I’ve occasionally seen a somewhat disturbing idea in the paleo community about water.
There’s an idea that we should “eat” most of our water through fresh fruits and vegetables and neglect the actual drinking of water, only drinking when we feel thirsty.
While I’m sure these people don’t mean not drinking ANY water, I think the advice can be dangerous.
It’s a nice idea to get our water from food and there may be some truth to the fact that it is better absorbed as a part of food. But the reality is that about 80% of the water we consume as humans comes from liquid we DRINK.
And the vast majority of Americans, on healthy diets or not, are probably not drinking enough water.
We are bombarded day in and day out with cues that confuse our brains. We often think we are hungry when we are thirsty, for example.
And that’s why relying on what we “feel” isn’t a great indicator for most people.
Most of us know that dehydration can cause a range of health issues from fatigue and lack of energy to difficulty losing weight, yet we often place it low on the list of important changes to make to help speed weight loss or health gains. Why water isn’t a more important part of our health conversation kind of amazes me!
Here’s where I might have people chime in to talk about the other dangerous pendulum swing- drinking as much water as you can possibly manage.
This, while well-intentioned (because the reality is that most people who try to drink a lot of water probably don’t end up going much over recommended levels) can be dangerous in the very well-disciplined, in athletes, and in others.
So how much water should you drink?
That depends on you.
The average woman should get around 9, 8 oz. cups of water a day, this is what is generally agreed upon in the scientific community and among nutritionists. Some might need more, men need a bit more, but 9-13 cups is a good benchmark.
Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee CAN be counted in your daily cups. They do cause some moderate water loss but not enough to make them not count.
You all know that I’m not big on caffeine, but many people function well with some, so I recommend limiting it if you must drink it. Caffeinated beverages shouldn’t make up the majority of what you’re drinking on a daily basis.
What about athletes?
If you’re working out regularly, your fluid needs might change. Drinking a cup or two 30 minutes to an hour before exercise is a good idea, and then replenishing with a cup every 30 minutes throughout, but there’s no need to be gulping down tons of water.
In fact, over-hydration can cause flushing of valuable sodium and potassium in the body and can lead to serious health conditions.
Those who sweat a lot or who are performing sweat inducing activities should keep in mind that sweat is salty. That salt is sodium and if it isn’t being replenished, especially in very hot climates during long bouts of exercise like long runs, it can cause low sodium and potassium as well, especially when combined with over-hydration.
Stick to the recommendations above, but when you’re doing something really sweaty, it’s a good idea to replenish electrolytes with some kind of sports beverage.
There are some sports powders that I like for this purpose which you can buy on Amazon that aren’t chock full of high fructose corn syrup and food dyes.
This electrolyte powder is mixed into your drink and comes in several flavors. It’s sweetened with Stevia and is gluten and soy free. Find the multi-flavor value pack here.
And don’t forget to put it in your BPA free glass water bottle!
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How do you stay hydrated?
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