Hydrating for Health
This post was contributed by Megan Moret, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student who is working with us here at Parker Place as part of her final capstone project through the fall of 2021. Check back for Megan’s weekly articles on all aspects of healthy living!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
We hear this all the time, but what is the reasoning behind the notion? Water is one of the most readily available resources in the United States, yet the numerous benefits are often overlooked and underutilized in the pursuit of health and wellness. Hydration provides a variety of benefits including healthy organ function, increased energy, increased cognitive function, decreased appetite, retention of essential nutrients, and improved quality of skin.
Why do we need it?
Did you know that we as humans are made up of approximately 60% water? We are constantly losing water through waste and the rate of water loss increases during the warmer months as we sweat. When you are dehydrated, your body is not able to maximize its optimal function, leading to constipation, fatigue, brain fog, headaches, dry mouth, increased snacking throughout the day, premature signs of aging (including wrinkles!), and more. How much water we should drink per day changes based on factors including your level of physical activity (sweat = water loss!), the amount of fruits and vegetables you consume each day (these contain water), and the type of climate in which you live. See below for a general daily water consumption recommendation by age:
Toddlers: 2-4 cups of water per day.
Children 4-8 years old: 5 cups of water per day.
Individuals 9-13 years old: 7-8 cups per day.
Individuals > 13 years old: 9-10 cups per day.
Not thrilled by the taste of water? Enhance it!
Adding fruits or vegetables to your water will not only boost the flavor and liven up your drinking experience but can also provide additional nutrients and health benefits. Including fresh slices of lemon in your daily water is the most common and simple infusion technique and delivers vitamin c and aids in digestion. Bring the spa to you with cucumber water for some relaxation and hydration when you add thinly sliced cucumbers to your water. Continuing to experiment with the inclusion of various infusions to your water is a fun way to focus on hydration health with the family.
Check out more infused water recipes here!
Monitoring your water consumption
When life gets busy, drinking water often is the last thing on your mind. There are resources available to aid in your hydration goals for those who need a little extra help reaching their optimal state of hydration each day. Water bottles with visual cues allow the user to track their consumption by monitoring reminders on the side of the bottle with motivational sayings or time stamps. Additionally, there are several free smartphone applications that allow the user track daily water consumption, enable push notification reminders to drink water throughout the day, and calculate water consumption goals based on individual needs.
Check out these water bottles that track your water consumption!
Using technology to track your water
You can also smartphone apps to stay on top of your hydration - here are some great ones to try:
My Water: Daily Drink Tracker
Drink Water Reminder N Tracker
Water tracker Waterllama
My Water: Daily Drink Tracker
Hydro – Water Drinker Reminder
Leap Fitness Water Drinker Reminder