Hydration and You

It’s important to drink lots of water and keep hydrated, as your body depends on it to survive.

Why is hydration important?

People are 70-80% water. If you are even a little bit thirsty, this can lead to a 50% decrease in mental capacity. Plus, good hydration promotes bowel health. 🙂

How much water do you actually need?

A quick way to calculate your needs is to divide your body weight by 2; this is how many ounces per day you should drink. Keep in mind that everyone’s needs are VERY specific to them. If you feel like you need more water, drink more. Listen to what your body is telling you.

What puts the elderly at risk for dehydration?

• The elderly population will sometimes restrict their fluid intake to avoid “accidents” caused by urinary incontinence.
• As we age, we can develop a diminished thirst sensation. This means, sometimes, the elderly aren’t even aware that their bodies are craving more fluids.

What are the Top 3 causes of dehydration? 

1. Not meeting daily fluid needs.

It seems obvious, but many people are not drinking enough fluids to meet what they need for their daily activities. This leads to low levels of water in the body and dehydration.

2. Medication.

Some medications pull water out of the body, causing you to produce more urine or lose water in your stool, and leaving you dehydrated.

3. Texas Heat. 

We can all agree that Texas can get pretty hot. Your body uses its water stores to cool down. If you aren’t refilling those stores, then you’ll become dehydrated.

How can you test your hydration status?

1. Urine color:
   • If you’re well-hydrated, your urine will be mostly clear with a tinge of yellow. If your urine is more of a dark amber color, then you should drink some fluids.
2. Skin tenting:
   • To test for this, use 2 fingers to grab a roll of skin on the back of your hand, between where your watch sits and where your fingers start is a good spot. Pull up and then release.
     • If your skin returns to normal right away, then you are well-hydrated. Good job!
     • If your skin is slightly slow to return to normal, about 2 seconds in length, then you may have mild dehydration. Drink some water/fluids to rehydrate.
     • If your skin takes longer to return to normal, several seconds or minutes, then you may have moderate or even severe dehydration. You should consult with your healthcare provider.
   • If your hands have lots of wrinkles or loose skin, then you can also try pinching a piece of skin on your forehead between your eyebrows.
3. Lab work from your doctor’s office:
   • If you are concerned that you may be severely dehydrated, then your doctor’s office can run lab tests on your urine or blood to determine how hydrated/dehydrated you are.

What are ways that you can add more fluids or rehydrate?

Water is a really good option, but you can also add some fun to fluids to help everyone enjoy them and feel refreshed!

Here are a few recipes for Fun Beverages:

Brain Booster: Pineapple juice, sparkling water, and a dash of pomegranate juice

Neural Nightcap: Coconut water, blackberry juice, and candied ginger

Pollen Protector: Iced green tea with honey and lemon

Tummy Tamer: Sparkling water with raspberries and mint

If you’d like to learn more about hydration, why it’s so important, and what you can do to stay hydrated, please contact us. We’re here for you!