Hydration Archives - Cronometer Blog https://cronometer.com/blog/category/hydration/ Eat smart. Live better. Fri, 24 Nov 2023 20:38:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://cronometer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-crono-favicon-32x32.png Hydration Archives - Cronometer Blog https://cronometer.com/blog/category/hydration/ 32 32 Episode 15: Discovering Hydration with Quench Author Dr. Dana Cohen https://cronometer.com/blog/episode-15-discovering-hydration-with-quench-author-dr-dana-cohen/ Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:52:03 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/episode-15-discovering-hydration-with-quench-author-dr-dana-cohen/ In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Dr. Dana Cohen, co-author of the life-changing book “Quench.” We delve into the science of hydration, discuss how modern lifestyles contribute to dehydration, and explore affordable ways to stay hydrated. Dr. Cohen also shares her insights on the relationship between hydration and concussions, and why it’s crucial […]

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In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Dr. Dana Cohen, co-author of the life-changing book “Quench.” We delve into the science of hydration, discuss how modern lifestyles contribute to dehydration, and explore affordable ways to stay hydrated. Dr. Cohen also shares her insights on the relationship between hydration and concussions, and why it’s crucial to listen to your body’s cues.

Key Discussion Points:

  • The science behind “gel water” and its importance in hydration.
  • How modern lifestyles, including screen time, contribute to dehydration.
  • Affordable and accessible ways to stay hydrated.
  • The role of hydration in treating and preventing concussions.
  • The importance of listening to your body’s cues for thirst.

More About Dr. Dana Cohen:

Key Notes

The video features an interview with Dr. Dana Cohen, co-author of the book “Quench,” which focuses on the importance of hydration for overall health. The discussion covers various topics, including:

  1. Importance of Hydration: Dr. Cohen emphasizes that hydration is not just about drinking water but also about how the body utilizes it. She discusses the concept of “gel water” found in fruits, vegetables, and smoothies.

  2. Modern Lifestyle and Dehydration: The conversation touches on how modern lifestyles, including screen time and air conditioning, can contribute to dehydration.

  3. Affordability and Accessibility: Dr. Cohen acknowledges that fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive but suggests alternatives like frozen options and services.

  4. Concussions and Hydration: Dr. Cohen discusses new research that suggests hydration can play a role in the treatment and prevention of concussions.

  5. Listening to Your Body: Both the host and Dr. Cohen agree that people often ignore their body’s signals for thirst and rely too much on external metrics like smartwatches.

  6. Future Work: Dr. Cohen mentions she is working on a new book that will focus on getting more whole foods into your diet.

  7. Social Media and Technology: Dr. Cohen warns that as technology advances, people may become less attuned to their body’s needs.

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]]> Nutrients that Affect Hydration https://cronometer.com/blog/nutrients-that-affect-hydration/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 22:02:08 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/?p=50083 Nutrient Considerations For Optimal Hydration Hydration is a fundamental aspect of maintaining optimal health and functionality. It is about more than just drinking water; it involves a delicate balance of various nutrients and minerals to ensure that our body’s cells can efficiently absorb and use the water we consume. Here, we delve into the vital […]

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Nutrient Considerations For Optimal Hydration

Hydration is a fundamental aspect of maintaining optimal health and functionality. It is about more than just drinking water; it involves a delicate balance of various nutrients and minerals to ensure that our body’s cells can efficiently absorb and use the water we consume.

Here, we delve into the vital nutrients that play a role in keeping us hydrated.

Water

Unsurprisingly, water is the most critical component of hydration. It is the medium through which all cellular processes occur. Our bodies lose water daily through sweat, urination, breathing, and other metabolic processes. Thus, to stay hydrated, it’s essential to consume adequate amounts of water regularly. The exact amount varies based on individual factors like age, activity level, and climate.

Here’s how you can track water in Cronometer.

Electrolytes

These are minerals with an electric charge, critical for various bodily functions, including maintaining hydration. Key electrolytes include:

  • Sodium: Sodium helps to retain water in the body and maintain proper muscle function. However, too much sodium can lead to dehydration because the body will excrete excess sodium, pulling water out with it.

  • Potassium: This mineral works in tandem with sodium to regulate water balance in our cells. It also plays a significant role in nerve function and muscle contractions.

  • Chloride: Often found in combination with sodium, chloride helps maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside of our cells.

  • Magnesium: Critical for muscle function and energy production, magnesium also impacts the balance of other electrolytes in the body.

  • Calcium: Beyond its role in bone health, calcium is vital for muscle function, nerve signaling, and blood clotting.

In Cronometer, you can easily check your electrolyte intake in your Nutrition Report or Gold subscribers can take advantage of our Electrolyte Nutrition Score. 

Want more information on electrolytes? Read this blog. 

Carbohydrates

While not often associated with hydration, carbohydrates play a role, especially during prolonged physical activity. When carbohydrates are combined with water and electrolytes, they can enhance water absorption in the intestines. This is one reason why sports drinks contain sugars—they help with hydration during intense or prolonged exercise.

Protein

That post-workout protein shake might be helping more than just supporting muscle development – adequate protein intake can help with hydration too, especially after physical activity. Some proteins act as transporters, helping move water and electrolytes into and out of cells. Consuming protein alongside water and electrolytes can aid in rehydration after exercise or in situations where dehydration might occur.

Vitamins

Certain vitamins, particularly the water-soluble ones like B-complex and vitamin C, play a role in hydration. They support enzyme reactions and other processes involved in the movement and balance of water within the body.

Tips for Optimal Hydration

  1. Drink Regularly: Don’t wait until you’re thirsty – this means you’re already dehydrated. Make a habit of sipping water throughout the day; usually after you pee or every 2-3 hours.
  2. Consume Electrolyte-Rich Foods: Bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, and beans are just a few options. We’re also a fan of supplementing electrolytes with brands like LMNT and Halo Hydration.
  3. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol: Both can act as diuretics, leading to increased urine output and potential dehydration.
  4. Mind Your Climate: If you live in or are visiting a hot and humid or very dry area, you’ll likely need to consume more fluids.
  5. Listen to Your Body: Fatigue, dizziness, and dark yellow urine can be signs of dehydration.

In conclusion, while water is the cornerstone of hydration, it’s just one piece of a complex puzzle. To maintain proper hydration, it’s essential to consider a range of nutrients, from electrolytes to carbohydrates and even vitamins. Keeping these nutrients in balance ensures that your body remains hydrated, healthy, and functioning at its best.

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]]> Can You Drink Too Much Water? https://cronometer.com/blog/can-you-drink-too-much-water/ Thu, 18 Aug 2022 18:25:03 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/?p=46007 The Details Of Overhydration If you’re asking yourself “can I drink too much water?”, the answer is yes. We don’t get asked this very often but still see it as an important topic since we’re diving into hydration this August. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of overhydration. How It Happens […]

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The Details Of Overhydration

If you’re asking yourself “can I drink too much water?”, the answer is yes. We don’t get asked this very often but still see it as an important topic since we’re diving into hydration this August. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of overhydration.

How It Happens

Overhydration, or if we want to get technical hyponatremia, occurs when fluid intake exceeds fluid losses through sweat, urine, and respiration. When too much fluid enters the bloodstream, it dilutes blood sodium levels. This can happen if you consume lots of water without replacing the electrolytes.

Athletes are more prone to hypnoatremia than the less active population, but if you’re typically pounding back the H2O all day long, take note!

The Symptoms

Symptoms of hyponatremia in mild cases can include headache, confusion, irritability, light sensitivity, vomiting, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, and altered cognition. People with more severe cases can see seizures, coma, confusion and a loss of consciousness. See a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may have symptoms. 

How To Avoid It

There are a couple ways to make sure you’re not over hydrating. The human body is a lot smarter than we give it credit for and it comes packed with a system that tells you when it needs something. Put trust in your thirst! Drink when you’re thirsty, stop drinking when you feel satisfied.

You can also reduce your risk by keeping an eye on body weight. If you notice that you’re gaining weight over training sessions, you’re probably drinking too much water.

Keep an eye on the colour of your urine as a guide. If your urine is clear like water, hold off on your water intake until you see some yellow colour again.

Adding sodium to your water can also prevent and reverse the symptoms of hyponatremia so it might be time to consider adding electrolytes like Drink LMNT or Nuun to your watering routine!

You can keep an eye on your electrolyte intake (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium) in your Cronometer account and for Gold subscribers, we even have an electrolyte Nutrition Score to give you one quick glance at how you’re hitting your targets for all of those minerals. 

More Info

Curious for more information about hydration, overhydration, electrolytes and more? We chatted to the co-founder of Drink LMNT, Robb Wolf on a recent podcast. Listen to it here.

Or read our latest blogs on the topic:

What’s The Deal With Electrolytes

How To Track Water In Cronometer

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]]> Episode 4: Hydration and the Importance of Electrolytes with Robb Wolf https://cronometer.com/blog/episode-4-hydration-and-the-importance-of-electrolytes-with-robb-wolf/ Wed, 17 Aug 2022 20:37:00 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/?p=48770 In this episode, we chat to Robb Wolf, a former research biochemist and the author of the New York Times Best Seller, The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, discuss the importance of electrolyte consumption for hydration and the performance of all bodily functions. We cover: The critical role of electrolytes in the body The […]

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In this episode, we chat to Robb Wolf, a former research biochemist and the author of the New York Times Best Seller, The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, discuss the importance of electrolyte consumption for hydration and the performance of all bodily functions. We cover:

  • The critical role of electrolytes in the body
  • The impact of electrolytes on physical performance
  • The importance of electrolytes in a ketogenic diet
  • The role of sodium in improving sleep quality
  • The benefits of tracking electrolyte intake using apps like Cronometer

Links:

Key Points

The Importance of Electrolytes: Robb Wolf discusses the critical role of electrolytes, particularly sodium, in the body. He explains that electrolytes are essential for maintaining hydration, nerve and muscle function, and balancing blood acidity and pressure.

Electrolytes and Performance: Wolf highlights the impact of electrolytes on physical performance. He shares his personal experience of improved performance after consuming pickle juice, which is high in sodium. He suggests consuming electrolytes about 10-20 minutes before physical activity for optimal performance.

Electrolytes and Keto Diet: Wolf explains that people following a ketogenic diet need more electrolytes, especially sodium. This is due to the diuresis of fasting, where the body loses sodium and water when insulin levels drop during fasting or low-carbohydrate diets.

Electrolytes and Sleep: Wolf suggests that consuming a small amount of sodium before bed can improve sleep quality, particularly for those who wake up frequently to urinate at night. This is because sodium can downregulate antidiuretic hormones, reducing the need to urinate.

Tracking Electrolyte Intake: Wolf recommends tracking electrolyte intake using apps like Cronometer to ensure adequate consumption. He also suggests being strategic about when and how to consume electrolytes, particularly if consuming a lot of fluids throughout the day.

LMNT Electrolyte Drink: Wolf introduces LMNT, an electrolyte drink he co-founded. He explains that it contains sodium, potassium, and magnesium, and can be consumed before, during, and after workouts for optimal hydration and performance.

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]]> How To: Track Water In Cronometer https://cronometer.com/blog/how-to-track-water-in-cronometer/ Wed, 10 Aug 2022 23:34:27 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/?p=45951 All About Water One of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I track water in my Cronometer account?”. Well, we’re here to guide you through it and answer any other burning questions you might have. So read along to learn about the all-mighty H2O! How To Track Water In Cronometer You can easily […]

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All About Water

One of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I track water in my Cronometer account?”. Well, we’re here to guide you through it and answer any other burning questions you might have. So read along to learn about the all-mighty H2O! 

How To Track Water In Cronometer

You can easily add water to your diary, it’s the same process as adding a food.

1. On the mobile app, press the “+” button

2. Click ‘Add Food”

3. Search for water, edit the amount

4. Click “Add to diary”

And voila! You can set a custom water target in your settings and see your daily progress in your Daily Report or longer term progress in your Nutrition Report. 

The reason we do it this way is because several food listings in our database contain water in their nutrient profiles, and this will also contribute to your water total. This way you’ll get a much more accurate idea of how much you’re actually consuming!

How Much Water Do I Actually Need?

The recommendations are 15.5 cups (3.7 L) per day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 L) per day for women. If you’re sweating a lot during a work out, though, you should try to replace the same amount of fluids that you’ve lost in addition to the general guidelines for water intake. It’s a balance though, there are also risks associated with overhydration.

Total water includes drinking water, water content in beverages, and water that is part of food. We get 20-30% of our daily needs from foods and the rest comes from drinks. It doesn’t all have to be water, though. Coffee, tea and other beverages all count.

Be careful with sugary drinks because although they do contain water, they also add calories without much additional nutrition value.

Want to know how much water you’re actually consuming? Make sure that you’re performing text-based searches for your whole foods and choosing generic listings from the NCCDB database; these will list the water totals in all foods. Also, be sure to do the same when adding water you drank to your Diary – more often than not, branded products don’t include water on the nutrition label so even if you’re drinking straight water (like Dasani) it won’t be included in your total.

Why Is It Important?

Staying hydrated is critical for your body’s performance. Nearly all of your body’s major systems depend on water to function and survive. It helps to regulate body temperature, protects your organs, carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushes out waste in the kidneys, helps dissolve minerals and nutrients so your body can access them and so much more! 

Another part of staying hydrated is keeping your electrolytes in check. Want to know more about electrolytes? Read this blog. 

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]]> What’s The Deal With Electrolytes? https://cronometer.com/blog/whats-the-deal-with-electrolytes/ Wed, 10 Aug 2022 23:16:54 +0000 https://cronometer.com/blog/?p=45916 All About Electrolytes Is it just us or has the word electrolyte been buzzing around for quite some time? A buzz word, you might say. Most of us know about ’em but do we actually know what they are and why we need them? Read on below to find out the nitty gritty details about […]

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All About Electrolytes

Is it just us or has the word electrolyte been buzzing around for quite some time? A buzz word, you might say. Most of us know about ’em but do we actually know what they are and why we need them? Read on below to find out the nitty gritty details about this group of minerals.

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are a group of minerals which include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.

What Do They Do?

These minerals transmit nerve signals in your body through a form of electro-chemical energy. That means they have a positive or negative charge when dissolved in water and can conduct electricity in that state.

Your cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges, allowing your muscles to contract. Those same electrical charges also help with chemical reactions, especially when it comes to hydration and the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells. (1)

Electrolytes control the movement of fluid in your body and help move nutrients into your cells and waste out of your cells. Fluid balance is also responsible for blood pressure.

Why Are They Important?

Sodium

Sodium helps transport other nutrients into the cell, helps with muscle contraction and helps to send signals through nerves. Most of the sodium in our diet comes from store bought packaged foods as well as meals purchased from restaurants. Bread products, cold cuts and cured meats, savory snacks like chips, pretzels and crackers, and cheese contribute the most sodium to our diets on average in the processed and packaged food category.

Magnesium

This mineral plays an important role in assisting enzymes to carry out various chemical reactions in the body such as building proteins and strong bones, and regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, and muscle and nerve functions. Magnesium is also required for energy production (2). Magnesium sources include spinach, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. 

Potassium

This mineral helps maintain fluid balance, aids in muscle contractions and helps to transmit signals through nerves. It is also used to maintain a steady heartbeat. Potassium and sodium are closely linked in the body. If you are low in potassium, your body will hold onto both potassium and sodium ions so you may want to keep an eye on your potassium:sodium nutrient balance, available to our Gold subscribers. Potassium sources include green leafy vegetables, milk, potatoes, fruit and coffee.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. It helps grow healthy bones early in life and minimizes bone loss later in life. Calcium is used when muscles contract, in blood clotting and to send signals from your brain to tissues in your body. Calcium sources include tofu, spinach and dairy products.

Electrolytes & Your Diet

Typically, eating foods throughout the day is enough to keep your electrolyte levels in check. However, if you’ve done a particularly long and hard work out (over 2 hours) or you have sweat a lot, consider using electrolyte supplements to balance your blood sodium levels as you rehydrate.

Electrolyte drinks, gels and powders can also help you replenish electrolytes if you’re dehydrated after an illness causing vomiting or diarrhea.

Tracking Electrolytes

All Cronometer users have access to track the above mentioned electrolytes individually in the minerals section of their Daily Report.

Cronometer Gold subscribers also have access to an electrolyte Nutrition Score, which provides one overall score for how well (or not well) you’re hitting your electrolyte targets. Not a Gold subscriber but want access to our Nutrition Scores? Upgrade today.

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Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) vs. Adequate Intake (AI) vs. Upper Limit (UL)

While the dietary recommendations for calcium and magnesium are well grounded in research, both sodium and potassium do not have the same level of evidence in the Dietary Reference Intakes.

 

Researchers have yet been unable to determine levels of potassium and sodium that are required to prevent symptoms of deficiency directly. Instead, they reviewed national food intake surveys from USA and Canada to establish an adequate intake (AI) value for potassium. An AI is defined as the amount of a nutrient that is assumed to meet the needs of a healthy person without hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

 

One drawback of these surveys is that they use self-reported food intake to estimate nutrient intake. There are well-documented issues with under-reporting food intake for these types of surveys. Therefore, they selected the highest median potassium intake from these surveys on which to base the AI target.

 

The median population intake of sodium is about 3200 mg per day. However, studies have shown benefits from decreasing sodium intake from this level on reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. The AI for sodium was based on the best designed studies of sodium balance they could find. These studies are largely based on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Limiting sodium intake is one part of the DASH diet and does not represent the average American diet. However, they have demonstrated benefits for reducing the risk of high blood pressure and are considered the best studies on which to base the sodium AI.

 

Researchers have not determined a level of potassium or sodium that poses a risk for toxicity symptoms, so there is no tolerable upper limit (UL) set for these nutrients. Due to the benefits of reducing sodium on cardiovascular disease risk, there is a Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) intake level set. CDRR levels are a newer metric in the dietary guidelines that reflect a shift in looking at nutrients as merely preventing deficiencies to a broader approach to optimizing health over our lifetime.

 

Resources

1. Electrolytes, The Cleveland Clinic. Link

2. National Institutes of Health. Link

3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Link

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