The philosopher Novalis said,“Our bodies are molded rivers.” Hydrated? Dehydrated? How is your river?
Dehydrated can be described as depleted, parched, wilted, empty, exhausted, and is defined as: to have the moisture taken out of.
Our bodies are not meant to hold water, they are meant to be in a constant state of ‘flush’. Two-thirds of a healthy adult’s body weight is water, and throughout a normal day much of this internal moisture is used up by respiration, perspiration and excretion. Each day we need to replace 2.4 liters of water, under normal circumstances.
Approximately 10% of the body’s water flows through the blood stream and that blood is about 83% water. The lungs are about 90% water, the brain 70%. Lean muscle contains about 75% water by weight. Body fat contains 10% water. Bones, 22%! Each cell in our body is full of water; or would like to be…
Signs of dehydration include fatigue, weakness, joint pain, headache, poor digestion, feeling hungry, poor concentration and impaired short term memory, dry skin (dehydrated skin looks older), low back pain and inability to sweat which cools the body. Dehydration places great strain on even a healthy body. As you lose moisture, your heart must work much harder to pump thicker blood through your veins.
You can do this quick test to check your own body for dehydration: pinch the skin on the back of your hand while it is resting on a flat surface. When you release it, the skin should snap back into place. If it is slow in doing this, you are most likely dehydrated.
You may have heard that by the time you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. “Thirst kicks in when a person is approximately 1 percent dehydrated,”says Anne Grandjean, Ed.D., FACN. “At two percent hydration, thirst becomes more intense, and dry mouth occurs at three percent.” Three percent hydration is about 3 pounds for a 150-pound woman.
Add to this equation heat, high altitude (lower air pressure can cause evaporation of moisture from skin and lungs), vigorous exercise, our very arid climate; even mild illness such as altitude sickness, and the risks of dehydration multiply.
How much water is enough? There is much debate on this! We’ve all heard the 8 by 8 rule; ‘drink 8 eight ounce glasses daily’. According to the Institute of Medicine, most people require a total of roughly 11 to 15 cups of water daily. Another rule of thumb is to drink half of our body weight in ounces of water. If you weigh, for instance, 160 pounds, you need 80 ounces of water per day. To some, this sounds miserably impossible and they have visions of floating away or spending all day and night in the restroom.
The good news is that if we include water-rich fare in our daily food intake, we will help fill up our ‘well’ not only with water, but nutrient- and electrolyte-rich fluids. Fruits and veggies are 80-90% water by weight. Soups and stews are a great source of liquid. So in addition to the the benefits of just eating healthy, these foods provide about 20% of the fluid we need.
The bad news is that if you enjoy caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, you’ll need to add one more cup of water for each of those to maintain hydration.
Proper hydration leads to innumerable health benefits for your immune system, mood, and energy levels. Your blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature will be more easily managed. Water transports oxygen and nutrients to your cells, removes waste, protects your joints and organs by keeping them juicy, and may prevent and alleviate headaches. A glass of water will soothe hunger pangs between meals or when you’re craving that midnight snack.
If your diet is a healthy one it will provide the vitamins, mineral and electrolytes needed to help your body hold onto fluids. Excessive exercise and heat may require supplementation of these, and you can find numerous recipes for making your own healthy (and cheap!) sports drinks online -just by googling ‘make your own sports drinks.’
For a great explanation of electrolytes, http://health.howstuffworks.com/question565.htm is fun for kids – of all ages!
Enjoy the wonderful benefits of water! Challenge yourself to make hydration a habit and you just may find it to be the simple solution to many ailments.
Please join in and share your favorite tips for maintaining a healthy state of hydration in the comment section below.
Jynene’s article is very timely with the weather getting warmer and more outdoor acitivities on the horizon. I learned many years ago how beneficial it is to be well hydrated. I keep a water bottle with me in the studio. It is always surprising how quickly I need to re-fill it without even realizing I am drinking that much water.
I think that is the ticket to better hydration, have water with you at all times, whether it using a glass on your desk or carrying it with you while outdoors. Best to have it there and accessible when you need it!