The Core 4: Hydration
When it comes to health, we tend to focus on the extras—supplements, superfoods, biohacks—while overlooking the four essentials that keep us alive, what I call the Core 4: hydration, nutrition, sleep, and exercise.
You can live with stress. You can function without perfect gut health. But take away any one of the Core 4, and your body simply cannot survive.
No amount of supplements will save you if you’re severely dehydrated. No diet plan matters if you’re sleep-deprived to the point of metabolic dysfunction. Without movement, your body deteriorates. Without nourishment, you don’t heal and rebuild.
The Core 4 aren’t just habits—they are the foundation of life itself.
Get these right, and everything else becomes more manageable. Ignore them, and no health intervention in the world will compensate.
Let’s Hydrate
Today, I’m focusing on the first of the Core 4: Hydration.
Staying well hydrated will undoubtedly improve your health.
This is what I like to call an ‘unsexy truth.’ You might think water is boring. It’s clear, tasteless, and let’s be honest—not everyone likes it. But whether you like it or not, water is one of the most powerful, transformative health tools available, and most people are walking around mildly dehydrated without even realizing it.
If you stop and think about it: water represents renewal. It’s not just something we consume; it restores, refreshes, and resets us. We seek out water when we need to cool down, wake up, cleanse, or even find peace—whether that’s splashing it on our face in the morning, standing under a shower to wash away the day, or taking that first sip when we’re thirsty.
It does the same inside our bodies. It flushes out waste, keeps our cells vibrant, fuels every biochemical reaction, and replenishes what’s constantly being lost.
Without it, everything slows down—our digestion, circulation, and even our thoughts.
That’s a Health Shift mindset—water isn’t just hydration.
It’s renewal in its purest form. When you drink it, you’re not just quenching thirst—you’re giving your body exactly what it needs to function, clear out the old, and start fresh.
Many common health complaints can be greatly improved by drinking more water.
That headache? Could be dehydration.
Brain fog? It might be dehydration.
Gnawing hunger an hour after eating? Dehydration, again.
Feeling irritable? Perhaps it’s due to dehydration.
Stiff, achy joints? Yes—water plays a role there, too.
Healing waters have long been whispered about in ancient texts, sought after by explorers, and bottled by modern marketers (such as in “spring” water). But this essential to vitality has been sitting right before you this whole time.
Water shouldn’t just be something you drink out of necessity. It’s the essential force that keeps you alive and the medium enabling every cell in your body to function. It’s a blessing to drink water. And, if you’ve been feeling tired, achy, foggy, or constantly hungry, it might be the missing piece to your health.
At least it’s the first place to start exploring.
Unfortunately, the most fundamental resources, like water, have become complicated. Some claim certain waters hold restorative powers, others chase alkaline balance, and still more buy into the promise of electrolyte-charged, oxygen-infused, hydrogen-enhanced hydration miracles.
Some contain CBD and caffeine, and the list goes on and on.
We must not forget that it’s not the added elements to water that make it healthful; it’s the water itself that heals.
Today, I’m going beyond hydration and diving deep into the currents of physiology, chemistry, and a little mystery, pulling apart the myths and uncovering the truth about the water you drink, the water you need, and the water you might not even realize you’re missing.
The problem is, we don’t give water the respect it deserves. We treat hydration like an afterthought, even a burden, instead of a gift of life and the biological necessity it is.
It’s time to explore water in the Health Shift way.
This approach will educate you on the role of water and encourage you to rethink hydration as a deliberate, strategic approach to health.
The Alchemy of Water and Human Physiology
Again, water is so much more than something you drink when you’re thirsty; it allows your body to function and sustain itself.
Water accounts for roughly 60% of your body weight and is involved in every biological process. It keeps our cells plump and functioning, transports nutrients, clears out metabolic waste, and allows for the chemical reactions that fuel our lives.
Your body carefully controls where water goes using electrolytes—charged minerals like sodium, potassium, and chloride. These minerals pull water into and out of your cells through osmosis, ensuring the right balance of fluids inside and outside your cells.
If you’re dehydrated, your body cannot maintain this balance. Your cells shrink like raisins, and your blood volume decreases.
Consequently, blood fails to efficiently reach the outer parts of the body, such as the skin. Your skin serves as a physical, chemical, and immune barrier against external threats. And what about your brain? Without proper hydration, it truly struggles to function.
Even a 1 to 2 percent loss of body water can lead to:
Slower reaction times
Decreased short-term memory
Increased stress and irritability
Reduced energy and endurance
Let that sink in: if you’re feeling off, it might not be your diet, your stress levels, or your hormones. You might just be thirsty.
If you feel bloated or swollen, it might not be salt—it could be your body holding onto water because it thinks you don’t have enough.
The body is weirdly good at adapting to dehydration. Still, those adaptations come with consequences: sluggish digestion, stiff joints, poor circulation, and even increased hunger signals, which is why dehydration can contribute to weight gain.
Water Across the Globe
Water culture varies a lot across the world. In many places, drinking plain water isn’t as much of a daily obsession as it is in the U.S. Some cultures get most of their hydration from tea, soups, or even fruit, while others view drinking cold water as strange or even unhealthy.
Take Europe, for example. Sparkling water reigns supreme in many countries, and if you ask for tap water at a restaurant in France or Italy, you might get a side-eye. Warm or hot water is preferred in China because of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles. Cold water is believed to disrupt digestion and "shock" the body. In Japan, sipping water with meals isn’t common because it is believed to dilute digestive enzymes.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., we’ve become water snobs partly because of marketing and abundance. I’m sure you’ve seen the obsession over Hydroflasks, Stanley water jugs, and influencers marketing their hydration brands.
We have easy access to clean water, yet somehow, it’s not good enough—it has to be filtered, pH-balanced, infused, electrolyte-enhanced, hydrogenated, oxygenated, or bottled from an underground glacier blessed by monks.
The bottled water industry has conditioned us to believe tap water is inferior, even though the vast majority of U.S. tap water is completely safe (with a few exceptions, of course).
We also fixate on precise quantities, lugging around huge emotional-support water bottles and monitoring our consumption as if it were a competitive sport. In many other countries, people simply drink when they’re thirsty and continue with their lives.
It’s amusing, borderlining ridiculous, how something as simple as drinking water has become both a status symbol and a source of anxiety in the U.S., while in other parts of the world, it’s merely… water.
We love to break things down into parts, dissecting and optimizing every little detail—how many ounces, what pH, mineral content, electrolyte balance, structured vs. unstructured water, hydrogen-infused, deuterium-depleted—instead of just recognizing that water is fundamental and drinking enough of it is what actually matters.
It’s the same with food—we obsess over macros, superfoods, and supplements but overlook basic, consistent nourishment.
With exercise, we analyze heart rate zones and muscle activation but ignore the fact that we just need to move more. Sleep? We track it, hack it, and optimize it, yet most people just need to go to bed earlier. (I’ll tackle those topics in the next few Core 4 posts!)
Water is simple and essential, yet it remains one of the most overlooked and undervalued health habits. People often purchase expensive wellness drinks before considering drinking a plain glass of water. This exemplifies the classic U.S. mindset—overcomplicate first, simplify later (if ever).
Let’s examine how the U.S. transformed water into a high-revenue sales industry.
Enhanced Water
Water is continually enhanced with protein, electrolytes, and minerals. Alkaline water is a billion-dollar industry; its pH ranges from 8 to 9, higher than the regular water's pH of 7.
Let’s examine this enhanced “functional” water more closely to see if it’s worth your money.
The human body functions within a very narrow pH range—your blood remains between 7.35 and 7.45. If it drifts too far outside that range, negative consequences arise. If it becomes too acidic (below 7.35), your cells struggle with their functions. Conversely, your nervous system starts to misfire if it becomes too alkaline (above 7.45).
Fortunately, your body has natural buffering systems that maintain pH stability. Your lungs expel excess carbon dioxide (which forms acid in the blood), while your kidneys eliminate hydrogen ions or bicarbonate to fine-tune pH balance. You don’t require alkaline water; your body already manages pH like a pro.
The one scenario where alkaline water might be helpful? It could temporarily neutralize stomach acid and provide relief if you suffer from acid reflux. For the rest of us, drinking alkaline water does little more than make expensive urine.
Other enhanced waters tell a similar story of unproven benefits.
Do You Need Electrolytes in Your Water?
For most people, drinking plain water and eating a balanced diet is enough to maintain electrolyte balance. But there are times when electrolyte-enhanced water can be beneficial:
After intense sweating (exercise, saunas, hot climates)
During illness (vomiting, diarrhea, fever — or a hangover)
If fasting for long periods
If drinking large amounts of plain water quickly
If you’re getting dizzy or crampy
Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium are vital for muscle function, nerve signaling, and fluid balance. If any of these minerals become deficient, you might start to feel unwell, experiencing muscle cramps, dizziness, or weakness. This is where beneficial electrolyte drinks (not the sugary sports drinks) come in handy.
Natural electrolyte drinks include coconut water, milk, and fruit juices mixed with water. Coffee and tea also contain potassium, sodium, and magnesium electrolytes.
Although coffee is often blamed for dehydration, it contributes to overall water intake, and its dehydrating effects are minimal, although individual responses to caffeine can vary.
Intracellular vs. Extracellular Fluid: The Water Balance Game
To see the value of water, it helps to think about how water is used within the body.
Not all water in your body is floating around freely. It’s compartmentalized into two main categories:
Intracellular fluid (ICF) is the water inside your cells, making up about two-thirds of your body's water. This is where all the action happens: cellular reactions, metabolism, and energy production.
Extracellular fluid (ECF): The remaining one-third of your body water, found in blood plasma, lymph, and the spaces between your cells. This fluid is responsible for delivering nutrients, removing waste, and keeping blood pressure stable.
Electrolytes control the movement of water between these compartments. Sodium and chloride are primarily in the extracellular fluid, while potassium is mainly inside the cells. This delicate balance allows nerves to fire, muscles to contract, and organs to function.
If you lose too much sodium (like through excessive sweating or drinking too much water too fast), water rushes into your cells, potentially causing swelling in dangerous places—like your brain. This is why hydration isn’t just about drinking more water. It’s about keeping the right balance of water and electrolytes.
How Medications Affect Hydration
Whenever we take a mediation, we should consider how it impacts hydration. Medications don’t just interact with your body—they interact with your water balance. Here are some examples, from evident to not-so-obvious.
Diuretics (water pills) force your kidneys to excrete more water, often along with sodium and potassium. If you don’t replace what you lose, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can quickly develop.
Corticosteroids: These can cause water retention, leading to swelling and bloating.
NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen): These can reduce kidney function temporarily, making it harder to regulate water and sodium levels.
When I take antihistamines, I quickly become dehydrated, even when using allergy eye drops or nasal sprays. My asthma inhaler has the same effect. Once you become aware of these side effects, drink more water. Avoid taking your medication with electrolyte drinks; instead, use water, as electrolytes can interact with medications.
Water also affects how medications are absorbed. Some drugs need a full glass of water to dissolve properly. Others—like blood pressure meds—can drop your pressure too much if you’re dehydrated. No matter what, hydrate.
If you’re taking multiple medications, hydration isn’t just a casual concern—it could directly impact the effectiveness of your treatments.
I bet you didn’t know that water could improve your balance! Just put it on your head! :)
Final Thoughts on Water and Hydration
Hydration isn't just about drinking more water; it involves understanding how your body regulates fluids, electrolytes, and pH levels. It also means recognizing that not all water is created equal (not that we humans make water, but we add to it), and your hydration needs vary based on factors like diet, medications, activity level, and environment.
At its core, water symbolizes renewal. It’s not merely hydration; it’s a gentle act of restoration, a simple kindness to yourself. With every sip, you refresh your mind, replenish your body, and provide your cells with precisely what they need to keep you going. No gimmicks, no overthinking—just water, doing what it has always done: sustaining, cleansing, and reviving you from the inside out.
If you feel foggy, sluggish, achy, or constantly hungry, start with the simplest solution: drink a glass of water. Then, pay attention. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much better you feel. Hydration is just one pillar of health, but it connects to everything—energy, metabolism, digestion, brain function, healing, and even appetite regulation.
Did this post make you thirsty? Go grab a glass!