Food is fluid too
Curd, fruit, soups, and cooked vegetables contribute. Coffee and tea count for most healthy adults despite the myth that they “do not count.” Alcohol still dehydrates in the other direction.
Practical cues
Use habits, not a gallon jug you will abandon.
- A glass with each meal
- A bottle at the desk you actually refill
- Extra cups on hot afternoons or after a long walk
Electrolytes are situational
Long sweaty workouts, vomiting, or heatwaves may need more than water. For desk days, extra sodium drinks are usually marketing. People with heart or kidney disease must follow medical fluid advice, not gym folklore.
