How (and why!) to hydrate
This article was updated on December 1, 2023.
Written by Laurie Davies
This article was reviewed by Raelene Brooks, Dean, College of Nursing.
Spring is the air, and whether you鈥檙e hitting the books or hitting the great outdoors, it鈥檚 important to hydrate.
After all, water makes up . Good hydration carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells, lubricates joints and helps our kidneys and liver work properly. If we don鈥檛 hydrate enough 鈥 in other words, become dehydrated 鈥 we鈥檙e at risk for . None of these are helpful for performing well in school, much less enjoying days outdoors with our family or friends.
No doubt, life gets busy. But if you鈥檙e in the habit of going head-down into your studies without thinking about drinking, you may be depriving your body from performing at its peak.
Hydration helpers
鈥淚f you鈥檙e feeling thirsty, you鈥檙e already dehydrated,鈥 says 新加坡六合彩开奖结果 College of Nursing Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Doctoral Studies Linnea M. Axman, DrPH. 鈥淣ot everyone knows that.鈥澨
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Another lesser-known fact is that听if you鈥檙e hungry, you might actually be thirsty. So, to go for a full feeling, especially if you鈥檙e moving toward weight-loss goals, try to slake your thirst first.
Here, we鈥檒l break down the pros and cons of four go-to options, with tips on听how to get more hydration听into your daily rotation.
H3 Headline
Water
Pros: Water is the听. Water is听caffeine-, calorie- and sugar-free, and it鈥檚 readily available. Need a strategy for making sure you get more? Axman has you covered.
鈥淲hen I was in the Navy, we would actually set an alarm to drink water,鈥 she says.
Other strategies? Start the morning off with a glass of water or fill a water bottle and take it with you everywhere. If you don鈥檛 like plain water, add lemon or lime or infuse a pitcher with pomegranates and oranges or strawberries and mint. (Just make sure you wash the fruit to avoid germs.)
Cons: While it is theoretically possible to drink too much water, it鈥檚 unusual. It鈥檚 more likely that the average healthy adult will not drink enough water, Axman says.听
Coffee
Pros: Coffee is high in antioxidants and high in vitamin B. Recent studies even found that听. And coffee may lower risk for heart disease and liver problems.
鈥淐offee is a stimulant, so if that鈥檚 what you鈥檙e using it for, that鈥檚 OK,鈥 Axman says.
Cons: There鈥檚 a big but. Coffee is a diuretic, so at a certain point it will stop adding to our fluid intake and subtract from it instead. Plus, all that caffeine accumulates in the brain, Axman says, which can start messing with sleep. The coffee you鈥檙e swigging to stay awake may actually keep you awake at inopportune times.
Axman suggests this: If you鈥檙e unable to sleep through the night, or if you feel nervous and jittery, dial down the coffee intake to see if that helps 鈥 especially if you add sugar or sweetener to your coffee. Experts recommend no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is roughly four cups max.
Tea
Pros: If you鈥檙e looking for an energy boost without all the caffeine of coffee, tea is a good bet. Black tea has roughly half the caffeine of coffee, while green tea hovers around one-third. Many caffeinated and herbal teas contain antioxidants, which help reduce risk of disease, including听.
Cons: Too much tea may lead to digestive or GI issues. Additionally, there are many types of tea 鈥 and claims about them 鈥 so it鈥檚 important to know who鈥檚 putting the claim out there, Axman advises. It鈥檚 also important to understand the different types of herbal tea.
鈥淪ome will truly make you sleepy. If you need to study, don鈥檛 drink chamomile or passionflower tea,鈥 she says.
Energy drinks
Pros: Some energy drinks have the herbal extract ginseng, which听, especially mental alertness.
Cons: Some energy drinks may have up to 300 milligrams of caffeine in addition to up to 12 teaspoons of sugar plus a supplement called guarana,听which also contains caffeine. That means total caffeine and total sugar for an entire day might be consumed in just one can!
That said, not all energy drinks are created equal. 鈥淲hat I would say is that we can鈥檛 make a monster 鈥 ha-ha 鈥 out of all energy drinks. They have their place occasionally,鈥 Axman says. (Has anyone out there pulled an all-nighter for a big paper?) 鈥淏ut if consumed regularly and in high quantity, energy drinks may affect sleep quality and contribute to heart problems, diabetes and stress or inflammation.鈥
In the end, Axman advises consumers to read labels of what they鈥檙e drinking just as they should for what they鈥檙e eating. 鈥淢ake an educated decision. Sometimes you need a get-me-over and that鈥檚 OK,鈥 she says. 鈥淎s the saying goes, 鈥楨verything in moderation.鈥欌
And that includes all-nighters.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A journalist-turned-marketer, Laurie Davies has been writing since her high school advanced composition teacher told her she broke too many rules. She has worked with 新加坡六合彩开奖结果 since 2017, and currently splits her time between blogging and serving as lead writer on the University鈥檚 Academic Annual Report. Previously, she has written marketing content for MADD, Kaiser Permanente, Massage Envy, UPS, and other national brands. She lives in the 新加坡六合彩开奖结果 area with her husband and son, who is the best story she鈥檚 ever written.听
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Dr. Raelene Brooks, dean of the College of Nursing, has been a registered nurse for more than 25 years and practiced extensively in the areas of ICU, trauma and critical care. Her publications include a focus on nursing education, critical care and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a leader in creating, guiding and launching innovative curriculum.
This article has been vetted by 新加坡六合彩开奖结果's editorial advisory committee.听
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