Nutrition, Diet and Health Tips

Stay hydrated, not dehydrated or over hydrated;

Drinking water is a perceived norm that unfortunately is not as common as we think. Every other day I meet people, friends, clients or even strangers that are amazed by my big (not so big, it’s only 2 litres) water bottle.

‘ You’ll take all that water?” Is a common question that I am kinda getting used to and I always reply with, ‘ yes and probably do more ‘ and this shocks them even further- not bragging though.

Some of the reasons that people have for not drinking enough water – we’ll get to what’s enough in a minute – is that they are either not used to it or water is “tasteless”- it has no flavour. Others will give the weather as an excuse and you immediately wonder the way Kenya has sun throughout the year does that even make sense really? But ooh well, it is well.

If you’re one of those people who are looking for reasons as to why you should be drinking enough water, here are some of my reasons;

* I love me some glowing skin – having had a problematic skin, I appreciate the role of proper hydration in cellular health which eventually translates to a glowing skin. Also a girl is not trying to get them wrinkles at this early stage so we have to keep up with the sips lol.

* Hydration is great for your metabolic health – The chemical, electrical and hormonal mediated reactions that go on in your body every single second use water either as a solvent, a medium or even a reactant. So been properly hydrated is very important for your general well being. It dictates how good your digestion system works ( which includes breakdown of foods, absorption, assimilation and excretions). So take your fluids well.

* Water is great for joint health and for someone who’s physically active ( we all should purpose to be by the way), taking enough water is a must if you are to enjoy the benefits of your workout. You don’t want to have serious muscle cramps or joint abrasions because of not been well hydrated do you?

Now that we have mentioned the benefits of taking enough water, what exactly guides the amount of water you need to be taking a day?

✅ Your energy or Nutrient requirements – for every Kcal you’ll need one ml of water for effective utilisation. In simple terms, if you’re required to have 2100 kcals a day like me, the least amount of water you should be taking is 2100mls which is 2.1litres.

✅ The second thing is physical activity, when you’re working out, your metabolism is heightened so your losses are increased and that is why you sweat and this comes out with water from the body, so you’ll need at least 500mls extra if your workout routine targets 500kcals or more.

✅ Weather, which for me, Kenyans literally have no right complaining about cold weather, even in the cold season we still have episodes of sun through the day. The hotter your region, the more water you’ll need again because of fastened metabolism.

✅ BMI or weight which can be merged with caloric or Nutrient needs because it’s a determinant but let’s just talk about it briefly. The higher your BMI the more water you’ll need.

✅ Presence or absence of disease. If you’re on medication it’s wise to make sure you’re well hydrated to aid in toxin elimination from the drug residues and also help your kidneys do their work well. Another thing, some conditions like uncontrolled blood sugars, blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions might limit or increase the amount of water you’ll need as an individual. So it’s always wise to make sure that you’re taking enough for you, not your neighbour, or your spouse or even friend.

Yes it’s very easy to go overboard especially if you love water like me, but it’s not a common occurrence. Most people who seem to be overhydrated are those doing fasting and this is why.

Because of the body’s desire to eat, most people overcompensate with drinking more water than they actually need ( reduced calories, physical activity reduces need).

This can be dangerous because it leads to loss of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium and more which can be life threatening.

How do you know you’re overhydrated?

You know you are over hydrated when your pee is as clear as the water you’re drinking and if this happens slow down, add some solutes ( potassium, you can have a banana, some nuts or even add some salt to your next glass). It’s never that serious so don’t kill yourself trying to prove a fasting point 💯

I hope this helped, if it did please give it a like and give me a subscription on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@muminawellnesssolutions4559

I create relatable, realistic and evidence based health and Nutrition content and I drop a video weekly. https://www.youtube.com/@muminawellnesssolutions4559

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Thanks for reading, as always love and light 💖💖💯💯❤️

Lilian Mumina
Registered Dietitian
Mumina Wellness Solutions