We all know it's important to drink our water... but how much water should we truly be getting? What happens to our brains when we're dehydrated? Do TBI survivors need more water than others? And is there a prime time to drink water? Let's get down to business and answer these together!
Throughout my recovery, it was never capitalized how truly important nutrition and hydration were until later down the road. After doing many hours of research I was quick to understand that every cell in our bodies depends on water to help perform chemical reactions. In the same sense, dehydration affects the entire body and can exhibit signs such as muscle cramps, memory fog, hormone changes, and emotional irregularity. In addition, several studies suggest that TBI survivors are more prone to dehydration- making water intake more important than ever during recovery!
Let's go back to the beginning... When a brain injury happens, the brain goes into survival mode, activating the "inflammatory process" and remains that way until your brain feels as though your body is balanced and safe again. Hydration helps aid in this balancing act and helps get our brains out of the initial inflammatory process. The simple step of keeping our bodies and brains hydrated could ultimately help aid in a faster recovery time.
How much water should we be drinking? Well, that's different for everyone and is dependent on body mass. Studies suggest that our bodies and brains require half of our body weight in ounces of water daily to generate proper function of all of our organs.
For me, this fluctuated throughout recovery as my weight shifted. But what I was never told, was that our brains can sometimes use an extra boost in hydration, especially with being a TBI survivor. I now drink about 80% of my body weight in water daily, and this seems to be the sweet spot for my active lifestyle.
Did you know that the time in which you drink your water matters? ... ya, me neither!
A fun fact for you, your liver detoxifies every morning; the water you consume in the morning helps to support and assist your liver with flushing out toxins from your system. Therefore, when waking up every morning do so with 10-20oz of water. TBI survivors and those working through the recovery process should aim to have their total ounces consumed by late afternoon so that water intake won't disrupt your sleep patterns.
When I started incorporating this practice, it took me a good few weeks to get used to it. Eventually, it became a part of my daily routine and I could quickly tell when I hadn't gotten my daily water intake! It was crazy to me that something so simple could make such a significant impact.
Challenge yourself today and start recording how much water you're getting vs. how much you need!
