4 days ago
12 Hydration Mistakes Leaving You Parched, According to Experts
On the most basic level, you're probably well aware that drinking water = good, and skimping on it, especially when the weather heats up, is, well, the exact opposite. But in practice, the issue is a little more nuanced. In fact, there's a high probability that you may be making a few key hydration mistakes without even knowing it, which can be leaving you foggy, lethargic, and all-around not feeling your best.
Of course, proper hydration is important any time of year, since adequate fluid intake is essential to pretty much every process that takes place in your body, from thinking to pooping, but it's especially critical during hot weather. Heat and humidity both cause increased sweating, resulting in a far faster rate of water loss. Because of this, you're at much higher risk of dehydration in warm weather—and you need to take in more fluid to make up for the difference. 'Not drinking enough water can impair both physical and mental performance, and in extreme cases, it can lead to serious complications like heat stroke or kidney problems,' Jennah Morgan, MD, an emergency medicine physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Put another way: 'In order for our bodies to function properly, we have to be hydrated,' Cindy Nelson, associate professor at Utah State University Extension, tells SELF.
Ultimately, this makes it all the more important to make sure that your fluid intake is doing what you want it to do. (Think you can chug a few glasses of liquid over the course of the day and be golden? That approach definitely leaves room for improvement, according to experts.) If that sounds like you, you're far from alone in misunderstanding the hydration assignment: Generally, a few patterns of error 'tend to come up often,' Dr. Morgan says. Read on to learn about 12 common hydration mistakes that could leave you falling short in the fluid department.
1. You see eight glasses per day as a nonnegotiable.
Even though eight glasses is often framed as the universal standard for hydration, the belief that it's some sort of one-size-fits-all magic number 'really is a myth,' Nelson says. Rather, the 'ideal amount' is highly individualized because it depends on a bunch of different factors: age, weight, activity level, overall health, and more, she says. 'There isn't really a set amount you should drink every day.'
That said, most folks would actually benefit from more than eight glasses per day, according to current guidelines. As SELF previously reported, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies actually recommends 2.7 liters (11 cups) and 3.7 liters (nearly 16 cups) for women and men ages 19 to 30, respectively. If you're hesitant to go by a blanket rec, you can use your body weight as a metric, Anthea Levi, MS, RD, CDN, a Brooklyn-based health writer and founder of Alive+Well Nutrition, tells SELF. 'Most people will benefit from drinking about half of their body weight in ounces of water daily,' Levi says—say, 75 ounces for a 150-pound person.
Per the American Heart Association, the easiest way to determine if you're adequately hydrated is to check the color of your pee. Rather than dark yellow or even amber, 'aim for pale yellow,' Dr. Morgan says. Besides darkened pee, you also might notice other side effects if you're dehydrated, like fatigue, bad breath, dry mouth, and sugar cravings. 'Brain fog and headaches,' too, Nelson adds.
2. You wait until you're thirsty to drink…
Thirst is a frequently misinterpreted sensation. Rather than your sign to start hydrating, it's actually more of an alarm bell flagging that you're overdue, according to Nelson. 'By that point, you may already be mildly dehydrated,' Dr. Morgan says. In fact, the sensation of thirst typically doesn't kick in until you've lost more than 1.5 liters of water through bodily processes like breathing, peeing, and sweating—so don't wait until then to drink something. The goal: 'Steady, proactive hydration,' Dr. Morgan says. Which leads us straight into our next point…
3. …and then you play catch-up.
Sipping small amounts of fluid over a long period of time is a much better approach to hydration than chugging a large amount all at once. Basically, 'it's better to spread it out throughout the day and not wait,' Nelson says. Not only does this reduce your dehydration risk ('You're not going to go into a deficit as easily,' Nelson says), it'll also be easier on your stomach, preventing bloating and discomfort. Seriously, consistency is key.
Besides, Dr. Morgan notes, it's not like chugging will instantly bring you back to baseline and fix any dehydration-related issues you might be experiencing: This way, 'your body won't absorb it all at once,' she explains. Plus, Nelson points out, delaying the bulk of your fluid intake until late in the afternoon or evening could disrupt your sleep since you'll likely have to get up to pee during the night.
4. You skimp on fluids around your workout.
Hydrating is important regardless of your activity level, but it becomes even more pressing when you have exercise on the docket. 'It's important to pre-hydrate and also post-hydrate,' Nelson says. Running low on H2O right off the bat can affect your athletic performance in a number of ways (like raising your risk of cramps, hurting concentration and focus, and reducing flexibility, speed, and stamina), so drinking enough beforehand can help you show out to the best of your abilities. Meanwhile, all that exertion will dehydrate you faster (thanks, sweat!), so drinking enough afterward aids in recovery.
Blanket fluid recs are hard to make for athletes, too, but in general, they should shoot to drink 17 to 20 ounces of fluid two hours before exercising, and seven to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes while exercising, per the American Council on Exercise. Weigh yourself before and after, and drink at least 20 ounces of water for every pound lost through sweat.
5. You don't keep track of your intake.
Take it from Dr. Morgan: It's shockingly easy to end up in the red. 'A lot of people simply get busy and don't realize how little they've had to drink,' she says. That's why, Nelson says, you should be 'really intentional' in your approach to hydration—'knowing where you're at to start with and whether you need to improve.' Once people start documenting their intake, they're typically surprised by their actual total, she adds.
If you struggle with remembering to drink (or you're prone to distractions), try keeping a water bottle on hand as both a visual aid prompting you to sip and a measuring tool quantifying the amount. Plus, this hack can help you portion out your fluids. Say you have a hydration goal of 60 ounces per day, for example. By 11 a.m., you should be around 20 ounces in; by 4 p.m., 40 ounces. This way, 'you kind of have a schedule,' Nelson says. Setting a timer for every 15 to 20 minutes can also be helpful.
6. You blow off water-rich foods.
News flash: You don't necessarily have to drink a huge amount in order to hit your daily hydration goal. In some cases, eating can actually benefit your bottom line, Nelson says.
Because certain foods consist almost entirely of H2O (as in, upward of 90%!), treating yourself to high-water-content items like fruits and veggies can contribute to your overall fluid intake—especially if you're teetering right on the edge of adequate hydration.
To be clear, you shouldn't rely solely on food for all your daily water, according to Levi: We 'definitely need to drink' still, she says. With that caveat out of the way, strong options include oranges (88% water), cantaloupe (90%), strawberries (92%), watermelon (92%), zucchini (94%), cucumbers (95%), and lettuce (96%), not to mention liquid foods like soups, smoothies, and shakes. In fact, it's estimated that around 20% of your daily intake actually has food as its source.
7. You pile on the electrolytes.
Quick overview in case the term 'electrolytes' is just a fitness buzzword to you: They're 'minerals that carry an electrical charge and support fluid balance throughout the body,' Levi says. So sodium, potassium, and magnesium play an important role in the overarching hydration conversation.
That said, it's a mistake to think that electrolyte-rich drinks are automatically better than plain water—or that everyone needs extra electrolytes in the first place, according to Levi. In most cases, a balanced diet should actually provide all you need. For example, potassium can be found in 'beans, bananas, avocado, and Greek yogurt,' Levi says. And pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and nuts are great food sources of magnesium. Meanwhile, beverages like bone broth, smoothies, and unsweetened coconut water can also help you re-up if necessary (though Levi cautions that the hype around coconut water is seriously overblown).
In reality, electrolyte drinks (like Gatorade and Powerade) and supplemental electrolytes (like Liquid IV or Gatorade Thirst Quencher powder) are best suited to a small population of people: competitive athletes, folks spending extended intervals in intense heat, and anyone else who's losing a considerable amount of fluids in a short period of time, according to Levi. 'For these groups, electrolyte-rich drinks can be helpful for swift rehydration,' she says. But for the average healthy person? 'Daily electrolyte supplementation is not a requirement.' (Here's more info on whether you should try electrolyte packets.) What's more, Nelson adds, many of these drinks and supplements contain a ton of sugar, an ingredient that can actually hurt your hydration mission.
8. You rely too heavily on sugary drinks…
'While all types of drinks will supply fluid, we want to be mindful of what types of beverages we're relying on to stay hydrated,' Levi says. Not all are created equal: Sugary types—think sodas, coffees made with sweet syrups, and many fruit juices, according to Levi—'may taste refreshing, but they don't hydrate as efficiently as water,' Dr. Morgan says. They can even have a dehydrating effect, since the sugar molecules pull water out of your body and into your blood.
What's more, sugary beverages can also have other health downsides. They can hurt your energy levels by causing the infamous 'sugar crash,' Dr. Morgan adds. (To compound the problem, dehydration itself can also make you feel sluggish, so you could be in for a potential double whammy of fatigue.) And routinely overloading on sugar can also raise your risk of metabolic disease in the long term, according to Levi. Instead, use water as your go-to beverage (and if the plain stuff doesn't appeal, keep on reading).
9. …or those heavy on caffeine or carbonation.
In addition to sugary beverages, you'll also want to limit carbonated and caffeinated ones, according to Nelson. 'Carbonation will make you feel full so you feel like you've drunk more fluid than you actually have,' limiting your intake and making it tough to stay adequately hydrated,' she says. The bubbles are also associated with GI issues like bloating and gas as well as dental wear and tear, according to Levi. Meanwhile, caffeine can cause you to pee and poop more, accelerating fluid loss and promoting dehydration. It can also trigger side effects like nausea, shakiness, anxiety, and poor sleep, as anyone who's ever overindulged knows all too well. Cap your caffeine intake at 400 milligrams or less per day (around two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups, max), Levi recommends.
10. Or, on the flip side, you force yourself to stick entirely to fluids you just don't enjoy.
The blandness of water can be a big turnoff. Many folks simply don't drink it often because, well, they don't like the taste compared to the more flavorful beverages out there—so if tweaking the taste will help, do it! If making that change means you'll drink more, 'that's a real benefit,' Nelson says.
To impart a light boost, try adding fruit or vegetable infusions, according to Nelson. Per Levi, you can do this by squeezing in some fresh lime or lemon juice, popping in some frozen berries, or adding fresh mint or basil leaves. This way, your H2O will be a bit more palatable (and thus easier for you to swallow, literally), but it'll still provide all the same hydration benefits. (And a hint for active people seeking more punch in their post-workout beverage: Chocolate milk makes 'a pretty good recovery drink,' Nelson says.)
11. You don't adjust your fluid intake, like, ever.
Your hydration needs aren't fixed; they can fluctuate depending on your situation. Like we mentioned earlier, 'you need more fluids when you're active or it's hot out,' Dr. Morgan says, but other risk factors can also boost your hydration needs, like illness. In the event of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, 'we're going to lose a lot of those fluids, so then we have to replenish them,' Nelson says. Other potential dehydration risk factors include alcohol and some medications, like laxatives, diuretics, and oral meds for type 2 diabetes.
12. And finally, you assume that more is always better.
It's a classic case of too much of a good thing: 'Drinking enough water is essential for steady energy levels and healthy digestion,' but at the same time, it is possible to do it to excess—and even to the point of endangering your health, Levi says. Downing a ton over one to two hours can pose hazards like water intoxication, a.k.a. hyponatremia, the medical term for dangerously low sodium levels in the blood. 'Hyponatremia can cause nausea, vomiting, weakness and, in extreme cases, seizures or comas,' Levi says. To be clear, however, these kinds of severe side effects are rare: 'You'd likely have to chug a full gallon of water in an hour to be at risk,' she adds. (A more common occurrence? Like we mentioned above, you pound so much at once that your body can't actually absorb it efficiently.)
So what are the signs that you've been a little overzealous in your hydration mission? Clear pee, for one. Just as you can gauge whether you're dehydrated by the color of your urine—remember, dark yellow indicates you need to drink more—so it can also tell you whether you're overhydrated. When your, ahem, output has no hue, it's a sign that you've gone overboard.
Related:
The Best Way to Treat Dry Mouth, No Matter the Cause
How to Cool Down Fast When You're Hot, Cranky, and Just Can't Stop Sweating
The Best Hydration Products To Help You Drink More Water
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Originally Appeared on Self
