Keep Calm and Drink Water

After the winter we all endured, it’s been refreshing to have such warm weather. It feels like we are in the midst of summer after experiencing one of the warmest May’s on record. That said, I thought a quick reminder about staying hydrated would come in handy, as we seem to be headed towards a warm summer.

Typically, an average healthy person’s weight is comprised of about 65% water. Those who are sick and overweight are often as little as 45% water by weight. Chronic dehydration (not drinking enough water) results in skin disease, poor digestive performance, kidney diseases, and even chronic fatigue and headache. Maintaining a consistent water intake can simply help your body function optimally. What is one of the first things many of do in the morning? Go to the bathroom. That is water that your body has already eliminated. Replenish by downing water first thing in the morning (slowly, not chugging). This can help ignite your digestive system, normalize your blood pressure and boost your energy. Get your day started off right. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning only works to promote dehydration. Coffee is a diuretic.

The average adult looses about 10 cups of water a day simply by breathing, sweating, urinating and elimination of waste. A general rule of thumb is to take in half your body weight in ounces of water or if performing strenuous activity, up that to 60-70% of your body weight.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering the impact of proper hydration. Consider water to be the magic pill we all yearn for to feel better, minus the pill (you need water to take the pill).

Fatigue: Water is our most vital energy source. Dehydration causes the enzymatic activity to slow, resulting in fatigue.
High Blood Pressure: Our blood is approximately 90% water. Dehydration can thicken the blood, causing elevated blood pressure.
High Cholesterol: When the body is dehydrated, it will produce more cholesterol to prevent water loss from cells.
Constipation: Without proper hydration, waste moves slowly through the large intestines, resulting in constipation.
Joint Pain or Stiffness: Cartilage is primary composed of water. When we are dehydrated, cartilage is weakened and joint repair is slow, resulting in pain or discomfort.
Weight Gain: When dehydrated, cells are depleted of their energy source. As a result, we tend to eat more, when we are actually just thirsty.

I hope a few of these resonate with you and motivate you to stay hydrated this summer. As you can see, simply doing this will make an immediate impact on your overall wellbeing. Cheers!