There is a trick to avoid its drying effect.
Hydration ensures the proper functioning of the kidneys, blood circulation, elimination of waste and toxins, cell renewal, regulation of body temperature… 2.5 liters is the quantity of water required on average by the body each day to be well hydrated and to function properly. This body hydration is on the one hand ensured by food at the rate of approximately one liter, the body still needs to be provided with 1.5 liters of water, hence the importance of drinking enough. But sometimes we become dehydrated without realizing it. Products high in salt or processed can cause water retention and dry out the body (in addition to their other side effects). “I therefore recommend avoiding (except in small doses obviously) cold meats, prepared meals, and bagged cakes.“, underlines Mélodie Dewever Cesari, certified naturopath, specialized in nutrition.
Alcohol also has a very dehydrating effect: we have all already noticed it, when the day after a (too) drunken evening, we wake up with a dry, pasty mouth and a bad headache, signs of a dehydration. “My advice to avoid dehydration: consume the right dose without excess and always drink 1 L of water before and 1 L of water after” to compensate for the drying effect of alcohol. But another drink that some of us drink every day – even several times a day – dehydrates even more and insidiously. The reason? It is diuretic and contains a lot of so-called “ionized” molecules and the more ions there are, the more the osmotic pressure (difference in concentration of the two liquids) increases and the more the kidneys will work harder and eliminate the ions through the urine, which contributes to the intracellular dehydration.
This drink is none other than coffee. To combat this drying effect and maintain water balance, “I therefore recommend drinking a large glass of water before and after coffee to compensate for dehydration“, continues our interlocutor. The waters which hydrate the best are those which have a low osmotic pressure (with few ions) such as Evian©, Volvic© or Perrier©. Last advice: it is also interesting to wait 11 hours to drink his coffee to avoid cortisol (stress hormone) peaks in the morning. “Drinking coffee early in the morning leads to an increase in cortisol, promoting anxiety and stress from the start of the day because cortisol levels decrease around 11 a.m.“, concludes our expert.