by Scott Olsen
Water is The Basis of All Life and that Includes Your Body
- Your muscles that move your body are 75% water
- Your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water
- Your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water
- Your brain that is the control center of your body is 76% water
- …even your bones are 25% water.
“Our health is truly dependent on the quality and quantity of the water we drink” states Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of “Your body’s Many Cries for Water“.
It is important to know that at any given moment, especially during the hot summer months, you may be dehydrated. Worst cases of dehydration will land you in the hospital, or worse!
Data water.usgs.gov shows that roughly 60 plus percent of the human body is made up of water. Dehydration happens when you’ve lost too much water in your body without replacing it. When our bodies get hot, we sweat. Sweat is responsible for regulating our temperature through evaporation cooling. If you are not consuming water, there is no cooling mechanism and that can equal big health problems.
The Obvious Signs of Dehydration
- Extreme thirst
- A bad headache
- Dizziness
- You feel nauseous
- Urine is dark yellow in color
- Muscle are cramping
- Stomach ache
Not So Obvious Signs of Dehydration
- Feeling lethargic
- Cranky attitude
- Bad breath
- Dry skin
- Sudden food cravings
- Constipation
The Important Question is HOW MUCH Water Should You Be Drinking?
The daily amount that It is recommended is half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, a 130 lb. woman should drink at least 65 ounces each day. However, if you are working or exercising outside, you need to drink more. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests drinking an additional 12 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of strenuous activity.
Additional Water Advice
- Drink water before you feel thirsty, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
- Drink water as soon as you wake up in the morning. This gets your day started on the right track, helps flush out toxins and will speed up your metabolism.
- Soda, juice, coffee or alcohol will not help you stay hydrated (but actually dehydrates you as the body treats caffeine and alcohol as a toxin and uses your water stores to flush it out), so do not count on those types of beverages for your water consumption.
- Does the taste of water bore to you? Try sparkling water, but stay away from the added sweeteners. Adding sliced lemons, limes, cucumbers and electrolytes will also be a great help.
