Make Hydration a Habit - April 11, 2020

Staying hydrated is important to our overall health. Did you know that just regular involuntary body functions you lose water? These are things like moving, sweating, urination and even just breathing.

Some fun facts about drinking water-

*Adults are 60% water

*Our blood is 90% water

*When we are dehydrated, skin can become more vulnerable to wrinkles and skin disorders

*Water is essential for body to function properly especially for the kidneys

*Many times headaches or migraines are your bodies cry for water

Dehydration is real and can happen pretty quickly, if you don't notice the signs. If we are using or losing more water than the body is taking in it can lead to imbalances in the body's electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, potassium and phosphate that help carry electrical signals to cells throughout the body.

These electrolytes are also kept in check by the kidneys, which are essential to our health. When they do not have enough water, headaches, weight/fluid gain, seizures, involuntary muscle movement, dizziness, vomiting and loss of consciousness can occur. If left unchecked, severe dehydration can lead to damaged kidneys, a compromised immune system, damage to the central nervous system even heart failure or death. We should be aware that we can also dehydrate in the winter much like we do the summer through our skin.

Lack of water is the leading cause of kidney stones and a UTI is the second most common type of infection in the body they account for approximately 8.1 million visits to our health care providers every year. Drinking water will help reduce these risks.

Some other great benefits of drinking water are

There is no given amount for daily water consumption, that varies from person to person on their activity levels, age and work level. But, I recommend to my clients to try to drink approximately half your body weight in ounces of water. Pure water, no calories, no caffeine, no alcohol. This gives you a basic guideline and then you can adjust it from there.

Here is a bit from a study from the CDC in 2013.

Out o a sample o 3,397 adults, the research found:

~ 7% of adults reported they did not drink water

~ 36% of adults reported they drank only 1-3 cups per day

~ 35% of adults reported they drank 4-7 cups per day

~ 22% of adults reported they drank 8 or more cups per day

Please don't risk your health or compromise it in other ways by not drinking water!