The Importance Nutrition & Hydration
What we eat and drink is extremely important in contributing towards our health. Not only are food and drink choices important but the preparation methods, quantities, the manner and time at which we consume them and the purpose. It is important that we enjoy the food and drinks we consume but also that we consume them at appropriate times, in the right portions but also as appropriate to our needs.
It can be easy to overlook healthy choices that promote adequate nutrition and hydration due to our busy lifestyles or other circumstances and sometimes prioritising other areas of our lives.
I felt this was the perfect time to share with you on this subject matter as it is Nutrition and Hydration Week 2017 (13th – 19th March).
Nutrition and Hydration Week is a global event that “aims to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally… as a fundamental element of maintaining the health and well-being for our global community.”
My first port of call was to share with you the importance of hydration.
Drink Up
Did you know that approximately 60-75% of the body is made up of water? Water is a very important nutrient, vital to the sustainability of human life and we lose large amounts of it every day though breathing and sweat, among other ways.
Water is important:
To eliminate waste (e.g. through sweat and urine).
To carry nutrients around the body
To regulate the bodies temperature
For chemical reactions (e.g. cerebrospinal fluid)
These are some of the key reasons why good hydration is extremely important.
Dehydration on the other hand;
Impairs cognitive function (alertness, concentration, reaction time),
Lowers the immune system function,
Causes headaches
Tends to make us feel tired more easily.
With regards to dehydration, thirst alone is not a good indicator, as by the time you feel thirsty, you are already likely to be slightly dehydrated. So try to give yourself the best start and aim to begin the day hydrated.
How can I check my hydration status?
There is no ‘gold standard’ method of measuring hydration status. However, urine colour is a commonly used way. The simplest and most practical way that you can measure hydration status with reasonable accuracy is by checking the colour of your urine. The paler it is, the more hydrated you are and the darker it is, the more dehydrated.
To make it easy you can use compare the colour of your urine to a pee chart, which can easily be found online. Once you have used a pee chart a few times, you will be able to tell without using the chart whether you are likely to be well hydrated or dehydrated. Practice makes perfect.
PEE Chart (adapted from kidneypatientguide.org.uk, 2006)
Not a fan of plain water?
Try sparkling water or add a slice of lemon, lime or fruit juice for flavour. The government recommends that we drink 6-8 glasses of fluid a day with recommended drinks including;
Low fat milk (children under two years old should drink whole milk as it is important for them to get all necessary calories, which they might not get from low-fat milks).
Unsweetened 100% fruit juices/smoothies (these provide a range of beneficial vitamins and minerals but also contain free sugars. We are recommended to drink a maximum of 150 ml only a day.
Tea and coffee
Sugar free drinks
These all count towards daily fluid intake too.
What are Free sugars? - Free sugars are defined as the type of sugars that are added to food, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices, not sugars in milk products and whole fruit & vegetables. Action on Sugar, 2017
NHS Choices, 2017
To maintain hydration, try to drink plenty of water, sipping throughout the day rather than drinking just when you are thirsty. Water is a calorie free, healthy and cheap way to stay hydrated. What more could you ask for; Drink Up!
For those in need of calories for various reasons, there are various other drinks, such as those previously mentiond that would count towards fluid intake whilst providing necessary calories; make sure these are still healthy and nutritious options
Join in on ‘Thirsty Thursday’ as part of the Nutrition and Hydration Week to promote good hydration.
The focus of Nutrition and Hydration Week was originally directed towards the improvement of nutrition and hydration across health and social care, but has recently encouraged and attracted involvement from a range of sectors and organisations promoting the importance of nutrition and hydration throughout the week.
To show your support for Nutrition and Hydration Week 2017, join their thunderclap
Nutrition and Hydration Week promote 10 Key Characteristics for Good Nutritional Care which can be viewed in a video here:
Sources:
For more personalised guidance on nutrition, hydration and overall wellbeing, contact us here.
