YOUR 2025 BRAIN BRAWN • MINI RESOLUTION HYDRATION • WEEK 1

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We hope you had a nice weekend! We are ready for July’s mini resolution and next up, we have water on tap—pun intended!
 
This month, our goal is to stay well-hydrated by drinking 8 cups of water per day and keeping an eye on our urine color & odor as a simple indicator of hydration.
 
Ideally, well-hydrated urine should be the color of lemonade or light beer, with only a mild odor. If it’s noticeably darker, has a strong smell, or if you’re urinating infrequently, dehydration may be setting in. Optional: For those who want a more scientific approach, you can use urine-specific gravity test strips to assess hydration (you can search Google or Amazon for a kit if you are so inclined!).


Track Your Hydration!
 
This month, our mini resolution is to drink 8 cups of water per day, as well as to pay attention to the color of our urine.
 
We urge you to stick with all our past mini resolutions, too. Use our new log to to track your progress!
 
Questions? Email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected].
 
If you are new to Motivated Mondays, you can review the 2025 content here.


You might be wondering what staying well-hydrated has to do with cognitive decline. As it turns out, quite a lot!

HYDRATION AND BRAIN HEALTH

The brain is about 80% water, and even a modest reduction in total body water—just 1–2%—can impair cognitive performance.
 
This effect is even more pronounced in older adults.
 
In fact, dehydration-related delirium is often considered in the differential diagnosis when an older adult presents symptoms resembling Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia.

This is especially significant given that adults over 65 account for 35% of all hospital admissions for dehydration—a number that has been increasing by 6% annually. (Next week, we’ll explore why older adults are particularly prone to dehydration.)


DEHYDRATION
 
What about those who are chronically dehydrated? This may include people who are physically active, take multiple medications, spend time outdoors, live in warm climates, or simply don’t enjoy drinking water.
 
Whatever the cause, chronic dehydration increases the risk of long-term cognitive decline that may not be reversible even after rehydration.

Research shows that dehydration can contribute to the buildup of misfolded proteins (such as amyloid) in the brain, which disrupts communication between brain cells.
 
Dehydration may even accelerate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

SO, HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I BE DRINKING TO MAINTAIN DAILY HYDRATION?

The National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) general recommendation for adults is 13 cups a day from both fluids AND food.
 
However, individual needs vary significantly. Variables impacting how much water an individual needs (more or less) to consume each day vary according to:
 

• Age
• Gender
• Weight
• Activity level
• Medical conditions
• Medications
• Altitude
• Climate

 

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE
 
It’s also important to remember that overhydration (AKA hyponatremia) can impact cognitive function, just like dehydration. That’s why becoming familiar with your urine—its color, frequency, and odor—is such a helpful tool in gauging your hydration status.
 
For any personal medical concerns, we always encourage you to reach out to your concierge physician.
 
Now that we’re paying closer attention to our urine, here are some signs that may warrant medical attention:

• Persistent changes in color
• Strong or unusual odor
• Pain, burning, or discomfort during urination
• Foam or bubbles
• Presence of blood
• A noticeable increase or decrease in urination frequency

If your urine is consistently darker than expected, there may be a range of contributing factors. Keep in mind that urine can also appear red, brown, purple, or green due to foods, supplements, medications, or infections, not just hydration status.

See you next week to explore aging and dehydration!