We all need to stay hydrated, it’s a fact of life. Hydration is not only important but necessary. It’s also very easy to achieve optimal hydration. So why is hydration still so very much talked about, with tips tricks, or solutions? Our minds are sometimes unreliable, and water quality may involuntarily drive us to postpone drinking water.

How To Stay Hydrated

Just drink water, there is not much to it. As simple as this sounds, it’s not really that easy to keep proper hydration. It’s very important to know how much water you need in a day and how to keep track of it, especially if you know you forget to drink.

In general, an average person would need around 2 liters or 8 cups of water a day to be able to stay hydrated. This average quantity of water each day can vary depending on weather, health, and levels of activity.

Make sure you always have a water bottle nearby, one that will encourage you to drink. Some people find it easier to drink water if it has a flavor to it, like lemon, fruit, or flavored sports drinks. Others like to have markers on the bottle that show exactly how much water they have left for the day.

Besides knowing how much water is required to stay hydrated in a day, we also must know when to drink. You can’t force yourself to drink the whole amount of water required in a day first thing in the morning. Those 8 cups need to be spread out throughout the day, offering a steady stream of hydration. More active people will also need more water and even specific drinks providing electrolytes that they lose with sweat.

Water Quality And How It Affects Hydration

Water quality can affect how well you stay hydrated throughout the day. Contaminants in water like iron or chlorine make water taste and smell unusual and this can involuntarily discourage hydration.

Water quality also relates to some pollutants that we cannot detect, like fluoride or lead. But can you know if there’s lead in your water? Testing the water for lead is the only way to find this out. If the results are positive, investing in a water filter to remove it is the next step.

Why Drink More Clean Water?

We need water to maintain many body functions and clean water is essential. Water helps regulate body circulation, maintains the production of fluids like saliva, and can even help vitamin absorption. In the summertime with warmer weather, good hydration contributes to balancing body temperature.

Good hydration and balance in fluid intake also help increase energy levels and curb muscle fatigue. There is a risk of overhydration if you drink too much water, which usually results in more trips to the bathroom. It’s very rare to get water intoxication so don’t limit water intake just yet.

Hydrating with clean water also helps you nourish the largest organ of the body, namely the skin. Nourished skin is not just a reflection of beauty, but it can also help protect the body from external threats.

You need to keep well hydrated with clean water to maintain proper kidney function. The kidneys work as an internal filter against toxins in the body and water is needed for this process. Lack of adequate hydration, or drinking contaminated water, can have negative effects on the kidneys.

A well-hydrated body regulates urination to normal levels. On the other hand, an improperly hydrated body will make the kidneys store more urine and, in essence, not flush toxins adequately. It can even lead to kidney stones forming.

Other body functions are influenced by the quality of water that you consume and it can reflect in the overall quality of life. Digestion is one example where water is proven very helpful, as it promotes the proper functioning of the stomach and colon.

Final Conclusions

Water quality is important for your well-being, so making sure you have clean water to drink is vital. In cases of water source contamination, it’s worth investing in a water filtering system for your home.

The importance of water cannot be underestimated, even with the many sports drink products for athletes. Even if you need electrolytes, a clean water source can be useful in making a home sports drink with salt and lemon.