Water makes up two-thirds of our body and plays a major role in how our body functions. It lubricates our joints, keeps our skin healthy, facilitates digestion and keeps our cells functioning at an optimal level. So how do you know if you aren’t drinking enough water each day?
The body only has to loose 1-2% of it’s entire water content before it begins to affect how you and your body performs. Some of the physical signs that you might be suffering from mild to moderate dehydration include:
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Dry skin
- Dizziness or light headedness
- Decreased energy
- Low mood
- Feeling lousy about life
- Difficulty concentrating
The body looses between four to nine cups of water a day just through our normal bodily functions. Our brains, kidneys, various glands and hormones work together to monitor the delicate balance between how much water we are loosing and how much we are taking in. So how do they do this?
It starts with the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the gland in your brain responsible for regulating your body temperature. It also triggers the process that balances the fluid in your body.
When the hypothalamus detects that there is not enough water in your blood it releases an anti-diuretic hormone. This then tells your kidney to take out less water from your blood. The result? You pee less and your urine is more concentrated and darker in colour. At this point your brain will tell you that you are thirsty. Once you drink some water the water levels in your blood return to normal.
So what happens if you don’t drink enough water? Basically your cells can’t function at their optimal level because your systems have to work too hard. You end up feeling fatigued and lethargic. Your blood volume drops, your blood pressure decreases and your heart rate increases. Doesn’t sound good, does it?
The amount of water you need to consume each day varies. It depends on what you eat and drink, the climate you live in and your activity level. So how do you know how much to drink?
You have probably heard that you need to drink two litres or 8 glasses of water a day. This is a good starting point but if you tune in to your body it will signal to you when you need to drink. If you feel thirsty, it’s your body’s way of saying it needs to be replenished. If your urine doesn’t look like lemonade, you’re not drinking enough. It’s as simple as that.
If you struggle with drinking enough water each day just know you aren’t alone. Like anything it takes practice and dedication to stick to a daily practice. But with time it will become easier.
Next week I’m going to be sharing tips on how to make sure you drink enough water each day. As well as some recipes to make drinking water that more appealing and easier. To make sure you don’t miss that post make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter by clicking here and I will send it straight to your inbox.
So if you think your brain fog, lethargy or mood swings may be related to dehydration it is up to you to make a commitment to listen to your body and drink when it tells you it is thirsty. It’s a pretty simple thing to do. But are you listening?
Yours in Healing & Health,
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