7 Signs of Dehydration and How to Fix It
Water is the most important nutrient in the body and it is also the most common nutritional deficiency in the American population. Our bodies are made up of 55-60% water.
Water is crucial to health for so many reasons. A few of it’s roles include:
💧 Transports nutrients throughout the body
💧 Cushions bones and joints
💧 Regulates body temperature
💧 Flushes toxins and removes waste
💧 Empowers the body’s natural healing process
💧 Enables cellular hydration
As you can see, it is essential for most major functions in the body. When we do not consume enough water per day, we start to experience unwanted symptoms. There could be several reasons why these symptoms are occurring but the chance that hydrating will improve them is very high.
How do we properly hydrate?
You might be thinking, “Well DUH, drink water!” There’s a little more to it than that.
1. Make sure you’re drinking enough water every day
There are many schools of thought on determining how much water you should drink every day. The correct way to find your individual intake need is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of water in ounces each day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would need 75 oz. of water per day.
If you drink caffeine, you will need even more water. For every 8 oz. caffeinated beverage you drink, add 16 oz. of water to your daily intake. Caffeine dehydrates the body so you want to make sure that you are replenishing your stores.
2. Ensure you are absorbing the water your drink
Adding electrolytes to your drinking water is essential to hydration. Add a pinch of real salt and a squeeze of lemon to your glass to help with absorption.
3. Drink good quality water
Not all water is the same. Some types of water, like distilled, are completely void of nutrients and can actually deplete your mineral stores. Water has an electric charge and when it is balanced with electrolytes, we are able to absorb and use the water as needed. When water has been distilled, it is cleaned in a way that causes it to be completely void of nutrients. When it finds minerals in our tissues, organs, bones, etc., it can leach them out causing us to become even more deficient in essential minerals.
Well or spring water are some of the best options for drinking water since they usually still have nutrients intact. If you do not have access to those, make sure to get a good filtration system for your home. I like Berkey Water Filters. Reverse osmosis filters are also a good option.