
In a 5-year study of 15,000 adults between 20-50 years of age, 43% men and 41% women failed to meet the recommended daily intake of 8 glasses a day. Being well hydrated is an important component to getting the most out of your day.
· It gives the brain energy to function including thoughts and memory processes
· It’s required for the production of neurotransmitters
· Helps brain cells communicate with each other
· Clears out toxins
The brain is composed of 73% water and the brain functions to maintain the delicate balance of water and other elements. If the body loses too much water, the brain works far less efficiently, manifesting as:
· Difficulty focusing
· Impaired short-term memory
· Impaired ability to perform simple calculations
Hydration also affects mood. Research shows that tension, confusion and depression scores decrease as water increases. Low water intake may result in low mood, headaches, tiredness and confusion.
Dehydration affects the flow of oxygen to the brain and causes the heart to work harder to pump oxygen to organs. Therefore, dehydration will contribute to feeling groggy and low energy.
The brain has no way of storing water hence why it is important to keep those hydration levels topped up through-out the day.
A simple way of checking hydration levels is to check the colour of your wee. You are aiming for almost colourless which is a good sign that you are well hydrated, and the brain is working at optimum performance.
Tips to staying hydrated at Optimum levels
1. Keep water within arm’s reach. The most effective method of ensuring you get the ideal amount of 8 glasses of fluids a day is make sure you always have water on you, ideally in a stainless steel / glass water bottle. Avoiding using plastic water bottles where possible.
2. Monitor your urine. Ignoring your first wee of the day which is quite normal to be fairly dark, the ideal is an almost colourless wee.
3. Herbal teas and water flavoured with real fruit all count. Limit fruit juices / smoothies to 1 small glass (150 ml) due to the high sugar content from the juiced fruit.
4. Get creative with your water. If you find the taste of water a little boring and unappealing, consider adding fresh sliced citrus (orange, lemon, lime etc) or some cucumber or herbs (mint). Just a little tweak will really change the flavour enticing you to drink more.
5. Hydrating foods also count to your hydration levels. Smoothies & juices, soups, stews and broths all contribute to your hydration levels. As do vegetables and fruits with a high-water content eg Cucumber, citrus fruits, watermelon and berries.
6. Limit alcohol and caffeine. As these have a dehydrating effect on hydration levels. 1 or 2 cups may contribute to hydration levels but any more than this can have quite the opposite effect. As such, I will always ask my client to exclude any caffeinated drinks when tracking daily fluid in-take.
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