YOUR 2025 BRAIN BRAWN • MINI RESOLUTION HYDRATION • WEEK 2

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Welcome to Week 2 of our hydration resolution! This week, we’re exploring why dehydration becomes more common as we age and sharing simple strategies to help you stay well-hydrated!


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.

Aging & Dehydration

From an evolutionary perspective, our bodies were built to be their own portable water source. About 80% of our total body water is stored in our muscles—and as we mentioned last week, the brain is about 80% water too, with much of it held in specialized cells called astrocytes. In essence, our bodies are designed to create water reserves we can draw from when hydration is limited, i.e. when faced with reduced water consumption.
 
Our water reserves also function as thirst centers, informing the brain to drink up! But as we age, the number of astrocytes in our brains diminishes, limiting the availability of water to support brain function. In other words, smaller reserves/thirst centers = less signaling to the brain. The icing on the cake? As we age, these signals to our brains register smaller amounts of water as “enough,” further limiting our thirst receptors.
 
Furthermore, age-related reductions in muscle mass mean a smaller water reservoir from which the body can rely on when consumption is inadequate. This loss of muscle mass is exacerbated by inactivity and low protein consumption.
 
Finally, certain medications can increase fluid loss, either intentionally or as a side effect. It is also common for older adults to take multiple medications to treat various conditions, potentiating dehydration even further.
 
The bottom line is that older adults are unlikely to feel thirsty even when they are dehydrated and thus, as discussed last week, dehydration is a common cause of hospital admissions in the elderly. This is why understanding your own urine is so important! Your urine will let you know if you need fluids before your brain will.

Pinkies Up! Creative Ways to Drink More Water



Consciously make it part of your day.

• Start the Day. It is estimated that the average person loses 6 oz. of water during sleep, mostly through sweating and breathing. Starting the day with an 8 oz. cup of water can replenish that deficit.
• Set a timer. Some people forget to drink throughout the day. Setting timers or alarms on your smart phone can help you remember to grab some fluids.
• Log it in your diary. Keeping track of your daily water consumption (as we are here!) can help you connect your symptoms with the amount of water you have consumed so you may determine your ideal daily allotment range.
• Take it with you. Invest in a fun, BPA-free bottle to stay with you when you are on the go. Here are some smart water bottles that remind you to drink water.

If you find water boring, spruce it up.

• Infuse it with fresh fruit like lemons, raspberries, cucumbers, or herbs, like mint or basil.
• Put it on ice but make it fancy. Make ice cubes out of blended fruit and add the cubes to your water.
• Add water enhancers like flavored powders and capsules like Cure. But be sure to read labels for weird ingredients, additives or high sugar content. There’s no sense in making a good thing bad!
• Make it bubbly. Carbonated water works too! Just read the labels for sweeteners and additives if you are buying the flavored variety.
• Add antioxidants. When made fresh, unsweetened green or black iced tea not only tastes refreshing when it hydrates but also adds antioxidants. Bottled, canned and powdered teas lose their antioxidant potency.
• Chill out. Herbal teas (e.g., chamomile, Sleepy Time) can be served hot or cold and function to relax you.
• Get hot. While relaxing in the air conditioning or in the winter, a steaming hot cup of broth does the trick quite nicely.

Eat your water!

Roughly 16% of our daily water intake comes from food. Choosing foods higher in water content can be a better option when trying to stay hydrated. Some options include:

• Celery
• Watermelon and other melons
• Cucumber
• Berries
• Iceberg lettuce
• Citrus fruits
• Tomatoes

Are you feeling thirsty yet? We’ll see you next week to discuss signs of dehydration. Until then, drink up!
 
By the way, if the safety of your water is a concern, you can visit the Environmental Working Group’s webpage, input your zip code and utility company and they will advise you of common contaminants in your water supply, and make recommendations for the type of water filter to purchase.