Water is the most crucial nutrient we can physically put into our body; our bodies should be 60% water. Our cells are about 43% water. We have a 100 trillion cells in our body. Water becomes the vessel it’s in. Water provides lubrication to every organ, every cell, and every fiber of tissue in your body. Our bodies can’t work properly without it. The human body loses about 2-3 quarts of water daily, lucky for us, many of the foods we eat contain some amount of water. That’s why we need about 50% of our diet to come from C-A-R-B-O-H-Y-D-R-A-T-E-S. Losing hydration happens when you: breathe, talk, sweat, eat, use the restroom,cry, and just live your life. 1% dehydration feels like the flu, that’s about 2 cups a day. This is why maintaining and staying hydrated is vital for your body. Being well-hydrated helps to maintain your mood, your sleep quality, your core temperature,remove human waste, and keep our joints well lubricated all while converting food nutrients to energy.
Internally,when the body does not have enough water, dehydration can cause the function of organs, cells, and tissues to fail. If the body is severely dehydrated, the body can go into shock. Especially in the heat, dry climates, or with strenuous work or exercise, we should continue to drink lots of water. (Rule 5 says drink 8 cups a day.) If we reach the point of feeling thirsty, we are already dehydrated.
You should remember to drink water every day and that some people may need more than 8 glasses each day just to stay hydrated. For my clients, I always ask you, “have you had enough water, did you drink your 8 glasses yet (Rule 5)?” I will also say- that different people need different amounts of water to be ‘hydrated’, but this is what you should set as your gold standard. I have included a cheat sheet below for you to know when you are both hydrated and when you are dehydrated. It important to know that you are not drinking water just to quench your thirst.
CHEAT SHEET
Staying Well-Hydrated Creates a Healthy Body
Fully hydrated body’s play a role in crucial body functions, including:
Regulates our body temperature
Maintains a healthy blood level
Keeps our joints and cartilage lubricated
Transports oxygen-rich blood and nutrients
Converts food and fuel to energy
Removes waste through body fluids from our liver and kidneys
Helps us to sleep better
Improves our mood
Fights infections
Improves brain functions
Warning Signs of Dehydration and Fluid Imbalance
A lack of water in a body (being dehydrated) points to critical health problems. Symptoms of being dehydrated:
Weakness
Lightheadedness
Sunken Eyes
Dry mouth
Nausea
Vomiting
Muscle cramps
Confusion
Hard time Urinating
If you have trouble remembering to drink water, drink on a schedule. Here are my tips to remind yourself: drink water when you wake up, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and when you go to bed. Another option is drinking a small glass of water at the beginning of each hour. If you are going out, drink water when you go to a restaurant. I think they put it there as a reminder to keep you hydrated, and it’s free. Keep going! You can always download a water app.
Xx
Kim
P.S. I like the app, WaterMinder-Daily Tracker