Are You Getting Enough Water?

One of the best things we can do to support our health is to ensure we are consuming enough clean water. Unfortunately, water is the single most common nutrient deficiency in the American population. How can this be? Well, in the land of Venti lattes and Super Big Gulps, we are often choosing to “quench” our thirst with beverages that not only make us lose more liquid than we obtain from drinking them, but are also addictive and keep us coming back for more. As someone who has a love-hate relationship with cold brew and unsweetened iced tea, I’m ALL too aware of how easy it is to fall into the “just one more cup” trap! 

Are You Getting Enough Water?

A person’s water consumption is not merely dictated by their preference for one beverage over the other. Age, race and socio-economic status have also been shown to play a role. Both children and older adults are more at risk for dehydration. Children are reliant on an adult to provide them with a source of good hydration and they have a larger surface area to body mass ratio. This allows more water to be lost to the environment through evaporation from the skin. Older adults have a reduced thirst signal, which means they do not recognize the body’s need for water as readily. Portions of the population that are of lower income and less educated also tend to have lower water consumption. One wonders why this would be, when water is arguably one of the least expensive beverages. Perhaps lack of access to good quality water plays a role. Most surprisingly to me is that teenagers who drink less water have also been found to eat less fruits and vegetables (themselves the best source of water in food), get less exercise and consume more fast food and soda. By under hydrating, they create a downward spiral, as they adopt habits that lead them further into dehydration! 

Your hydration status is dependent on two factors – fluid intake and fluid loss. An imbalance between these two factors can have negative health consequences. It takes relatively little water loss to experience signs of dehydration. As little as 1 to 2% loss of body water can impair a person’s cognition. Most people don’t realize that even mild dehydration can cause changes in short term memory, visual acuity, mood, concentration and reaction time. These symptoms are alleviated when euhydration (normal body fluid levels) are met. Imagine the changes to people’s well being if they were properly hydrated! 

Water plays so many important functions in the body. From regulating body temperature to cushioning our joints to allowing the kidneys to filter and remove wastes by producing urine, our body cannot function without water. In fact, water is the nutrient that carries ALL other nutrients to the cells in our bodies – this is why we cannot go more than a few days without water. Our cells essentially starve! Water is also a necessary ingredient in the production of stomach acid. Without enough stomach acid, we can’t properly digest our food and absorb the nutrients our bodies need to function properly. Although the body does produce a small amount of water through its metabolic processes, the majority of the water we need must come from the foods and beverages we consume. Unlike camels, we cannot store water and must get an adequate amount daily. How much water your body needs will vary on a daily basis, depending on how much water you lose via sweat during exercise, how hot or humid the climate is and if you are ill. Ensuring you consume an adequate amount of clean water, eating lots of water rich vegetables and fruit and avoiding dehydrating beverages such as soda, coffee and alcohol are great steps toward making sure your body is well hydrated and preventing the serious consequences of chronic dehydration. 

Calculate your water requirement! Are you meeting your body’s needs?

Though it’s very uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. This can result a condition called water intoxication, where levels of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes become diluted. Adding a pinch of quality, mineral rich sea salt to your water bottle can help ensure these electrolytes stay balanced and allows your body to utilize the water more effectively.

Certain medical conditions may make you more prone to water retention and you should discuss your hydration habits with your physician before increasing your daily intake.

These conditions include:

  • congestive heart failure
  • kidney disease
  • uncontrolled diabetes

Changing a habit can be hard, especially if there are addictive substances like caffeine and sugar drawing you back to them again and again. Make a plan to increase your daily consumption by a cup or two daily. Try replacing one of your water depleting beverages with a “spa” water or non-diuretic herbal tea. Before you know it, your hydration game will be on point!

Until next time – Happy Hydrating!

Corona Virus – Keep Calm and Support Your Immune System

Ok folks, let’s address the elephant in all the rooms right now. Corona Virus. Seemingly overnight it has escalated from a distant threat to one of real concern on the homefront. For those of you who don’t know, I’m living in the EPICENTER of the outbreak here in the US. By and large, there is a sense of calm concern and a quiet worry about the unknown. With many people working from home (and now the school closures) traffic is light, but there are still people out and going about their business. The media is doing its part to keep us all informed. Some say they are stoking the “panic” fires and creating undo stress and there is some merit to that. The truth is – we REALLY don’t know for sure…this is kinda unchartered territory for most of us. What we DO know is that the elderly and people with co-morbid conditions are the most at risk. Those of us who are young(ish), healthy individuals should be more concerned with keeping our immune systems healthy so that we can fight off the virus and prevent inadvertently passing it on to those more compromised individuals. I personally think that is the biggest concern, that the virus can be passed on BEFORE you are symptomatic.

So here is the deal. You DO NOT need a year’s worth of toilet paper and bottled water. Firstly, this is a respiratory illness. Secondly, you can ALWAYS find other, creative ways to wipe your behind if things get dire. This is not a natural disaster..water will still flow from your pipes. I get it. People are concerned and feel like they need to do SOMETHING to prepare. That’s understandable, but TP isn’t the answer. So what should we be doing?

Corona Virus - Keep calm and Support your Immune System

First off, it’s important to be aware that stress can weaken your immune system. While there is room for some concern and measures of preparedness, constantly worrying about “what if” is not doing your health any favours. Some tips to help keep stress under control:

  • Take a break from the news and social media. Give your mind a break from the onslaught of virus updates.
  • Use breathing exercises like these to help you switch from fight or flight mode and into a more relaxed state.
  • If you choose to self-distance yourself, use your “me time” to pursue hobbies you enjoy. Read, craft or, even better, prepare some healthy meals!
  • Move your body. Movement not only helps relieve stress by burning of excess stress hormone (cortisol), it also moves lymph throughout the lymphatic system, The lymphatic system filters out pathogens in the lymph nodes and is where the cells of our immune system mingle with the different pathogens that enter our bodies. 
  • Get lots of sleep! The number and activity of every immune cell are higher during the night, making sleep essential for long term health (Commitee on Military Nutrition Research, 1999). Aim for at least 7 to 9 hours nightly.

Secondly, leave the toilet paper on the shelf (unless you REALLY are running low!) and stock up on healthy, nutrient dense foods – which, conveniently, go a long way to supporting immune health!

  • Avoid sugar (this is stressful to the body and depletes, rather that enhances immune function)
  • Avoid pre-packaged, processed foods. More often than not, these are highly processed and refined, devoid of nutrients and full of preservatives. Not what your immune system needs to thrive!
  • Stock up on lots of bright and colorful fruits and veggies. These foods are packed with immune supporting nutrients like Vitamin C, B Vitamins, beta-carotene (the precursor of Vitamin A) and antioxidants.
  • If you are worried about being house bound for any length of time, stock up on HEALTHY non-perishables. Frozen fruit and vegetables are a great option when fresh isn’t possible. Prepare some meals ahead of time with your perishable ingredients and freeze them, so you have something nourishing on hand. Make a big batch of bone broth. It’s great for the immune system and easy to make into a hearty soup with some added cooked protein and frozen veggies.

Other things to consider include supporting your microbiome with sufficient fiber from a variety of vegetables and fruit, eating well balanced meals containing whole food, healthy fats, carbohydrates (in the form of vegetables) and protein and avoiding those inflammatory foods (sugar, processed and refined foods, additives and preservatives). Get outside in the sun if you can. Through sun exposure, our bodies make Vitamin D, which is another important nutrient for immune health. Oh, and remember to HYDRATE! Aim for half your body weight in ounces of clean, filtered water daily. Help your body absorb and utilize this water by adding a pinch of good quality seasalt (like Himalayan seasalt) to your water bottle.

Caution, not chaos, is the way to go. Go ahead and stock up your fridge, pantry and freezer with nutrient dense foods and use social distancing if being out in public is stressful to you. Not to sound like a broken record and state the obvious, but YES, please wash your hands thoroughly and often and avoid touching your face as much as possible. If you are symptomatic (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath), STAY HOME. Rest, eat those immune supporting foods and rest some more.

I saw a great quote earlier today from @blessthemessy:

“Remember fear and anxiety can be contagious, but so can kindness, love and hope. Take care of yourself and each other.”

Be kind to yourself, support your immune system, listen to your body and show grace to those around you who are struggling to know what to do in these uncertain times, even if they are hoarding the toilet paper. 😉