Hydration Station: Why Your Body Needs Water and Plenty of It

People are focusing on their overall health, exercise routines, eating habits, and listening to the needs of their body more important than ever—yet the importance of hydration and drinking plenty of water is often overlooked.

At its core, hydration is the replacement of body fluids lost through sweating, exhaling, and elimination. Hydration is equally important whether you are in the office, sitting on your couch, or working out at the gym. While your body loses more fluids when you are active such as on a walk, hike, or jog, it is also losing fluids when at rest.

Under average circumstances, the body loses and needs to replace approximately 2 to 3 quarts of water each day. All bodily functions, including breathing, cause water loss, which means that water needs to be replaced on a daily basis.

If there isn’t enough liquid in your body, essential internal functions like circulation do not occur properly. The end result is your organs won’t get the nutrients they need and the normal physical processes that regularly occur in your body won’t perform at their prime.

There is a solid reason why your body needs water and plenty of it—many of the most vital organs in the body are largely composed of water. For starters, the entire human body is about 66 percent water.

• Bones: 31 percent water
• Muscles: 76 percent water
• Blood: 90 percent water
• Lungs: 83 percent water
• Brain: 75 percent water
• Skin: 64 percent water

Considering the numbers above, it is easy to see why water and hydration play such a critical role in your body’s overall health and wellbeing. As a general rule of thumb, experts recommend drinking roughly 11 cups of water per day for the average woman and 16 cups of water per day for men, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

When your body is dehydrated, there are several signs and symptoms to be aware of. However not all of these symptoms are physical in nature, and it is important to remember that certain populations are more prone to dehydration than others, including children, older adults, and people with medical conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.

Dehydration can also affect your mood. If you haven’t been drinking enough water, you can feel tired, cranky or irritable. Hydration is also important for thinking clearly. If you’re dehydrated, your productivity may suffer. This should come as no surprise considering the high concentration of water in the brain.

Studies have shown that dehydration impaired cognitive performances affecting short-term memory, attention span, response times, or working memory.

10 Tips for Increasing Your Fluid Intake:

1. Have a glass of water before you go to bed and first thing in the morning.
2. Drink water constantly throughout the day, rather than several ‘big gulps’ at once.
3. Set reminders on your computer or Smartphone to maintain water consumption
4. Fluids are more easily absorbed from the body when they are somewhat cooler, try to drink your water when it is cold.
5. If you happen to pass by a water fountain, stop for a drink even if you are not thirsty.
6. Carry a water bottle with you at all times and drink regularly between meals.
7. Anyone taking any medication needs to pay extra attention to the importance of hydration as our kidneys and liver need extra water to process medicines.
8. When exercising, drink one to two cups of water 30 minutes before your exercise routine and one cup of water every 15 minutes of exercise.
9. Drink before you get thirsty. Thirst is actually a sign that your body is already dehydrated.
10. Choose foods that have a high-water content as a snack throughout the day and an alternative source of hydration aside from drinking water.

How Nova Vita Can Help:

For the average person, drinking between 11 and 16 cups of water each day isn’t easy. Lifestyles, work environments, and daily demands can easily get in the way. Intravenous (IV) vitamin therapy is an effective way to ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs to maintain good physical and mental health and allows for the best bioavailability to provide the maximum benefit.

Nova Vita Wellness Centers offers a couple of options geared toward hydration:

• Recover Drip: The specially formulated Recovery IV Vitamin Therapy is designed to speed up recovery from intense training or competition sports. By specifically targeting the nutrients and vitamins lost through vigorous activity, the Recovery drip replenishes and revitalizes the body. Expect to feel an instant difference in soreness and fatigue and get a boost in the recovery process as your body completely rehydrates.
• Hydrate Drip: As the name indicates, the Hydrate drip gives instant relief of dehydration symptoms and immediately revives the body with an infusion of water, electrolytes, and essential nutrients. It works to restore your fluid balance, replenish important vitamins, and reduce the body’s acidity by aiding in the natural removal of common toxins.
• Cleanse Drip: The liver is the main organ involved in detoxification, acting as the body’s filter for blood coming from the digestive tract to the rest of the body. The Cleanse IV Therapy is specially designed to improve the liver’s ability to remove toxins by providing essential amino acids, vitamins and nutrients. Ideal for those seeking to cleanse the body prior to a new diet or exercise routine, this infusion helps the body naturally remove toxins and provide a fresh start. This leaves you feeling physically healthier, speeding up your metabolism and improving cell function.
• Hangover Drip: Whether due to late night with friends, a special celebration, entertaining guests, or violating the time-honored rule of liquor before beer, our specially infused Hangover IV is designed to cure the effects of last night and get you back on your feet. The Hangover drip speeds up hangover recovery by combining a high dose of vitamins, antioxidants, and micronutrients. This offers instant relief from headaches, nausea, dehydration, dizziness, and all of the other symptoms that come with hangovers. Many symptoms of a hangover are related to dehydration, which makes this infusion

To learn more about any of these hydration solutions and other IV therapies offered at Nova Vita Wellness Centers, book an appointment online.

We also have a valuable resource about how to stay safe in the heat with signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.