How To Stay Hydrated With These 12 Easy Habits

“Everything in your body depends on optimal hydration, from organ function to hormone balance,” explains Los Angeles-based nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. “When you’re hydrated, your joints are lubricated, your skin is nourished, and your hair follicles can grow healthfully.” And when you’re not? Not only will skin be less lustrous and hair more brittle, but energy lags, detoxification slows down, and digestion is delayed. “As matter starts to build and accumulate in your system, it weighs you down – you feel heavier and less energised.”

Rhian Stephenson, a nutritionist, naturopath and founder of Artah, points out that being dehydrated can lead to stress. “Even subtle changes in hydration can lead to impaired energy production in the brain, alongside changes in mood and cognition, feelings of anxiety, depression and poor sleep quality,” she says. “Not to mention, slight decreases in total body water can significantly elevate cortisol, our stress hormone.” Drinking plenty of water, as well as tweaking your diet to promote hydration, can go a long way toward a healthier day-to-day.

What are the signs of dehydration?

“Early signs include thirst, dark-coloured urine, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and dry mouth or lips,” explains nutritional therapist Farzanah Nasser. “You may also notice reduced concentration and low energy,” she adds. You may even suffer from constipation, and in extreme cases, you can start to feel muscle cramps or notice your heartbeat quicken. “Checking your urine daily is an easy habit to adopt,” shares Nasser. “A pale, straw colour usually indicates good level of hydration.”

How much water should we drink a day?

“There isn’t a single rule that fits everyone,” Nasser cautions. “A helpful guide is around 1.5 to 2 litres of fluids per day, and more if you’re active, pregnant, breastfeeding, unwell, or live in a hot climate.” This includes all fluids, such as herbal teas and broth – not just plain water.

What about other drinks to hydrate

While water is obviously key, other foods and drinks contribute to your daily intake. “Fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as cucumber, watermelon, oranges and berries, also support hydration,” Nasser shares.

What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge and help to regulate fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle function. The main ones are sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. They play a key role in keeping fluids in the right place, inside and outside cells.

Do we need to supplement electrolytes?

“Most people get enough electrolytes from a balanced diet,” says Nasser. “You may benefit from extra electrolytes if you’re exercising intensely, sweating heavily, fasting, travelling in hot climates, or unwell with vomiting or diarrhoea.”

That said, anecdotally, many people do see an improvement in energy and concentration when supplementing with electrolytes.

Is it possible to drink too much water?

It is possible, though rare. “Drinking too much can dilute sodium levels in the blood (a condition called hyponatraemia), which can cause headaches, nausea and confusion,” Nasser says. Usually, this only happens when people drink very large volumes of water in a short space of time, without replacing electrolytes – such as during extreme exercise or endurance events.

Tips for staying hydrated

Individualise your intake

Eight glasses of water per day is the oft-touted benchmark, but according to Snyder, we should be taking a more individual approach. She says the appropriate daily intake is dependent on your individual activity level, as well as factors like how hot it is outside. As a general rule of thumb, Snyder says that women need around 1.7 litres of water daily, while men need around 3.7 litres. If you want a more bespoke quota to aim for: “Drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh every day,” says Snyder.

Supplement with electrolytes

While drinking water is obviously key to staying hydrated, if you don’t have adequate electrolyte levels, it won’t be enough. “In fact, drinking too much water without sufficient electrolytes can just exacerbate the issue,” explains Stephenson. “Things like coffee and alcohol can disrupt electrolyte balance, and even some of the things we perceive as healthy can cause electrolyte loss – think exercise, sweating and low-carb diets.” She recommends her own Artah Cellular Hydration, which contains potassium, calcium, vitamin C and magnesium to replenish your electrolyte store and promote physical and mental energy.

Drink water at room temperature

“I always tell my clients how important it is to drink room-temperature water,” says Snyder, who emphasises that it’s more hydrating than cold water, as your body has to spend more energy to bring cold water to a temperature it can absorb, which results in water loss. Furthermore, icy water can cause the blood vessels in your stomach to shrink slightly, hindering the digestion process and thus slowing hydration.

Hydrate first thing in the morning

Starting the day by replenishing fluids is the key to daily hydration, Snyder says. “We often get dehydrated overnight,” she explains. “Hydrating in the morning will give you more energy and set you up for a day of success.” If you want to take it to the next level, drink a cup of hot water with a squeeze of liver-supporting lemon. “It’s filled with vitamin C and helps support your cleansing process,” Snyder says.

Carry a water bottle

“It helps remind you to drink water while you are out and about for the day,” Snyder says. “I’m all for visual and physical cues, like water bottles that remind you to drink up,” says Snyder.

Stanley AeroLight IceFlow Drinks Bottle

Drink between meals instead of during

“Too much liquid with meals dilutes your digestive juices and can delay dehydration,” says Snyder. Instead, drink significant quantities of water between meals and throughout the day – holding off at least half an hour before your meals, and an hour following meals.

Eat water-rich foods

“Obviously, water is the first and most obvious source of hydration, but there are some great vegetables you can eat that will help keep you hydrated,” Snyder says. Her number one favourite is cucumber, which is high in enzyme-charged water, B vitamins, nutrients, electrolytes, and silica. Another is celery, which is packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep the body refreshed and skin glowing, she says.

Compensate for caffeine and alcohol

Both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics. To ensure you stay hydrated, compensate with additional liquids. “If you opt to have a glass of one or the other, follow it with another full glass of water to work towards balancing yourself back out.”

Herbal teas

Nasser’s favourites include nettle, for its range of minerals, and ginger for gut mobility and to prevent bloating between meals. Hibiscus and tulsi are also Nasser-approved, due to being high in Vitamin C and great for stress relief. In the afternoons, she’ll reach for liquorice to help boost her energy, or lemon balm to calm her nervous system.

Increase your intake of magnesium and potassium-rich foods

Potassium-rich foods – which are naturally full of electrolytes – include leafy greens, courgettes, avocados, potatoes, mushrooms and bananas, while those rich in magnesium include spinach, chickpeas, almonds, tuna, legumes and raw cacao.

Drink coconut water

“For centuries, people in Southeast Asian and Pacific Island countries have been drinking the water from young coconuts for hydration,” Snyder explains. “It’s one of the best ways to replace the water and electrolytes the body gives off in hot climates.”

Cut back on ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods have been getting a lot of attention in the media recently – they have been linked to 32 negative health outcomes, from higher risk of cancer and heart disease to diabetes and poor mental health. They’re also “unnaturally high in sodium and sugar, and low in water – the perfect storm when it comes to dehydration”, explains Stephenson. “They have also been shown to increase inflammation, which also affects our hydration status.”