Category: The Wonders of Water

The Wonders of Water

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Did you know that your body is mostly made up of water? There’s a reason for that!

Water is used for:

  • Digestion
  • Removing wastes
  • Transporting nutrients
  • Metabolism 
  • Regulating your body temperature and blood pressure
  • Helping to keep your skin, joints, and organs healthy [1]

Do I really need 8 cups a day? 

  • Healthy adults generally require up to 9-12 cups of fluid a day (depending on your sex, age, activity level, and even the weather) [1]. 
  • Note: Fluid is not just water, but can be food and drinks that contain water such as milk, tea, soup, etc. 

People at risk: 

Certain groups of people are at higher risk of becoming dehydrated:

  • The elderly
  • Young children and infants
  • Athletes
  • People who work outdoors

Indicators of dehydration:

Your body loses fluids during exercise and in hot conditions through sweat, so it’s important to replenish/restore these losses by drinking water throughout the day. Indicators that your body is already dehydrated and needs water include: 

  • Feeling thirsty
  • Dark urine
  • Not urinating very much
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Delirium (mostly in the elderly)
  • Dry skin and lips

Can sugar-sweetened beverages (like juice, pop, and chocolate milk) give me the fluid I need?

Sugary drinks definitely do contain water, but the amount of sugar (and in the case of pop, the acid too) makes water the best choice to stay hydrated. Limiting sugar in your diet has lots of positive effects on your health, and avoiding pop (even diet ones!) can save your teeth from erosion.

Will caffeine make me dehydrated?

Try to limit your caffeine intake to less than 3 cups a day (400mg of caffeine/day) [4]. This is the amount that research has shown that does not cause your body to be dehydrated or make more urine (especially if you drink caffeine regularly).

Tips to stay hydrated:

  • Keep a reusable water bottle handy
  • Have a cup of water when you wake up and go to bed
  • Add fun flavours to your water like cucumber, herbs, lemon, etc
  • Have a glass of water with meals
  • Drink one glass of water with medication
  • Drink when you feel thirsty
  • Track your intake with apps

Be sure to check out our Recipes for fun infused water ideas to help you stay hydrated!

*Please be aware that these are general guidelines. Nutrition and intake varies by age, sex, height, activity, being pregnant or breastfeeding, and medical conditions. For more information or to sit with one of our dietitians for an individualised nutrition counselling session, please contact us at amananutrition@gmail.com or visit our Contact Us page to book your first appointment.

Until next time,

Almas-Sadaf Shaikh, PMDip, RD & Huda Amareh, MAHN, RD

References:

[1] Dietitians of Canada (2014). Guidelines for drinking fluids to stay hydrated [online] Available at: https://www.dietitians.ca/getattachment/becace49-3bad-4754-ac94-f31c3f04fed0/FACTSHEET-Guidelines-for-staying-hydrated.pdf.aspx [Accessed 28 Apr. 2019].
[2] Canadian Association of Nephrology Dietitians. (2008). Essential guide for renal dietitians (2nd ed.). [Accessed 1 Aug. 2019].
[3] Health Link BC (2015). Healthy Eating Guidelines for Prevention of Recurrent Kidney Stones. Available at: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/hlbc/files/healthyeating/pdf/eating-guidelines-for-kidney-stones.pdf [Accessed 1 Aug. 2019]. 
[4] Dietitians of Canada (2013). What is caffeine? Is it bad for my health?. [online] Available at: https://www.dietitians.ca/Downloads/Factsheets/What-is-caffeine.aspx [Accessed 2 May 2019].