Hydration for Health: More Than Just Drinking Water

When you think about staying healthy, you might first picture vegetables, exercise, or a good night’s sleep. But one of the most overlooked foundations of health is hydration. It’s not just about drinking water—it’s about nourishing your body in a way that supports optimal functioning from the inside out. At Prairie Naturopathic Doctors, with clinics in Moorhead and Plymouth, Minnesota, we take a comprehensive, whole-body approach to wellness, helping you understand how hydration fits into the broader picture of Holistic Health.

The Vital Role of Water in the Body

Water makes up roughly 60% of the human body. It cushions your joints, regulates body temperature, aids digestion, supports cellular functions, and helps flush toxins through your kidneys and liver. But proper hydration goes beyond chugging eight glasses a day. The type of fluids you drink, the foods you eat, your activity level, environment, and underlying health conditions all influence your hydration status.

When hydration is approached through the lens of Naturopathic Medicine, we look not just at how much water you consume but how well your body absorbs and uses it. We also assess what may be depleting your hydration—things like caffeine, alcohol, chronic stress, inflammation, or certain medications. Hydration is deeply individualized, and recognizing how your body responds to different factors is key.

Signs of Suboptimal Hydration

Even mild dehydration can lead to symptoms that many people live with daily, often unaware that hydration could be the root cause:

• Fatigue or brain fog
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Headaches
• Muscle cramps
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Bad breath or dry mouth

In Holistic Health, we connect these dots rather than treat each symptom in isolation. If your energy is low and digestion is off, we don’t just offer a pill or quick fix. We ask deeper questions about your lifestyle, including your fluid intake, diet, and stress levels. Suboptimal hydration can be cumulative, and addressing it often provides widespread relief.

Beyond Water: Electrolytes and Cellular Hydration

Water alone isn’t always enough to keep you hydrated, especially in hot weather, during exercise, or if you're dealing with illness. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium help your body absorb water and maintain proper fluid balance inside and outside of your cells. Without the right balance of these minerals, water may not reach the areas of the body that need it most.

At Prairie Naturopathic Doctors, we often recommend Natural Remedies to support cellular hydration. These may include mineral-rich herbal teas, coconut water, sea salt added to filtered water, Herbal Medicine or Supplements that help replenish electrolyte levels naturally. For example, nettle and red raspberry leaf teas not only hydrate but also provide minerals that support adrenal function and overall vitality. We also sometimes use liquid trace minerals or electrolyte powders that are free of artificial ingredients to help restore balance quickly.

The Food-Hydration Connection

Hydration isn’t only about what you drink. Around 20% of your daily fluid intake comes from food. Water-rich foods can make a significant difference in how hydrated you feel and how your body functions. Think cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, celery, strawberries, and leafy greens. These foods provide hydration in a more absorbable form, often combined with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

This is where Nutritional Therapy comes into play. Our practitioners help you build a hydration-supportive diet that includes plenty of plant-based, water-dense foods. We also look at factors like sodium balance, sugar intake, and protein consumption, as these can influence fluid retention and dehydration. For instance, highly processed or salty foods may require more fluids to offset their dehydrating effects, while whole foods tend to work synergistically with your hydration goals.

Hydration and Detoxification

One of the body’s main detox organs, the liver, relies on adequate water to metabolize and remove waste. The lymphatic system, which clears cellular waste and supports immune function, is also fluid-dependent. Without enough water, toxins can build up, leading to sluggishness, inflammation, and even hormonal imbalances.

As part of our Holistic Health approach, we often incorporate hydration strategies into detox plans, whether you’re recovering from illness, supporting weight loss, or managing chronic conditions. Hydration boosts circulation, lymphatic flow, and waste elimination—all crucial to natural healing. A well-hydrated body also responds better to detoxification efforts, as hydration facilitates the movement of waste out of the body through sweat, urine, and stool.

Hydration and Hormonal Health

Dehydration can affect your hormones, especially cortisol, the stress hormone. When you’re under stress, your body pulls fluid from your cells to support increased heart rate, blood pressure, and other stress responses. Chronic dehydration can lead to adrenal fatigue and imbalanced cortisol levels, affecting sleep, mood, and immune function.

In our Naturopathic Medicine protocols, we often support the kidneys and adrenal glands with hydration techniques, Herbal Medicine, Supplements, and adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or rhodiola. These help your body better manage stress while maintaining a healthy fluid balance. For women, hydration can also play a role in alleviating PMS symptoms, supporting fertility, and maintaining balanced estrogen and progesterone levels.

Seasonal Considerations for Hydration

In Minnesota, where we experience hot, humid summers and dry, cold winters, hydration needs fluctuate throughout the year. Summer calls for more fluids and electrolytes to compensate for sweat loss. In winter, we may not feel as thirsty but can easily become dehydrated due to indoor heating and low humidity.

Our Holistic Health team helps you tailor your hydration habits to seasonal needs. In winter, for instance, warm herbal teas and broths are hydrating and nourishing. In summer, cooling cucumber-mint water or fruit-infused drinks can boost your fluid intake and provide trace nutrients. We also recommend adjusting your routine to include hydrating meals, such as soups in colder months and fresh fruit or smoothies during warmer weather.

Hydration and Mental Clarity

Have you ever felt foggy, irritable, or anxious and couldn’t figure out why? It might be your hydration status. The brain is nearly 75% water, and even a slight drop in hydration levels can impair cognitive function. This includes memory, attention, and mood regulation.

Dehydration has been linked to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, especially in people with chronic conditions. At Prairie Naturopathic Doctors, we often explore hydration as a foundational part of mood support and mental health treatment plans. Combined with Nutritional Therapy, improved hydration can lift energy levels and sharpen focus.

Individualized Hydration Plans

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hydration. Your age, weight, activity level, medications, and health goals all play a role. Some people need more hydration support due to chronic illness, pregnancy, or intense physical activity.

At Prairie Naturopathic Doctors, we create customized hydration protocols that may include:

• Tracking water and electrolyte intake
• Adding specific Herbal Medicine and Supplements to support kidney or adrenal function
• Optimizing hydration timing (e.g., drinking water before meals, not during)
• Using Natural Remedies to address specific symptoms like fluid retention or frequent urination
• Incorporating gentle detox strategies that support water retention in tissues where it’s needed most

Supporting Hydration with Herbal Medicine

Herbs can be powerful allies in maintaining hydration and supporting the systems that regulate it. Some herbs act as gentle diuretics, helping release excess fluid, while others nourish the kidneys, adrenals, or lymphatic system.

Some of our favorite Herbal Medicines and teas for hydration include:

• Hibiscus: Rich in antioxidants and naturally hydrating
• Nettle: Full of minerals that support electrolyte balance
• Dandelion leaf: Supports kidney function and gentle detox
• Licorice root: An adaptogen that supports adrenal hydration
• Marshmallow root: A soothing herb that helps retain moisture in the body’s mucous membranes

We often pair these with Nutritional Therapy to maximize effectiveness and ensure your body has the tools it needs to stay balanced.

Hydration for Children and the Elderly

Children and older adults are especially vulnerable to dehydration. Kids may not recognize thirst cues, while seniors often experience a reduced sense of thirst. Certain medications, mobility issues, and chronic conditions can also complicate hydration in older adults.

We use Naturopathic Medicine to support hydration in these populations through education, gentle Natural Remedies, and food-based strategies. For children, fun drinks like herbal popsicles or fruit-infused waters can help. For seniors, we may recommend specific teas, broths, or reminders to drink regularly. For both groups, making hydration enjoyable and accessible is key—hydration should never feel like a chore.

Hydration and Skin Health

If you struggle with dry skin, eczema, or premature aging, hydration could be a missing piece. Water helps maintain skin elasticity, supports collagen production, and flushes out toxins that can lead to breakouts or irritation.

In our Holistic Health assessments, we evaluate hydration as part of your overall skin care strategy. Topical treatments can help, but they’re only a part of the solution. Internal hydration from clean water, Nutritional Therapy, Herbal Medicine, and Supplements can provide deeper nourishment that reflects on the outside. Drinking enough water, combined with essential fatty acids and antioxidants from food and herbs, can help restore a radiant glow.

Hydration Myths and Mistakes

There are many hydration myths out there that can actually lead people to poor habits. One common misconception is that you should only drink when you're thirsty. However, thirst is actually a late sign of dehydration. Others believe that any beverage counts toward hydration, but drinks high in caffeine or sugar can be dehydrating.

Another mistake is overhydration—drinking excessive amounts of water without replenishing electrolytes, which can lead to imbalances like hyponatremia. Our approach emphasizes balance, moderation, and awareness. Through the lens of Naturopathic Medicine, we help you understand how to hydrate in a way that truly supports your biology.

Final Thoughts: A Foundation of Healing

Hydration is more than a wellness buzzword—it’s a foundational piece of your health puzzle. From brain function and digestion to hormone balance and immune defense, adequate hydration supports nearly every system in your body. But true hydration is more than just drinking water.

Through the principles of Naturopathic Medicine, we help you approach hydration with intention, using Natural Remedies, Nutritional Therapy, Herbal Medicine, and Supplements to ensure your body gets what it needs to thrive. At Prairie Naturopathic Doctors, we’re here to support your wellness journey every step of the way.

If you’d like a personalized hydration plan or want to explore how better hydration can support your health goals, schedule a visit with one of our naturopathic doctors today. Your body will thank you.