The gentle truth: your body doesn’t run on a hydration quota–as with almost everything that we put in our bodies, it is unique to us.

The 8-glasses rule isn’t personalized, and it doesn’t account for real life. Hydration needs change depending on the weather, movement, stress, medications, illness, hormones, access to fluids and whether we are eating adequately. Some days you’ll drink more without trying. Some days you’ll forget. That’s not a problem—it’s being human.

Water can start to feel moralized, just like food—good if you hit the number, bad if you don’t. And sometimes it even gets used to push down hunger or avoid eating, (here’s another blog post about just that!) which can disconnect you further from your body’s cues. Additionally, when someone is not eating adequately, maybe they are eating very small amounts, infrequently throughout the day, or engaging in purging behaviors (with exercise, expelling of food, laxative use etc) their body could become easily depleted of water and consequently become dehydrated.

In some cases, if folks are struggling with their relationship to food, or their body, they may be neglecting signs of dehydration. Those physical signs can include things like dizziness, fatigue, dry lips/mouth, dark colored urine, constipation, and frequent headaches.

Another piece that often gets left out: hydration doesn’t only come from plain water. Coffee, tea, milk, juice, soups, smoothies, and foods all contribute. Preferring flavor, temperature, or variety isn’t a failure—it’s a preference. And this can be a very important piece to remember if you are working towards a hydration goal.

As a reminder that ultimately, as with food intake, water intake will be individual and tailored to you by your dietitian based on your lifestyle and eating behaviours. If you’re looking to start working with a dietitian, reach out to us today! We’re accepting new clients both in person and virtually!