How to Rehydrate Your Body

Do you know how to rehydrate your body when you first show symptoms of dehydration? Check out our rehydration guide and learn how Herhydration can help. 

How much water have you had to drink today? If you don’t know, you’re certainly not alone! Many of us pay little attention to our body’s rehydration needs. It could be because we think our body will let us know when it’s time to get a drink. As long as we drink when we’re thirsty, we should be good, right? Unfortunately, that’s now how proper hydration works.   

The trouble with only drinking water when we’re thirsty is that by the time our body sends us the signal that it wants water, we’re already dehydrated. So instead of relying on our thirst cues, we need to be proactive about drinking water throughout the day. 

We have some advice for keeping your body properly hydrated. From figuring out your water intake needs to taking electrolyte supplements (such as Herhydration), here’s what you need to know about how to rehydrate quickly. 

To rehydrate means to replace the fluids your body has lost through sweating, urination, etc. Though plain water is generally the best choice for your rehydration needs, you may also need to replace any electrolytes your body has lost. Electrolytes are essential minerals that do some pretty important things in your body (such as helping your muscles contract and keeping your cells electrically neutral). 

Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy for the body to lose electrolytes through urine, sweat, diarrhea, and vomit. So whether you’re sick with the stomach flu or running a marathon, you should pay just as much attention to your electrolyte replacement needs as you do to your rehydration needs. Endurance athletes should be particularly careful about keeping fluid intake up because they are more susceptible to excessive sweat loss and heat exhaustion.  

So to sum things up, rehydrating means putting fluids directly into your body to replace lost fluids. You can rehydrate by drinking fluids or by taking advantage of effective IV hydration methods. 

Does it really matter if our body water levels are a little bit lower than normal, or can we just “power through” symptoms of dehydration for a while? Well, that depends on how much we care about the health of our organs and cells.   

Even though our bodies are remarkable and won’t immediately shut down if we’re mildly dehydrated for a few hours, going without sufficient fluids for too long will eventually take a serious toll on our health. 

Consider the fact that water makes up approximately 60% of your body weight. If your water level drops by just 1.5%, you’re technically dehydrated. Unfortunately, a lot of us are walking around every day with chronic dehydration because we’re simply not drinking enough water regularly. Chronic dehydration has been linked to kidney stones, urinary tract infections, decreased kidney function, intestinal failure, and hypertension. 

Moderate to severe dehydration is even more serious and can wreak a lot more havoc on your body systems. As the human body becomes severely dehydrated, the brain begins to shrink, the kidneys stop filtering the blood effectively, blood pressure drops, and your body can no longer regulate its internal temperature effectively. These changes can be life-threatening if rehydration doesn’t happen immediately. 

If you are dealing with mild dehydration, you can potentially rehydrate your body in as little as 45 minutes by drinking plenty of water (at least 20 ounces). If you’re suffering from moderate dehydration, your body will likely need a few hours to recover while you rehydrate with both water and electrolytes. Coconut water contains a lot of electrolytes, which is why it’s a highly recommended rehydration drink for moderately dehydrated people. 

For those with severe dehydration from excessive fluid loss, emergency medical attention is necessary. With severe dehydration, oral rehydration may not be sufficient to rapidly hydrate the body. IV hydration may be required to quickly reverse symptoms and avoid serious health repercussions. 

It’s easy to become dehydrated without even realizing it. So what should you do if you have a dry mouth, feel excessively thirsty, are fatigued, or have any other dehydration symptoms? 

Remember, drinking water is the best solution for most people who need to rehydrate. Don’t reach for sodas, fruit juices, or other sugary drinks. They’ll only make things worse. Soda with caffeine is especially harmful if you’re dehydrated because it is a diuretic and will actually cause even more water loss. That’s the opposite of what you need when you’re already shriveling like a prune. 

You can also rehydrate by choosing hydrating foods that have a lot of water in them (such as cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and fresh fruits). These types of foods will help improve your hydration status and your overall health. 

Quick, what’s the best drink for rehydration? If you answered “water,” you’ve been paying attention! If you answered “sports drinks,” you still have a lot to learn about optimal types of oral rehydration. While it’s true that sports drinks contain essential electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium), they also contain lots of sugar (which can be dehydrating!) 

There are better sources of electrolytes you can turn to when you’ve lost too many fluids from sweating, vomiting, or urinating too much. Herhydration is an optimal oral rehydration solution because it contains electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. But what it doesn’t contain is almost as important as what it does contain. You won’t find a speck of sugar in the product. It’s sweetened with stevia and organic fruit and only contains natural ingredients. 

Another great drink for rehydration is milk. Milk contains sodium, along with a host of other nutrients that can boost your health and energy levels after a short bout of dehydration. But if you’re not a fan of the high calorie content of milk, you may want to stick with water.  

Staying hydrated doesn’t have to be a chore. But you will have to give some thought to how much water your body needs each day, then make sure you drink that amount. To be honest, it’s pretty difficult to calculate exactly how much water you need, because the amount can vary from day to day. Your activity level, the weather conditions, and the type of clothing you wear can all determine how much fluid you lose on any given day. 

So instead of coming up with a firm number of ounces you need to drink, take a look at your urine each time you use the restroom. If it’s dark yellow, that’s a clear indication that you need more water. If it’s pale or clear, you’re doing a great job at staying hydrated!

The health benefits of staying hydrated are almost too numerous to count. But we’re going to give it a try anyway! If you take good care of your body and give it the fluids it needs to function optimally, you can expect to benefit from the following:

• Clearer skin
• Better regulation of body temperature
• More energy
• Improved digestion and “regularity”
• More efficient waste removal and blood filtering
• Improved joint lubrication
• Improved cholesterol levels
• Decreased hunger
• Lower blood pressure
• Improved kidney health and function
• Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke

A hydrated body looks and feels so much better than a dehydrated body. So get yourself a glass of water and mix a delicious packet of Herhydration in it, girl! For even more hydration and wellness tips, visit Mixhers resources and browse through our educational articles.