We’ve all been through it. The dry mouth, chapped lips, and head-achy feeling of being dehydrated. Usually it happens on a hot summer day when you’re working outside in the sun and sweating like crazy. Or when you’ve just left the gym after a particularly grueling workout. Dehydration happens. A lot.
Here’s the deal. Depending on the area of the body, about 70% of our bodies are made up of water. It is an important component of many body functions! Water helps your body with temperature regulation, metabolic functions, lubricates your joints, and is very important in the digestion process. It also helps your body dissolve minerals and nutrients for use by the body, and it helps remove toxins from your body by aiding the kidneys in removal. In fact, it’s hard to find a function in the body that doesn’t require water!
Did you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated?Chronic dehydration isn’t the normal, once in a while experience we talked about above. In fact, after a while, you might not even feel dehydrated. As your body adjusts to not having enough water on a regular basis, you will quit experiencing the symptoms listed above. This isn’t a good thing! Without your body’s indicators, it is more likely that you won’t remember to drink enough and continue the cycle.
Now I’m going to scare you just a little bit. What are the consequences of chronic dehydration? Dizziness, muscle fatigue, feeling tired, headaches, decreased kidney function, kidney stones, hypertension (high blood pressure), urinary tract infections, and digestion problems (constipation station). Yikes! None of those sound like my idea of a good time.
So what is the best practice for drinking water? There are many differing opinions on what the intake should be. 8 glasses of water per day, half a gallon each day, half your body weight in ounces of water each day. And what about if you are exercising, or if you live in a hot climate? Who knew water was such a hot-button issue!
What’s my take? I try to follow the standard of drinking half my body weight in water each day. That evens out to about 80 ounces (4 standard bottles) each day. No, coffee,and pop don’t count. I would include iced tea or hot tea, as well as fruit juice, as long as it was no sugar added. There are other sources of water that can contribute to your overall fluid intake. Vegetables like celery that have a high water content, soups, tomatoes, melons. Any way you get it, fluid intake is crucial to your health.
Now that you’re scared into reaching for that cup, let’s look at the benefits of water intake. Weight loss: while drinking water isn’t a magic diet pill, it does help you stay away from higher calorie beverage options. It also helps your body release fats and other toxins through urine output. Also, eating foods that are higher in water content can help you feel full longer, which leads to less food being thrown down the hatch. Water also helps reduce muscle fatigue when you’re exercising. When you’re super sore after a workout, extra water can help remove the lactic acid crystals from your muscle fibers. Skin looking a little dry and wrinkly? Instead of reaching for the lotion alone, reach for the water glass! Studies show that people who drink more water have skin that looks younger. Just one more reason to drink up!
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