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Have you ever wondered if you’re drinking enough water? Some of us forget to drink our water to stay hydrated. This is an dehydration epidemic.
Water is the only liquid we need to drink to become properly hydrated. Other beverages may contribute to your daily hydration because they contain water. But they could also include other ingredients; sodium, artificial sweetener and such.
Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes and not for diagnosis. More details.
Sugars are not eliminated but stored and on the downside are added up as calories. Through drinking only water your body becomes hydrated without all these extra steps. We need to take note of this dehydration epidemic.
Dehydration Epidemic
Reports say there’s a dehydration epidemic among US children. Researchers discovered more than half of the 4,000 children in the study weren’t drinking enough. Still 25% didn’t drink any water throughout their day.
Another study on adults found this fact to be worse. About 75% could be chronically dehydrated.
Being a bit low on water won’t kill you but it does have an effect. Dehydration in your day to day life can cause headaches, sluggishness and difficulty being able to focus.
Why is Water so Important?
Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly. Water is important to regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, move nutrients, expel waste and circulate blood.
We become dehydrated when our body loses more fluid than we take in. As a result, we get this dehydration epidemic.
You can lose fluids and become dehydrated through:
- Breathing
- Digestion
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Taking medications that increase fluid loss (water pills aka diuretics)
Specific people are more prone to dehydration than others such as:
- Children
- Older adults
- Those who are diabetic or have kidney disease
Exactly, what is Water?
Water is molecules of three atoms; two hydrogen and one oxygen thus H2O. It can be found in gas states (steam or water vapor), liquid (water) and solid states (ice).
Humans, animals and plants all need water to survive. It is a tasteless and odorless liquid still it is able to dissolve many other substances.
There are 4 basic types of water:
Surface Water
Surface water is what we see in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands. They provide about 75% of our fresh water, what most of us in the big cities rely on. In the United States this is our main source for drinking water.
Groundwater
Groundwater this is about 22% of our water and found under the earth’s surface in cracks and other openings of beds with rock and sand. Irrigation is the main use for groundwater in the United States.
Wastewater
Wastewater also known as sewage in the cities is any water being affected in quality through the activities of humans. We really don’t want to think about where our toilet water goes but it is a form of recycling.
Wastewater can be through agriculture, urban water use, sewer inflow and storm water runoff.
Storm Water
Storm water by US EPA is the runoff that comes from precipitation like rain and snowmelt when it runs over land or surfaces without soaking into the ground.
It can run over asphalt that may be polluted with engine oil, fertilizer and radiator fluid among other things. When storm water doesn’t soak into the ground it ends up on the surface instead draining into the rivers, lakes, streams and oceans.
5 Signs you’re Dehydrated
Other than looking at the color of your pee here are a couple less obvious signs to know if you need water refuel.
You’re Hungry
When your body wants a drink it doesn’t care where it comes from. Just quench the thirst! Food will happily be accepted if not a plain glass of water.
Many people assume they are hungry when they are weak and tired. So try drinking a glass of water first to see if this satisfies your hunger.
Bad Breath
Do you feel like you have a sock in your mouth? One thing that decreases first when you’re dehydrated is your saliva production. Less spit equals more bacteria in your mouth and this leads to bad breath.
In fact, your dentist may suggest you drink more water if you complain of chronic halitosis. This usually solves the problem.
Grouchy are we?
Your water level can affect your mood. It has been found that just being 1% dehydrated can make you more angry, depressed, annoyed and frustrated. Drink enough water and improve your behavior.
You’re kinda Fuzzy
Those late afternoons when your brain feels drained could be your body crying for water. Being mildly dehydrated can make you perform worse in your task and give you feelings of wanting to quit because you can’t concentrate or make decisions.
You have a Headache
What we hate. Being dried out can increase your chances of developing that headache along with that moodiness (bad situation).
Even more, researchers say with your drop in water levels this could decrease the fluid amount circulating your brain in your skull. This provides less padding and protection from just little bumps and movements.
Is it Hydration Myth or Fact?
You’re hydrated from food alone. You can’t count on just food for your water intake. Although it helps, it rarely goes over 20% of your total. And you’re adding calories.
Even if your diet is mainly fruits and vegetables plus soups your water intake will not exceed 30 to 40%. So no, it is just impossible to stay hydrated from your foods alone. This is a big myth.
Morning drinks of water help you stay hydrated. Drinking water first thing in the morning is an excellent idea since while we sleep for an average of eight hours we aren’t taking in any water. (If I have to get up during the night I grab a couple gulps of water).
Upon waking in the morning our body is pretty low with water levels. Your body would really appreciate starting the day with a drink or more of water. This way you start your day energized and hydrated. This is a fact, start your morning drinking water.
Good hydration influences stress. Usually, we think of stress in a negative way. There is good stress and bad stress. Being hydrated is a good influence on stress.
Being dehydrated is a negative influence on stress. People are less content, not calm, more confused and unhappy. So sure, being hydrated has a positive influence on stress and wellbeing. It’s a fact good hydration has an influence on stress for the better.
Sports drinks are enough to stay hydrated. Well they are mostly water and water keeps you hydrated. But they also contain minerals and sugar, things you may not need to stay hydrated.
I think that is the reason they are sports drinks; athletes during prolonged exercise need this type of nourishment. These are beneficial due to a loss of minerals and sugar that can improve endurance performance.
But during a normal workout session, your mineral loss is small and adding sugar may just be adding calories. That being said, the idea of sports drinks being enough to stay hydrated considering all situations is probably a myth.
Being hydrated helps burn calories. It is a fact that being hydrated you will be able to burn more fat however, it’s only seen in certain situations. When you drink water versus something else you’re burning calories and this helps with weight management.
So picking a drink for hydration, yes water it’s a fact will help burn fat and calories.
Caffeinated beverages dehydrate. Caffeine can be very dehydrating if you over indulge because it can act similar to a diuretic. But as long as you drink coffee and tea in moderate amounts it can be just as hydrating as water and give an energizing alternative.
You become dehydrated if you are drinking more than two to three 8oz cups of coffee or five to eight 8oz cups of tea and this is along with the sugar we often add.
Concerning hydrating ability there are no major differences between drinking coffee or tea and water. They both contain water. So as long as you consume moderate amounts this is a myth.
Wrapping it up
All living things need water for survival. It is a nourishing liquid to hydrate us as well as providing so many other functions to our bodies. By drinking only water we eliminate steps our body needs to take to process and eliminate.
We may lose water through daily activities or other situations and this should be replenished because being dehydrated affects our mood and body’s ability to function.
There are different sources in which we get our water. Staying hydrated has some myths and facts to it. There is a dehydration epidemic going on. We aren’t drinking often enough.
What is your favorite way to drink water? Plain or do you add lemons etc.?
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Header Photo Hey drink more water the glass says photo by Cats coming from pexels
