color is dark, you need to increase your fluid intake.
Skin that has good elasticity – Here’s how to test your elasticity: With your left palm flat on a table, pinch the skin of your knuckle with two fingers of your right hand. When you’re fully hydrated, the skin should settle back onto the knuckle fairly quickly.
A good recovery time after workouts – If it takes you longer than usual to recover, you may be dehydrated.

When in doubt, take a drink of water. It’s good for you!

Contributing caregiver

Robert Lichfield, D.O., is a family medicine doctor at Providence Urgent Care – Providence Medical Park in Spokane Valley, Washington.

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