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My reader wrote feeling very confused about some things she had read recently about hydration: “Some liquids are not hydrating…Some waters claim certain nutrients, etc.? There are so many mixed messages out there! So hard to know what’s trustworthy.” What does water do in the body? Fun to geek out on this! To be sure I didn’t miss anything, I went to my copy of Krause’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process, one of my gigantic textbooks from grad school. Here’s some stuff to know: Muscles hold more water than fat or bone, teeth, nails, etc. Therefore, those with more muscle will have a higher proportion of water in their bodies, usually between 60% and 70% of their total body weight. Those with lower muscle mass or a higher fat mass compared to muscle will have 40%-50% of total body weight as water. We have an intricate biochemical system that typically keeps our fluid balance within homeostasis (homeostasis = stable within a range). Sodium and potassium are the key electrolytes that assure water moves where it needs to be in the body, but chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, calcium, and magnesium also play important roles in maintaining equilibrium in body fluids. Water is required to:
Mild Dehydration: A loss of even 1%-2% of our bodily water, or a mild dehydration, will result in impaired cognitive function and alertness, an increase in heart rate, reduced appetite, and a decrease in exercise performance. We might notice a headache, fatigue, lightheadedness, poor skin turgor, darker urine, and low urine output. How long does it take to absorb water? Water is first absorbed through the mouth and stomach (as, incidentally, is alcohol). Most is absorbed through the small intestine. Plain water (or, presumably, plain herbal tea or coffee) is absorbed in anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. However, any added element will slow down absorption. Water taken with food might take 40 or more minutes to be absorbed. How much do you need to drink? Most adult humans daily require about half of their body weight in water as described in ounces. Confusing, right? This is more clear: if you weigh 140 lbs, consume about 70 oz of water daily. Those who have a higher fat to lean mass ratio require a bit more than that since they will hold relatively less in muscle. If you are in a large body, we will want to calculate your needs a bit differently. An important caveat is that our food delivers up to 19% of our daily water consumption, and that is especially true for those who have increased their intake of vegetables and fruit. Athletes or others that sweat a lot, whether often or periodically, will feel better if they add 8-16 ounces of water (more, depending) on top of the recommended amount to replenish what they lose. For the majority of people, simply increasing their fluid is adequate (see Wh at Counts below). A few people will also want to add electrolytes (see Electrolyte Drinks below). How do you know if you’re having enough? Signs of hydration: urine is light yellow to nearly clear; good skin turgor (pinch the skin on the top of your hand. It should go right back to normal; less true for the elderly); and lips are moist (harder to tell in dry environments). Thirst is not always informative. It’s important to know that among adults, athletes who exercise hard and often, sick people (especially those who are hospitalized), and older adults all typically have impaired thirst cues. These folks can’t rely on thirst to tell them they need more water. This is also true for people who are sweating in hot weather; thirst may not keep up with the body’s need for water. What Counts? Water and ice, herbal teas, decaf coffee, milk, soups, stews, vegetables, fruit, and smoothies are all contributors to proper hydration because they all contain water. Some beverages are conditionally hydrating. The condition is that they contribute to hydration when they are consumed in smaller amounts, and they become increasingly more dehydrating when consumed in higher amounts. Conditionally hydrating products include: caffeinated beverages of all kinds; sweet beverages of all kinds, including fruit juices; and alcohol. In small amounts, they can be considered contributors to hydration. However, as their intake increases, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol all cause the body to release bodily fluid in urine by pulling the body out of homeostasis (balance). Filtered water can be safer for you because it filters out certain environmental toxins. That said, the water most places in the U.S. is very safe. Obviously, there have been some well publicized places where it has pointedly not been safe. What if I don’t like water? If you don’t like the taste of water, you can see lots of options in the last section! Here are a few more: you can add a dash of juice or chopped fruit to your water with some herbs, and voilá! Flavored water. Lemon, mint, and cucumber is a classic combo. Try adding rosemary and strawberries. Or just drink warm, chilled, or room temp herbal tea. You’ll take in added antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients with these choices, too! If you choose water flavoring packets, I strongly recommend you read the label so you can avoid artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. This swings me back to my focus on mental health: these artificial ingredients can disrupt your gut bacteria and in some people will contribute to symptoms of ADHD and anxiety. Water with Nutrients Added There’s a new thing where inulin is added to flavored carbonated beverages (e.g., POPPI, OLIPOP). Since I’m all about getting more prebiotic fiber (feeds the “good” gut bacteria) in my clients, this sounds great to me! Be aware that if you have not been eating much in the way of fiber, these products are likely to get your digestion moving. Also, as with many such products, they sound better than the reality demonstrates. NPR wrote a great article on this. Probiotic drinks like kombucha and kefir are terrific ways to support your gut microbiome and hydrate at the same time. Just read the label and choose the products with lower sugar contents. I won’t spend time on bottled waters with vitamins in them, but if you need to increase your vitamin intake, let’s talk about some more effective ways. If you like the flavor, have at it, but don’t expect much of a nutrient boost. Flavored Unsweetened Carbonated Water This is a terrific way to stay hydrated if you like it. Here are things to consider: Can linings have endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals in them. Carbonated water can trigger reflux in some people and will spike symptoms in some folks with IBS or IBD. Generally reduce artificial sweeteners and colorings, as described above. You could get a Soda Stream and make your own! Alkaline Water There is really no evidence that alkaline water is better than regular (tap or filtered) water. Among other things, there is inconclusive research that it might reduce bone loss. Proponents, like boot camp-type athletes, will say that exercise increases acid in the body (it does, temporarily) and that alkaline water will counter that acidic state to improve health. If you drink a normal amount of alkaline water, you will not have made any difference to countering your blood pH levels. If you drink an enormous amount (I know someone who drinks 2 gallons a day of it), you could be messing with your body’s ability to maintain acid:base balance, which it does beautifully on its own when we are reasonably healthy. The body works extremely effectively to maintain blood pH homeostasis. Also note that overconsumption of any fluid is going to wash out your electrolytes, which can also have a truly negative impact on health (see Electrolyte Drinks below). Electrolyte Drinks If you are generally consuming a food plan with a lot of variety (especially of vegetables and fruit) and you salt your food with Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, you will easily have the amount of electrolytes your body needs for fluid homeostasis without adding an electrolyte drink. It’s important to know that electrolytes are depleted when fluid loss is high. How does it happen?
Absolutely! Sodium and potassium especially will get washed out with the excess fluid, and depleted electrolytes can make us very sick in a variety of ways. Really consider the amount needed for you to stay adequately hydrated that I described above, and only drink a lot more than this when you know it’s necessary. Water follows salt and salt follows water: too much or too little of either will throw you out of fluid balance. Have you ever been puffy all over the morning after eating a really salty evening meal? The excess salt is causing your body to hold onto water, and it’s taking your kidneys a little longer to work through the imbalance. You might feel better taking electrolytes before or after very sweaty exercise, a few times a week, or even once daily, if you tend toward being slightly under-hydrated (or possibly “under-electrolyted”. I know people who don’t use salt in their cooking, then crave their electrolyte drinks). Remember to consult your doctor about illnesses and medication in relation to electrolyte drinks. If you’re hungover and pasty-mouthed, an electrolyte drink (or a salty meal along with your water!) can definitely help you rehydrate. If you are not an athlete in training, you will pretty much never need an electrolyte powder or beverage with very high sodium. Read the label, and avoid products that contain artificial sweeteners and colorings (like Gatorade). If you do feel better drinking electrolyte drinks, but you aren’t losing fluid regularly through sweat and are confident you’re drinking enough, it would be wise to be evaluated. Ditto for if you are thirsty all the time even when you feel you’re doing great at consuming enough fluids. A really simple homemade electrolyte drink is coconut water (which is a great source of potassium) with a pinch of Celtic or Himalayan pink salt in it. You can add a dollop of juice for flavor and that little bit of sugar that will help replenish your lost glucose stores. Tip of the Month Try the Hydration Habit Stacking Hack. Habit stacking involves linking a new habit (drinking water) with an existing habit you already do consistently. Here's how to use it for hydration:
Here are some examples of habit stacking for hydration:
Bonus Tip: Download a hydration tracking app or use a reusable water bottle with time markers to help you stay motivated. Remember how to measure your ideal hydration intake using the information above though!
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Among others, April is Stress Awareness Month! You can read about building stress resilience here. Nevertheless, I’m sticking with March’s National Nutrition Month for one more newsletter. You know well that I advocate for food freedom and authentic health. Choosing foods that will nourish us the way our own body-mind wants to be nourished becomes easier when we know the full landscape of food choices. We can shape our meals when we understand what components to aim to include in a meal. Knowledge is power. Here is some straight talk about the most physiologically/biochemically health-promoting (and yummy!) foods to help you expand your choices. Just Say No to Diets Let’s all agree that the word “diet” has become fraught. I prefer calling it a “food plan” instead, which is just so much less limiting. We’re not in the business of restriction or deprivation. Instead, let’s add foods in. With that in mind, what’s the best food plan for you? The one you find most accessible, tastiest, and provides the benefits you seek! Stop for a moment, maybe even take some notes: what benefits do you hope to receive from what you eat? What follows is a guide, not a set of rules. Seek out variety to meet the pleasures and needs of your different daily activities and what your body requests. Variety is not just the spice of life, it promotes health. Use this information to nourish yourself. It bears repeating that you get to choose what works best for your own body and preferences. What is Nutrient Dense Food? Broadly speaking, the most nutrient-dense foods can be found either 1) in their most whole form, or 2) are processed using traditional methods. Think of it this way: whole foods don’t have a chance for the nutrients to escape, like an unopened box. Traditional processing leaves the nutrients intact and can even make some nutrients more available for our bodies to use. Olives are an example. You can eat the whole olive, or the olive can be mashed and puréed in order to squeeze out the oil to use in meals and cooking. Both forms are nutrient dense. Raw or Cooked? I thought I’d toss this in (like a salad?) because I hear comments that raw veggies and fruit are better for you. However, it really depends on the dish and the goal whether to have them raw or cooked. There are health benefits to both, so mix it up. Cooking makes most foods more digestible by breaking down the fiber, protein, or carbohydrates (fats stay about the same). In some cases, it also enhances the nutrient value and/or the flavor. Let’s use apples as an example. You can eat an intact apple right off the tree. Or you can slice it, cook it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little water, then mash it to make applesauce. They both offer strong nutritional benefits. Raw apples contain vitamin C, potassium, fiber, a smidge of protein, antioxidants such as quercetin, catechin, and chlorogenic acid, plus myriad phytonutrients. Upon cooking an apple, the vitamin C is destroyed (heat degrades vitamin C), but gut-healing pectin is released and the broken down fiber is easier on the stomach and intestinal tract. This is why apple sauce is recommended when someone has a stomach bug. Tomatoes are another example. When cooked, tomatoes concentrate cancer fighting nutrients like lycopene. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients both raw and cooked, so eat them both ways (any Brooklyn 911 fans out there?). Mediterranean Food Plan Who hasn’t heard of the Mediterranean Food Plan? It’s everywhere, and for good reason. It’s delicious and the best researched combination of foods in relation to both physical and mental health. A point I make to all of my clients is that you don’t have to eat like folks in the Mediterranean to choose this food plan. Any flavor profile from around the world can be used with the elements below. And because of the variety in the plan, it’s easy to mix up tasty meals. What does it include? Vegetables & Fruit This rainbow of colorful foods provide fiber, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory molecules, detoxification support, vitamins and minerals, and colorful disease-fighting phytonutrients. Big focus on leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, sweet potatoes, beets, and berries. Fiber Feeds our beneficial gut bacteria, keeps our bowels moving (out with the old, in with the new), and binds cholesterol, old hormones, and toxins for removal. Found in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains Protein Sources support balanced blood sugar, mood and neurochemicals, tissue building and repair, and the synthesis of every single enzyme. Read details on protein here. Healthy Fats Healthy fats contribute to healthy brains, cellular structure, are anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, and carry nutrients from the foods where they were sourced. Fat/oil must be present for our bodies to absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Big focus on extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil/avocados, nuts/seeds & their butters, wild caught fatty fish, small amounts of butter and coconut oil. Fermented and Probiotic-Rich Foods: See the list below. Herbs, Spices, Teas, and Traditionally Harvested Salt (Celtic Sea or Himalayan Pink) All assure delicious flavor while carrying a variety of micronutrients and trace minerals, and they provide digestive support, healing qualities, and more. These are little powerhouses of nutrition. Adequate Fluid Intake Washes out toxins and metabolic waste in urine, softens our stool for easy passage, pads our joints, moistens our eyes, and more. Big focus on water, herbal teas (and some caffeinated), soups, a little coffee. Probiotic-Rich Foods “Probiotic” is as it sounds: Pro = for us; biotic = bacteria. These health-promoting foods have been part of every culture around the world. This is partly because traditional preparation methods that ferment foods extend the life of the food. It also often makes it safer to eat, boosts nutritional value, and adds flavor. The benefits of probiotic-rich foods include digestive, metabolic, and mental health. Since this is a “what to eat” article, let your curiosity lead you to this article, which offers a deeper dive into the different probiotic foods. If you consume them daily in food, you can pretty much skip the probiotic pill. Recommendation: consume at least one serving daily. Start with a small amount and increase it as your body adjusts. These are some options:
What’s So Special About All These Foods? This food plan shifts our plates to being more inclusive of plants with smaller amounts of animal proteins than many Americans eat. Certain carbohydrates (veggies, fruit, and traditionally prepared foods made with grains) and healthy oils and fats hold respected positions. All of these foods are in balance with each other. Find these categories with examples laid out by the Institute for Functional Medicine: here for omnivores and here for vegetarians. How Do I Combine All of These Things to Get the Benefits? Click here for my edited version of the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate. This gives a visual for the general composition of a meal that research shows supports good health from a classical medical viewpoint. Your labs typically will begin to reflect the benefits if you mostly follow this guide. Please remember the critical difference between serving size and portion size (scroll to the bottom of this article on protein to read about it)! Honor Your Hunger Each time you eat, choose a combination of foods that includes a protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Not only will the meal or snack be more satisfying, but you will receive the time-release energy of this fuel entering your bloodstream gradually and steadily. Whether you are working and need a clear brain or working out and want your muscles to respond, you’ll feel the benefits. Typically eat three meals a day about 3-4 hours apart, and include a snack whenever it feels right for you. Be responsive to your hunger cues. A gentle, non-intrusive hunger may feel comfortable, even pleasant, and it’s a reminder that your body is notifying you that nourishment will be necessary soon. Hunger that results in fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, headaches, and other symptoms is your body asking desperately for food. My recommendation is simple: If you are hungry, eat. When you are responsive to your hunger cues, you will get into a rhythm of eating neither too much nor too little for your needs. Three Thoughts to Hold Onto
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AuthorI am Mary Virginia Coffman (I go by “Mary Virginia”), a clinical nutritionist who focuses on mental health, digestive health, metabolic health, and nervous system regulation. My unique combination of clinical interventions, education, and coaching will help you feel well in body, mind, and spirit. Archives
October 2024
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