Hydration 101: Why Dehydration Is Making You Fat & Sick, 8 Hydration Myths Busted, And How to Remember To Drink More Water

If you read yesterday’s post, you must have realized that staying hydrated is crucial to a successful detox or body cleanse. Even though drinking enough liquids throughout the day could be a simple thing to someone, I’ve always struggled with it.

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I am not sure if it is because I was forbidden to drink any water during my rhythmic gymnastics classes or for some other reason, but I simply FORGET to drink. I know, it sounds silly and probably doesn’t make sense to some of you; however, very frequently I realize that I’m thirsty when I am EXTREMELY thirsty. Obviously, dehydration has many negative impacts and should be taken very seriously.

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Despite my multiple efforts to read more on this subject, I found myself reading many conflicting reports. As a result, I am more confused than ever.

Nevertheless, I was lucky enough to come across a great article on Runner’s World: 8 Hydration Myths Busted. I strongly recommend to check it out, but here is a quick overview:

1. Drink eight glasses of water a day: A healthy dose of hydration is an individual thing.
2. Pee clear to be hydrated:  “As long as it is a pale yellow, like lemonade, you’re hydrated,” says Yeargin. If it’s completely clear, it just means you’re full to the brim; what’s going in is coming out. On the other hand, if your pee is the color of apple juice or darker, or particularly smelly, you need to drink up.
3. Caffeine dehydrates you: Apparently, if you drink only 2 cups of coffee a day and exercise regularly, the impact of caffeine is minimal, if any.
4. Thirst isn’t a good hydration tool: It is a pretty accurate mechanism; however, it is good to be aware of other ways if your body is hydrated enough.
5. Pure water is best for hydration: It really depends on the kind and amount of physical activity you are doing.
6. You can’t drink too much: “You absolutely can drink too much,” says Casa, “and it can be deadly.” Too much water can cause symptomatic hyponatremia, a condition where the sodium levels in the blood become dangerously low.
7. Drinking lots of water is a good way to “detox”:  “There is no evidence that excess water makes your body more clean,” says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, M.D., a professor of medicine in the Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “If anything, drinking too much water can slightly impair the ability of the kidneys to filter blood.”
8. Staying hydrated eliminates your risk of heat stroke: Staying hydrated will definitely do you some good; however, you should always pay attention to the entire picture like body size, exercise intensity, fitness level, and age as well as humidity and air temperature.

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So how can you improve the situation if you’re forgetting to drink water just like me?

• Check out the Hydration Calculator from Runner’s World;
• ‘Spice up’ your water by adding fresh mint leaves, sliced cucumber or a squeeze of lemon or lime to it;
• Make it a morning ritual: chug a glass or two of water when you wake up;
• Have a glass of water with your meal, especially when you’re drinking alcohol;
• Always carry a bottle of water with you and keep it visible;
• Freeze little bits of peeled lemons, limes and oranges and use them in place of ice cubes;
• Put a water alarm on your phone;
• Every time you pass a water cooler stop and take a sip.

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How do you stay hydrated? Do you have trouble remembering to drink enough water?

xoxo
Olena