Hydrate Your Colon: It's Thirsty

Advertising slogans are intended to attract the public’s attention to a particular product. For example, look at the history of the Coca-Cola Company. Their website reports they’ve relied on 60 different slogans to quench people’s thirst since the company’s beginning in 1886. From “Refresh Yourself” in 1924 to “Life Tastes Good” in 2001, these catchphrases cause shoppers to reach into refrigerators around the globe to buy a cold Coke product. But as one suffering from IBD, I can vouch that a better alternative exists.

On a hot, humid summer day, what’s more refreshing than gulping down a cold glass of water? Even better, each time you drink some fresh H2O, your body and large intestine collectively breathe a sigh of relief.

Hydration to function

If I remember correctly from my high school science courses, I was taught the human body is made up of 50-75 percent water, depending on various factors such as gender, age, body size, activity level, etc. I’ve since learned from various doctors over my UC journey that drinking plenty of water each day is essential for healthy weight, energy levels, flushing toxins out of the body, and for supporting a healthy colon.

Yes, you read that correctly. My current gastroenterologist has explained to me that a body’s colon, or large intestine, needs water to function correctly.

Do we drink as much as we need?

Over more than 3 decades of UC, I’ve learned the colon plays a vital role in our digestion. As my doctor explains, he says the colon’s job is to absorb water and electrolytes from food. This helps it achieve its goal of forming waste for the body to eliminate. He has reminded me many times that if someone doesn’t drink enough fluids and the body gets dehydrated, then the colon can’t perform properly.

With UC, I’ve always known the importance of water, but like others, I don’t necessarily listen to my body’s thirst. And I’m not the only one.

Easy ways to tell

After my husband’s recent colon reconnect surgery, the medical staff at the Cleveland Clinic stressed the importance of drinking water for his colon to heal and function accurately. Specifically, he was told, “If you don’t want to end up back in the hospital and in surgery, you better keep your body hydrated.”

Strong words like that tend to make a person sit up and listen.

So, I began thinking about my fluid intake. Am I drinking enough liquids to keep me hydrated? According to my husband’s surgeon, she explained there are two easy ways to figure out the answer to this question: 1. hard bowel movements or constipation and 2. dark yellow urine. Either one indicates a person isn’t hydrated.

Well, I realized from this information that I needed to bump up my fluid intake.

8x8 rule

But how much water does the average person need?

When I asked, the doctor explained the 8x8 Rule, which means 8 ounces of water consumed 8 times a day. That equates to 64 ounces. But again, this specialist explained to my husband and me that different factors such as exercise regiments, geographical location (hot versus cold climates and high versus low altitudes), illness, pregnancy, medications, and so on may require more hydration.

But water can be boring

So, what’s the right balance? I think everyone should go with urine analysis and become their own hydration expert. Remember: Dr. Hu at the Cleveland Clinic explained the lighter the color of your urine the more hydrated you probably are. She warned that vitamins and medications might affect a person’s urine output. Also, she said hard or lumpy stools might indicate constipation.

But I responded, “Good ol’ water can be boring.”

Different ways to hydrate

So, with a smile, Dr. Hu suggested hydrating in different ways. Coffee and tea offer significant hydration. If you enjoy drinking large pitchers of cold tea during hot summer months, then get to brewing a batch. Eating oatmeal for breakfast is quite hydrating because oats absorb water (or milk) when they are cooking. Plus, oats are filling if you have a long morning ahead of you.

She continued that other options for obtaining more fluids are available, too. Milk, fruit and vegetable smoothies, broth-based soups, or freezing fruit into popsicles or ice cubes offer a cool treat. Electrolyte or sport drinks like Gatorade or Powerade offer essential minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Also, if your gut can handle it, seltzer water flavored with fruit or juice add a sparkly kick to hydration. For my gut, seltzer is a no-go. But everyone’s gut is different.

In addition, consuming water-rich foods each day helps as well. For example, watermelon is 92 percent water. So, slice up a melon for the week. Celery is also around 95 percent water and adds a nice crunch to any meal. Other veggies and fruit packed with water include cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, melons, oranges, blueberries, and strawberries. As another idea, I’ve learned to embrace coconut water as a plain water substitute.

IV hydration

Finally, I saw a new approach to hydration advertised on a flyer hanging in the restroom of a Cleveland, Ohio, restaurant. It’s called I.V. hydration therapy. Appointments can be made for a person to receive I.V. hydration. I learned during this time spent in Cleveland that mobile I.V. medics are available to come to your home instead of going to a hospital and receiving an expensive medical bill. I recommend checking that the mobile I.V. medic is a reputable one. Back home in the rural area in which I live, mobile I.V. medics aren’t available.

Keeping our intestines smooth and flexible

For those of us living with IBD, dehydration is bad for our colons. Constipation, abdominal discomfort, bloating, fissures, or hemorrhoids can result from not drinking enough fluids. The goal is to consume enough liquids each day to form soft stools that are easy to eliminate. The bottom line: We need to keep our intestines smooth and flexible to allow that process to happen.

Above all, staying hydrated improves the body in many ways. As I learned throughout my husband’s colon surgery, the medical team at the Cleveland Clinic stressed that hydration improves brain performance, stabilizes moods, offer good blood circulation, reduces sluggishness, helps the heart to work properly, and decreases joint pain. That’s above and beyond helping our intestines.

Come up with a hydration plan

In the end, I know certain Crohn’s or UC medications might cause dehydration. I hope the ideas I’ve offered help to combat that issue. More importantly, I think it’s important to talk to your healthcare team about coming up with a hydration plan that meets your needs like I learned at the Cleveland Clinic. Coca-Cola might have once claimed to be the “refreshing” choice, but we know differently. And when we know better, we choose better. Today, I choose “Life Tastes Good” with water.

Did I leave out ideas or approaches that you use to keep hydrated? Please share your thoughts and let others know what works for you. Happy hydration everyone!