Summer is quickly approaching and for desert dwellers, it is the time to produce the regular PSA on how important it is to stay hydrated.
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 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
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 flush out toxins and will speed up your metabolism.
- Soda, juice, coffee or alcohol will not help you stay hydrated, 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 or cucumbers will also help.
