The Importance of Hydration

How important is hydration to your overall health?

Everyone knows that water makes up approximately 60% of the human body. But did you know that If you’ve been doing your squats, drinking lots of coffee (yes, this surprised us too), or lounging out in the sun, you might need to drink more than your regular water intake?

While it’s important for your overall wellbeing, it’s not always easy to stay hydrated. Everyone knows someone who has maybe one or two cups of water a day. Unfortunately, this can disrupt the following important bodily functions:

  • Regulating body temperature
  • Maintaining healthy skin and joints
  • Digesting food
  • Helping the brain function at its best
  • Producing necessary bodily fluids, such as tears and saliva, and remove waste through sweat, urination, and stool.
  • When sick with a virus, proper hydration can help the skin and mucous cell membrane act as a barrier to prevent bacteria from entering the body.  It can also help decrease nasal irritation when coughing, sneezing and even just breathing.

Not only is water critical to keeping your insides healthy, hydration shows on the outside too:

  • Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone: By preventing dehydration, water gives the muscles the ability to expand and contract healthily.
  • Water aids metabolic function: Did you know that drinking lots of water increases your metabolic rate? Drinking lots of water can help those trying to lose weight. 
  • Water promotes healthier skin: Being well-hydrated keeps your skin cells juicy and full, reducing the formation and appearance of wrinkles and creating a youthful radiance. Many dermatologists also cite keeping hydrated as a critical way to combat acne and eczema.

How much water should you have in a day?

It is recommended that an individual consume at least 2 litres of water per day. If you want to get even more specific, you should be drinking at least 1 litre of water for every 20 kg you weigh per day. For example, a person who weighs 80 kg would have a goal to drink 4 litres of water per day. 

It may be a bit hard to drink that much water at first, but you’d be surprised at how much better you feel when you’re properly hydrated!


ANAM Hydration Tips:

Some of us at ANAM HQ struggle with our water intake too. Here are a few tips to get you drinking more H2O:

  • Team accountability: If you work in an office, make a pact with your co-workers to drink a glass of water every hour. There’s nothing quite like colleague camaraderie. 
  • Add a little flavour in your water: This tip came straight from a phlebotomist! Did you know that it’s harder to draw blood when you’re dehydrated? We found this out the hard way and was asked to drink plenty of water before coming back to the blood clinic. If you struggle with the taste, diluting Powerade really helps! Or lemon helps too. 
  • Smart Water Bottles: Uber cool and high-tech, smart water bottles are great for those who simply forget. This one by Botell, for example, measures and tracks every millilitre of water you drink and sends reminders to your smartwatch or phone when you’re not hitting your goals. How cool is that?! 

Staying hydrated is one of many ways we can do to love and take care of our bodies. If you would like to hear more tips from ANAM, sign up for our e-newsletters in our footer, or follow us on our Instagram and Facebook, so you don’t miss a beat!