High Quality H20
“Water sucks! It really, really sucks!” -Waterboy
It’s the first necessity of life as we know it. The #1 Essential is Water and without it, human life will cease to exist within a week or so. So, the question begs, what is the optimum amount and quality of water for proper hydration of any human being. To be honest, it’s not something that one should have to put much thought into.
Unfortunately, our water supply has suffered immensely in comparison to what would have been naturally occurring before industrializing our world. That being said, modern advancements in our sanitation systems and drainage have made our water much better than our colonial ancestors. Clean water and sanitation systems are really a catch 22 with desired effects and side effects. In my opinion, I am grateful for our systems and think the best current strategy for proper hydration is to start good habits and then try to keep them on autopilot. It has been said that it takes 21 days to create a habit, so let’s take a look at what’s involved so we can get started immediately. Below are 7 key tips to help you improve your hydration goals.
1. How Much Water do we Need?
There are several thoughts on how much water a person should consume. In my opinion, there is no one size fits all. The often misinterpreted 1945 government standard from NAM recommended men and women alike to consume 64 ounces of water throughout the day. This has since been updated and there is now a recommendation to drink 120 ounces for men and 88 ounces for women. The Mayo Clinic recommends 124 ounces for men and 92 ounces for women. Another rule of thumb I have read is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So who’s right?
It depends. It depends largely on the person drinking the water. It depends on their environment, activity level, weight, size, existing medical conditions, gender, etc. No two people are alike, so no two people should consume the same amount of liquid.
In a recent survey I performed in my office, I found that the average, from a small sample of my patients, was 42 ounces. A much larger 2010 CDC survey found that the adult average is around 39 ounces. So, in a previous blog post, I recommended trying for the 8×8, 64 ounce total rule. In my opinion, it is much easier to make small adjustments to your life one at a time. I have experimented personally with the right amount of water and find that I am satisfied on average at 100 ounces per day. So for you, my readers, finish this article in its entirety and set up a beginner’s plan. Start by finding out your current average intake, then set a goal to increase that number based on some of the other factors below. What can be measured, can be managed. Once it’s a habit, then set it to autopilot and enjoy.
So, what’s the proper amount of water per session when drinking? There is no set amount of water that you should consume per session. Ideally whatever amount you choose to consume in a day shouldn’t be consumed all at once. Let’s assume you chose 64 ounces of water. That shouldn’t be consumed all at once. Ideally, break it down in intervals throughout the day that is less than 12 ounces at a time. You can do 6, twelve-ounce sessions, 8, eight-ounce sessions (8×8 rule), 12, six-ounce sessions. Whatever you choose, just spread it evenly throughout the day for your lifestyle and use thirst and urine output to gauge your levels of hydration.
2. Know the Signs and Symptoms of Proper Hydration.
The body has a unique way of showing signs and symptoms that should trigger you to drink more or less water.
Thirst is one unique sign that shows up from lack of water. Much like hunger pains, it is a sign that your body is craving water. Generally by this time you have already lost optimal hydration. I’m not saying you are dehydrated, but definitely not optimally hydrated. It has been said that thirst is the first sign in regressing from optimum hydration and will continue until the dehydration is quenched.
Urine output is another sign of proper hydration. If you can go more than 4 hours without peeing, you are definitely not properly hydrated. On the flip side, going every 5 minutes is probably a sign of overhydration. This can also be signs of other problems and may need to be evaluated by a medical professional. Overhydration can cause hyponatremia and can be fatal.
The main idea is to look at the color of your urine. Clear or light yellow urine is normal and a sign of good hydration. Dark yellow is a sign that you are dehydrated. Any other colors or shades should be evaluated by a medical professional.
The only caveat to using these signs and symptoms is that they don’t work as well in your geriatric years. Use your best judgment based upon these signs and symptoms.
3. Not All Water is Created Equal.
When is the last time you had a glass of water straight from the river? Without a filter, probably never. The world wasn’t created with rivers of Gatorade for a reason. Currently, most of our world’s water is undrinkable due to contamination. (This is insane to think about when you consider it is the #1 Innate Essential to our life.) I know what you’re thinking, “doesn’t our government purify it for us then feed it through pipes to our house?” Yes, we in America are unbelievably spoiled when compared to many other countries, but don’t touch that tap when there are countless other options. To understand more about the state of our water read my previous article for more information about the Value of Water.
Tap water contains a crazy amount of chemicals. Don’t even think about it unless you’re dehydrated and it’s your only option. Many also believe you shouldn’t shower in it or bathe in it. Your skin absorbs water and the chemicals in the water. Read about it in detail here on Chris Kresser’s site. They make whole house filters like this one here for that reason. I should note to you that yes, water used to make your Starbucks, etc. is tap water.
Alkaline water is better and presumably always filtered water. Some research suggests that too much may have a negative effect on your digestive system and health in the long run. Dr. Mercola does a great job of elaborating on the risks of alkaline water. I like to think that if it doesn’t occur naturally, you should proceed with caution. So, at this point, it should be used as a sometimes treat.
Local spring water either bottled or delivered is one of my favorite sources of water. There are local areas where you can fill up your own bottle for free or almost free. FindaSpring.com is a website dedicated to just that. If you’re lucky enough to have one close to you, then take a nice ride and fill up your 5 gallon glass water bottles.
Filtered and purified water is recommended most by health professionals. It is what I most commonly use. Most commercial single-use water bottles are filtered by reverse osmosis or filled with spring water. Beware that some of the single-use water bottles are just tap water in disguise. I usually will look for a reverse osmosis filtered water if out and on the run. Lately, I’ve been using a local spring water delivery company. It’s not my ideal, but is pretty damn good. I will be upgrading to the whole house filter listed below soon.
There are countless home filters to buy. You can start with a tabletop filter like a Berkey. The Berkey System is relatively inexpensive and can reduce the majority of chemicals (fluoride) that come from the tap or your well. A drinking water filter station you can attach to your sink or water line in your house like the Doulton is another inexpensive favorite. This combined with the Aquasana Shower head can help reduce the majority of undesired tap water chemicals you come in contact with daily for under $200 bucks. My favorite option, unfortunately with the highest cost, is a whole house filter. Whole house filters like iSpring are ideal for the health of your entire household that is connected to the source. For taste and a bit of alkalinity, you can always add an organic lemon. For great hydration and mineralization, I also recommend adding Himalayan pink sea salt.
4. How Should I Store My Water?
- Plastic single-serve water bottles – Cases of single-serving plastic water bottles can be inexpensive but will come with a high cost for your health and if it’s bad for your health, it’s probably bad for Earth’s health. Most bottles aren’t biodegradable, which means they will sit in a landfill for years after they are used, once.
- Plastic reusable water bottles like Nalgene or Camelbak are pretty common today. They are healthier than the one-time use plastic bottles, but will still leach BPA or BPS etc. into your pristinely filtered water.
It should be noted that plastic water bottles are often made with chemicals that leach into your water and have been shown to cause health issues. BPA was the first plastic researched within these bottles and noted to be toxic especially when the water is heated up within the bottle (research link). Many companies quickly switched to BPS. A lesser-known chemical used to make plastics and also suspected to be an unhealthy endocrine disruptor. BPA and Phthalates have been shown to cause hormone imbalance in the body and have even been linked to various types of cancers, obesity, miscarriage, infertility, and neurological disorders. Recently National Geographic produced a piece exposing other chemicals for there BPA like qualities. Avoiding plastics and limiting their usage in your home can be healthy for you and healthy for the planet. Please also know that if you are to use plastic for storage of water, that it must be a food-grade container.
- Aluminum reusable water bottles – Another common water container is aluminum. Aluminum has been shown to have deleterious effects in high doses. Low dose studies have not been widely produced to show the same effect on the health of the human body, but have been linked to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s. (Research link) Furthermore, many aluminum water bottles must use plastics or other chemicals to line the containers which can be leached into the water. Aluminum, when combined with acidic liquids or foods to be consumed, have been shown to leach small particles into its contents. This is common with cans of tomatoes for instance.
- Ceramic reusable water bottles – Ceramic water containers used for centuries were once all the Neolithic rage. This trend has since died as other forms of water containers have been shown to be less expensive, more durable, easier to manufacture and carry less risk of toxicity. Some ceramic coatings (Raku) have been shown to leach chemicals into water and food and subsequently are not commonly used other than for aesthetics. You can still find some companies like Hallmark that make a clean and healthy water container. Another great source of ceramic containers is Etsy for handmade products such as these.
- Wood reusable water bottles – Wood containers have been around even longer than ceramic. This includes hand-carved wooden containers as well as the use of gourds and other natural resources. A new wave of wood looking containers is available such as Swell and the Birch bottle. The Swell bottle uses a stainless steel lining and the Birch uses an “organic bio-film”. Wood is as close to a natural container as you’re going to get, but these two bottles don’t accurately represent this. I will give them some points as I do find these the most aesthetically appealing of the bunch.
- Animal skin reusable water bottles – Animal skin containers bring to mind Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. “It puts the lotion on its skin” – Buffalo Bill Just like wood, this is an old way of carrying water used by many early tribes. You can still find some forms of these today, but as with the wooden containers, most have been updated and lined with another compound for effectiveness, not for purity. Here is a link for reference. The Bota Bag
The last two containers I mention here are the only two I would advise you to use. The point of referencing the above containers is to show the large health flaws, some obvious, some not, that exist as we have commercialized these containers for effectiveness and not for the sake of purity. Water is essential and its purity is key.
- Stainless steel reusable water bottles are great. They are durable, dishwasher safe, and when using a high-quality product such as Hydroflask they use food-grade 18/8 stainless steel to protect from corrosion. Look out for inferior products that contain more Nickel in their production and increase the likelihood of corrosion. Stainless steel, unlike many other water metal bottles, does not need to be lined for our protection. Stainless steel also has been shown to be antimicrobial. The durability, purity and antimicrobial effects make these water bottles some of the best reusable water containers on the planet.
- Glass reusable water bottles are also one of the oldest containers known to man. Glass is my preference for water containers. It is just as pure as stainless steel, although definitely not as durable and doesn’t offer the antimicrobial effects. My opinion is swayed by the taste difference between stainless and glass. I use the Takeya water bottle on a daily basis in the office and as you might have guessed, I also own many mason jars for other liquids.
5. Hydration from Other Liquids
As I already related, I did a hydration survey in my office. I asked many of my patients “How many ounces of water they consume in a given day.” I received all kinds of answers. At the end of the day, I surveyed 67 patients for an average of 42 ounces a day. That being said, I also asked these same patients if they consumed any beverages other than pure water. Too which numerous replied, “what do you mean?” It turns out many of them are getting their water from many other sources other than pure water. One even argued with me that his Vitamin water was the same as drinking pure water. In the end, I had to give him a little credit. He is getting is some water, but I did school him on the benefits of pure water vs sugar water.
So, yea, you can get water from other liquids. Some of the liquids I heard in this survey were coffee, tea, Powerade and Gatorade. Thankfully no one said soda, milk or eggnog, but these would give you negligible amounts of hydration. It turns out most have no idea that they actually are slightly dehydrating their body while consuming copious amounts of liquid trying to hydrate their body. Yes, you can get some hydration from other liquids even those with caffeine, sugar or other chemicals. Yes, this does include Vitamin Water. It would make for an uphill battle to get enough water in to be fully hydrated, but it is better than nothing at all.
That being said, alcohol will not help you with hydration whatsoever. Alcohol inhibits the secretion of ADH (anti-diuretic hormone), which acts on the kidneys to reabsorb water. When ADH levels drop, the kidneys do not reabsorb much water, thus increasing your urine output. This in turn makes you very dehydrated. So, even though this liquid does have water, it will only serve to decrease your inhibitions and provide more liquid to your toilet.
6. Have Your Water and Eat it Too!
Water is available from other sources that aren’t necessarily liquid. Certain foods contain water that the body can derive hydration from. It’s been said that your food contributes as much as 20% to your hydration.(link) Meat contains large amounts of water. I wrote previously that it takes 2400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat. Meat, when cooked, loses about 20-30% of its water, so this isn’t the most effective use of our planet’s water to properly hydrate a human. Read more about it here in The Value of Water post. The best foods for your hydration are generally going to be vegetables and fruits. Think, watermelon and cucumbers. Think, Eat Real Food. These types of produce carry large amounts of water and can help hydrate you properly with vitamins and minerals as well. Bone broths are another favorite of mine when it comes to creating a well hydrated body. Bone broths have been around for centuries. They are a traditional food of most cultures. The thing to take note of when it comes to ancestral cultural traditions that have been passed down from the ancient. If any part of the tradition didn’t serve a real purpose, then it would have been eliminated.
7. Consistency Counts
Just like with anything else I’m preaching here in regards to the Innate Essentials, consistency of your habits is what counts. So, with water, if you want to improve your health, you’re going to need to count. What can be measured can be managed.
Start by tracking you current water intake. Use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal or Daily Water make it easier to see just how much you’ve consumed in a day. Apps like Gulps and Hydro Coach have reminders you can set up in intervals throughout the day. Once you have your average we can set a small goal increase. Then follow your plan and track your signs and symptoms listed above for finding your optimum level of water to intake.
Summary of 7 Proper Hydration Goals
- Recommendations range anywhere from 64 ounces to 128 ounces per day depending on your age, weight, gender, activity and environment. Drink water in 6 to 16-ounce intervals throughout the day.
- Proper hydration leaves clues – Thirst and Urine output by time and color should be monitored.
- Water should be as pure as possible. Springs and reverse osmosis filters are some of the best sources for your hydration.
- Water should be stored in glass or high-grade stainless steel bottles.
- Hydration from other liquids should not supersede pure water. It can provide some benefits, but none as pure as water.
- Food provides up to 20% of your hydration. Eat Real Food to make a difference.
- Consistent Habits One Adjustment at a time is where progress is made. Track and make routines.
One Adjustment Action Step
1. Get access to pure water and a healthy reusable container.
2. Download a tracker and get your average daily water intake.
3. Set a goal to increase your water intake. Commit to a new habit One Adjustment at a time
Stay tuned for some new blogs on posture’s effects on your mindset and then I will set my sights on tackling blog posts for Reality, Responsibility and Resolve.
–Nick the DC
Disclaimer: The One Adjustment website and blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any type. One Adjustment uses affiliate links as a means to support the content provided at no extra cost to you. Please see disclaimer link for more details.
