About 15 years ago, I changed my diet, which included improved hydration. I was terrible when it came to drinking water. I disliked water, loved cola soft drinks, and was addicted to them. One of the consequences was constipation and weight gain. Now it’s a different story.

Let me explain what hydration is:

Hydration involves drinking water, but it is more than that. It’s about keeping the RIGHT BALANCE between water and the electrolytes so that your body stays healthy and energised.

It is essential to support cellular function(how your cells function), temperature regulation, and waste removal.

As an expert in health and wellness, I can tell you that water is not just a beverage; it is the primary and most important liquid for every chemical reaction in your body.

Your human body is composed of approximately 60% water, though this varies by age, sex, and body composition. We lose water constantly through respiration, sweat, perspiration, and excretion. So we must maintain normal hydration status for several critical reasons.

After reading this, you will understand the importance.

🎯Joint and Tissue Lubrication:

This becomes even more crucial in people with arthritis in the joints. Synovial fluid, which lubricates joints, and the vitreous humour in the eyes are primarily water-based. This could be one of the causes of dry eyes
Proper hydration acts as a shock absorber for the spinal cord and brain. This is extraordinary!

🎯Cognitive Function:

Even mild dehydration, as low as 1-2% loss of body mass, can lead to impaired cognitive function. This includes concentration, short-term memory lapses, increased anxiety, and headaches. That’s why hydration can help with headaches. The brain is very sensitive. You must hydrate for a healthy brain.

🎯Body Temperature Regulation:

I believe we all sweat as part of normal body functions. Through the process of sweating and vasodilation(relaxation of your blood vessels), your body uses water to expel heat. This is how the body operates as a cooling system. Dehydration disrupts the body’s cooling system, causing a higher internal temperature and increased physical fatigue.

🎯Metabolism and Transportation within the cells:

Water is the medium through which nutrients, oxygen, and hormones are transported to cells. This is an important function. It also facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products like urea and carbon dioxide – can you imagine not being able to get rid of waste from your body?

What role does Hydration play in diseases, chronic diseases, and Overall Health?

Hydration plays a very significant role in the prevention and management of many conditions, such as:

🎯Digestive Health:

Water is essential for the lining of the stomach and for moving food through your GUT. Inadequate hydration can lead to Constipation.

🎯Skin Health:

Severe dehydration leads to decreased skin elasticity, but it’s not a cure for wrinkles. Proper hydration leads to well-hydrated skin, which enables it to maintain its barrier function more effectively, protecting against environmental irritants and appearing more radiant. This means that proper hydration ensures healthy skin.

🎯Weight Management:

Hydration is one of the pillars of my weight loss program. Drinking water can slightly increase the metabolic rate (rate of food breakdown is a simple explanation) through water-induced heat production (thermogenesis). This means that water causes heat production, which increases metabolic rate.
Also, the brain often confuses thirst signals with hunger signals, so sometimes, when you think you are just hungry.

Proper hydration can improve your feeling of being full, known as satiety, which can help reduce unnecessary eating driven by “false hunger.”

🎯Metabolic Health:

Hydration is a pillar in my Diabetes Remission Program because of its impact on metabolic health. Diabetes is a metabolic disease, and hydration plays a positive role in healing it. Some studies suggest that optimal hydration is associated with better glycemic (glucose) control in individuals with Type 2 diabetes.

Are you pre-diabetic or diabetic? Then take your hydration seriously!

🎯 Kidney and Urinary Health:

Chronic low water intake is a primary risk factor for kidney stones. Adequate hydration dilutes the concentration of minerals in the urine, preventing them from crystallizing.

Also, and importantly, water intake supports the kidneys in filtering blood. Inadequate hydration can lead to chronic dehydration, which can lead to acute kidney injury.

It can even accelerate the progression of chronic kidney disease. You don’t want that. A client of mine who was moving toward kidney disease increased water consumption, and the markers improved.

It also helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by ensuring regular flushing of the bladder.

🎯 Cardiovascular Health:

For years, I was unaware of how vital hydration is for cardiovascular health.
Dehydration leads to a decrease in blood volume, which forces the heart to beat faster and work harder to maintain blood pressure and oxygen delivery. This is known as “cardiovascular strain.”

Long-term inadequate hydration has been linked to an increased risk of hypertension, which is why it’s a major pillar in my kick out hypertension challenge.

It can also lead to future heart failure, as the body may chronically activate the important renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system to conserve water, which can stiffen blood vessels.
For good heart health, you must love hydration.

How can Optimal Hydration be properly incorporated into our daily routine?

Though there is the “8 glasses a day” rule as a simple baseline, actual needs may also be based on individuals.

📌Check your urine colour as it’s a reliable indicator.

I use this a lot. You should aim for a pale straw or lemonade colour. Dark, concentrated urine is a clear sign of dehydration.

📌 Eat Hydrating foods.

Roughly 20% of our water intake comes from food. Incorporating water-rich foods like cucumbers, watermelon, celery, and strawberries can significantly contribute to your status.

📌Check your Environmental factors.

Increase your intake when:
1. The weather is hot.
2. You are at a high altitude.
3. When consuming diuretics like caffeine and alcohol.

So my question is, how hydrated are you?

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