The importance of water:

Why is drinking water the most important thing you can do for your health right now?

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.

The importance of water

Every cell, tissue, and organ of your body is dependent on water.

Water is essential for all the functions of your body such as digestion, absorption, circulation and transport, temperature regulation, and many others.

In fact, your body is made of ~70% water

The body uses four electrically charged minerals, called electrolytes, to manage the fluids in the body, in and outside the cells. This balance is so important that the body uses up to 50% of daily energy to control this process. This means that half of how much energy you spend in a day is used to control water in your body.

Signs of dehydration

Not only thirst is a sign of dehydration. The body may signal a need for water in many different ways. These are the most common

  • Headaches and migraines

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness, brain fog, depression

  • Urinary tract infections

  • Dry skin

  • Constipation

  • Stomach pain

  • Dark urine

  • Asthma, or allergies

  • High blood pressure

  • High cholesterol

  • Excess body weight

  • Sleeplessness

  • Decreased immunity

  • Heart disease

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Acid reflux

  • Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Benefits of enough water

Drinking enough water helps every process of your body running smoothly.

Enough water means about 35mL per kilogram of bodyweight.

All this water may come through drinking water, or eating water (vegetables and fruit).

Doing this with consistency helps you with

  • Less stress and better mood

  • Better hormonal health

  • Improved cognitive and physical performances

  • Healthy skin

  • Regular bowel movements

  • More energy

  • Manage a balanced weight

  • Lubricated joints and less pain

  • Boosted detoxification through the liver and kidneys, resulting in more refreshed mornings at wake up time.

Hydration tips

  • Start your day with a big glass of water with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of a lemon.

  • Carry a water bottle always with you. You may add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt in it to increase absorption

  • Check out your urine colour as an indication of your hydration status. Normal urine should be clear to light yellow colour.

  • Water from plants hydrates more efficiently than tap water. So, eating plenty of vegetables helps with hydration much more than glasses of water.

  • Coffee, tea, alcohol, and carbonated drinks increase the need for water because they are diuretic. Therefore, minimising or removing them is the best action to maximise your hydration.

  • Drink at least one green smoothie every day

Water challenge

Are you ready to experience all the benefits of a hydrated body?

Preparation: get a 500mL water bottle, and make sure to always have it within reach. One full bottle of this is equivalent to two glasses. Also make sure to have a steady supply of fruit for even stronger hydration properties. These are the best in terms of hydration: watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, apple, pears, grapes.

The challenge is the following (or just follow the pdf below):

  • Drink three of these water bottles along one day (6 glasses - only water allowed!).

  • First morning glass is with squeezed lemon and a pinch of sea salt

  • Eat at least one hydrating fruit per day (more in the pdf).

  • Add 1tsp of grounded chia/pumpkin/sunflower/flax seeds in the water to improve water retention and slower release for the body.

You can download and print the following pdf to track your water intake. Tick the the water intake once you have completed it

Download

Did you know?

  • your brain is 75% water, therefore even a slight loss of water may impact mood and cognitive abilities.

  • Joints contain hyaluronic acid that is a substance which is very good at retaining water. This allows joints to move smoothly, with less friction and to absorb shocks

  • Thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

  • We lose approximately 250-500mL of water every day just by breathing.

  • Even a 1% drop in hydration can manifest as fatigue.

  • It takes three litres of water to produce one-litre bottle of water.

  • Pure liquid water intake from desert dwellers like the Bedouins is just one litre of water per day. The rest comes from goat milk and other foods.

Marco Caspani

Last update: 12/05/25

Sources

Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration - Dana Cohen MD, Gina Bria