Dehydration

Water is good

 We all know, hydration is very important. Still, most of the people I meet admit not drinking enough water. Some say that they do not like visiting the bathroom. Some that they are not thirsty. Some say it is inconvenient to stop work and drink. There are plenty of excuses. If you were to do the same to a plant, what you are doing to yourself, the plant would turn brown and die. Water is life. Hydration is one of the key elements of well-being. 

Drink water

Have you ever stopped to think how clever the human body actually is? It is brilliant and adapts so well. When you replenish your water reservoir your body works better. It is not the stale pond, but a cold spring that brings pure and clean drinking water to the stream. Always fresh and nurtured. If your body gets dehydrated, it starts to shrink and bloat. No way, you think, those are the opposite actions. But yes, remember that one day, that was hot, and you were on your feet all day and did not have time to drink. In the evening when you got home and were able to take your shoes off, your feet were sore and swollen. Or that morning when you woke up and your face looked all swollen. You wondered what had happened and realized that you had been drinking anything but water. Both cases are due to dehydration. First one not drinking enough and the next drinking anything but water. 

Then the shrinking part. Our bodies adjust internally. If we are fully hydrated, our blood volume is bigger. When we get dehydrated our veins will shrink and our blood gets concentrated. If you then go and have your haemoglobin tested, your red cell count may be high due to that concentration level. But you will not get to claim the benefits of a high red cell count. On the contrary, you may feel a higher heart rate and blood pressure. You may even show signs of stress. Our bodies need to be replenished. 

Thirst may be confused for hunger

Have you gained any weight lately? Did you know, that sometimes we get our bodily signals confused? Quite often our thirst gets interpreted as hunger, and since we get less water from the food than from actual water, we might overeat. By keeping your water bottle nearby and drinking constantly, you will remain better hydrated and less likely to feel hunger when you are not. 

Do you suffer from headaches? Did you know that dehydration may cause those as well? Feeling disorientated? The answer to so many underlying health issues is to drink more water. I wish you would take drinking more seriously. If you are well hydrated and get sick, it will be a bit easier for the doctor to make a diagnose when they do not have to deal with dehydration, which is caused by bad habits.