WATER!
I don’t know if there is a way to state the importance of water and all of the benefits it has on the human body and keep it under multiple thousands of words, so let’s just say you need it. A LOT!
The average adult is composed of roughly 65% water. To put it in layman’s terms, if you don’t drink enough water, things start to go awry. Let’s start with your cardiovascular system, which is dependent upon water to function to its best capacity. When your body is deprived of water, the volume of your blood decreases, making it harder to your heart and lungs to function correctly. Water also helps flush toxins from the body via the lymphatic system and urinary tract, which without water can lead to toxic build ups. Very long story short: drink water as EVERY system in your body is dependent upon it.
We have access to water at most anytime, making it awfully convenient for our consumption. We have it in our homes, at work, every restaurant and gas station sell it. Which leads to the question as to “why are we not get enough water?” If it’s so easily accessible, why are 75% of Americans, according to DripDrop, chronically dehydrated? According to the study they conducted on dehydration, most of us drink about 8 servings of water daily, but those benefits are offset by the large amount of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks we also consume.
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Let’s break this down a little to show how the alcohol and caffeine we consume is affecting our hydration levels. (Whom of all people, I cannot point any fingers. I probably drink anywhere from 3-5 cups of coffee a day.) Caffeine- which is in our coffee, soda, energy drinks and numerous other liquids- and many alcoholic drinks, including beer, hard liquor and hard seltzers, are all diuretics. A diuretic is any substance that increases urination by flushing the cells. So even though many people are drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day, they are flushing it out of their system so rapidly with their morning coffee, afternoon Redbull, and evening glass of wine, that their system cannot keep up. This in turn leaving, as previously mentioned, many of us chronically dehydrated.
Even drinks such as White Claw and Truly which tout their “hard seltzer” appeal are still actually dehydrating your body. Despite having less calories and sugar than many drinks, they still have alcohol in them, which means these too are diuretics and therefor are still dehydrating to your cells.
According to the aforementioned study by DripDrop: midday fatigue, brain fogginess, an increase in anxiety and irritability, and a lack of concentration are all signs of dehydration. Frequent diarrhea, IBS, gluten sensitivities and muscle weakness can all be side effects of not drinking enough water.
Now, like many people, I understand how sometimes just drinking a gallon of straight water through the day can get kind of boring. There are equally hydrating and healthy options to add to your water if you need to spice things up a bit. Adding fruit, citrus, lemon and/or cucumbers to your daily water are all great options and add other health benefits as well! Carbonated and mineral waters are also fine additions to add so long as they do not have add sugars. (These can especially be beneficial for people who are trying to cut back on their soda intake, as they still have the carbonation and flavors options without jumping straight to still water.) Coconut and Aloe Vera waters are also hydrating options that simultaneously give you the benefit of their respective plants. However, please remember nothing works quite as well as just some regular ole water!
There are many easily recognizable signs our body gives us when we are dehydrated. Amongst others, having a dull headache, chapped lips, a lack of sweat or experiencing heat exhaustion, as well as brown or yellow urine can all be signs, we are not getting enough water.
Actually, the color of your urine can be a huge indication of your water levels. If your urine is clear, this is a sign you are getting enough water. However, the darker it gets, the more of a red flag your body is giving you that you may need to look further into your health. (Note: if you take B-Vitamins on a daily basis, you will notice your urine will have a slightly neon yellow color to it, this is normal and not indicative to your hydration level.)
If you start noticing your lips are getting chapped, it’s a good sign to start drinking more water. Things like kidney stones can be caused by a lack of water in the body, and this is a BAD time to try and change your water habits around. Across the board, preventative health care is way easier to manage than trying to take restorative steps to fix a problem once it has already occurred. Once you have been chronically hydrated for a long time, larger problems occur that simply upping your water intake can no longer cure.
Every single system in our bodies is made of water and runs better when we have been drinking enough H2O. So, next time you notice dry skin, muscle cramps, or a strong desire to take a nap at any given moment, do yourself a favor and drink some stinkin water!
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