Essential tips about hydration
Water accounts for about 70% of your body weight and plays an important role in everything our body does, while also being essential for homeostasis and cell life. Everyday we receive information about healthy nutrition and all kinds of nutrients, but not as much about the role of adequate water intake.
Generally, men need at least 12 cups of liquid daily, while women need at least 9 cups. Your body loses 8-12 cups of water everyday, which must be replaced somehow. Factors that increase your fluid needs are: physical activity, hot weather, high altitude, a high fiber diet and alcohol/caffeine consumption.
The overall goal is to reduce dehydration. Adequate hydration may vary among individuals. A practical way to monitor hydration is through the color of urine, first thing in the morning after waking up. Straw or lemonade-colored urine is a sign of proper hydration. Dark urine, the color of apple juice, indicates dehydration.
While most of your liquid needs should come from just drinking water, drinks such as soups, milk, 100% fruit juice and decaffeinated teas can also be helpful. Fruits and vegetables also contain a fair amount of water. Because it is difficult to track the amount of water you get from your food, it is best to stick to at least 8 cups of liquid daily.
To help keep you hydrated, make sure you constantly drink water when it’s hot outside, as well as during and after physical activity. We offer some habits for healthy hydration:
- Start drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up (just before coffee)
- Wear a bottle of water wherever you go
- Maintain your hydration levels from the Dahna app
- Avoid sugary drinks
Not a fan of just plain water? You can replace it with carbonated mineral water, combined with a little fruit juice, lemon, mint or basil. For a recipe of water infused with basil and strawberry juice, all you need is 100 g of strawberry leaves, 10 fresh chopped basil leaves, 10 g of lemon and 500 ml of water.
