Nutrition and hydration
Nutrition and hydration are part of health throughout life. They influence the energy available, recovery, body composition and different dimensions of metabolic and cardiovascular health.
At Health Lab we look at these habits as part of each person's context and, when specific nutritional follow-up is needed, we refer to the appropriate professional.
The dietary pattern also influences long-term health.
The evidence associates different dietary patterns with the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.1 More than looking at a single food, what matters is understanding the dietary pattern over time.
Diets with a greater presence of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and other sources of minimally processed food are, in general, associated with better health outcomes.1,2
Hydration is also part of this pillar. Needs vary between people and circumstances: physical activity, temperature, diet and other factors influence the amount of water required.3
What is asked and what is measured.
The base of the diet
We try to understand the usual dietary pattern: variety, the presence of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and more or less processed foods.
MEDAS-14, adherence to the Mediterranean diet
A validated questionnaire that assesses adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern and follows its evolution over time.5
Water through the day
How much you usually drink and how you adjust fluid intake to physical activity, temperature and other circumstances of daily life.
Urine colour
Urine colour can be a simple indication of day-to-day hydration status,6 although it can be influenced by medicines, supplements, foods and other factors.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is considered for its impact on different dimensions of health and also in relation to other pillars, such as sleep.
Health indicators
Weight, waist circumference and some laboratory markers can be followed over time, when relevant. The evolution and the context are more informative than a single value.
There is no amount of water that is the same for everyone.
Hydration needs vary between people and through the day. Physical activity, temperature, diet, sweating and other circumstances influence the amount of fluid each person needs.3
Day to day, urine colour can work as a simple indication: lighter shades tend to be compatible with greater dilution and darker shades may indicate greater concentration.6
None of these pieces is read alone.
Hydration is interpreted together with fluid intake, physical activity, temperature, symptoms and other elements of the context.
Weight and waist circumference can be followed over time, but on their own they do not define a person's health.
Laboratory markers, when they exist, should be interpreted in the clinical context and together with habits, history and other results.
The platform organises and presents the information. Interpreting the whole belongs to the health professional.
Habits that help you care for nutrition and hydration.
More variety on the plate
Regularly including fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and other minimally processed foods contributes to a more varied dietary pattern.
Eat with attention
Reducing distractions during meals can help you pay more attention to what you eat, the pace of the meal and the signals of hunger and fullness.7
Hydrate through the day
Keep water available and drink regularly through the day, adjusting intake to physical activity, temperature and individual needs.
What people ask about nutrition and hydration.
What is a healthy eating pattern?
More than any single food, what matters is the pattern over time. Diets with more fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and minimally processed foods are, in general, associated with better health outcomes and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (Global Burden of Disease, 2019; Aune et al., 2017).
How much salt is too much?
The World Health Organization recommends less than 5 g of salt a day. In the Global Burden of Disease estimates for 2017, excess sodium was the dietary factor with the greatest weight in diet-attributable deaths, followed by low intake of whole grains and of fruit. These are population estimates, not an individual causal link.
How much water should I drink a day?
There is no amount that fits everyone. Physical activity, temperature, food and sweating change what each person needs. Day to day, urine colour is a simple indication (Armstrong scale, 1994): lighter tones tend to mean greater dilution. Medicines, supplements and some foods also change it.
What is the MEDAS-14?
A validated 14-question questionnaire that assesses adherence to the Mediterranean eating pattern (Schröder et al., 2011). On the platform it is answered at admission and at 6 and 12 months, to follow change over time. It is a follow-up instrument, not a diagnosis; the reading belongs to the appointment.
References (7)
- GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958-1972. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8
- Aune D, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319
- Popkin BM, D'Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010;68(8):439-458. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x
- World Health Organization. Guideline: sodium intake for adults and children. Geneva: WHO; 2012.
- Schröder H, et al. A short screener is valid for assessing Mediterranean diet adherence among older Spanish men and women. J Nutr. 2011;141(6):1140-1145. doi:10.3945/jn.110.135566
- Armstrong LE, et al. Urinary indices of hydration status. Int J Sport Nutr. 1994;4(3):265-279. doi:10.1123/ijsn.4.3.265
- Robinson E, et al. Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97(4):728-742. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.045245
The references describe results observed in populations. They do not determine what happens to each person. Individual interpretation belongs to the health professional.
Caring for health means thinking long term.
In the appointment, we look at your health, movement and context to define an approach suited to your needs.