Hydration
I’m of the old school belief that there is nothing better than drinking good old fashioned purified/ spring water to stay hydrated. As the months get cooler, it seems to fall from a lot of people’s minds that it’s really important to stay well-hydrated. Our bodies depend on it to function properly and for survival; the body can only sustain itself about 3 days without water. You use and lose water all throughout the day; going to the bathroom, sweating, and even when breathing. You lose water even faster when the weather is hot, when you exercise, or if there’s a fever present. Vomiting and diarrhea can also lead to rapid fluid loss. If you don’t replace the water you lose, you can become dehydrated contributing to a whole host of other symptoms. When you’re symptomatic of dehydration, it’s usually too late to combat by just having an 8oz. glass of water or two.
Signs of Dehydration:
• Headaches
• Dizziness or feeling light headed
• Little or no urine, or urine that is darker than usual
• Dry mouth or cracked lips
• Lower back pain or muscle aches
• Sleepiness or fatigue
• Extreme thirst
• Confusion
• No tears when crying
• Reduced-to- poor brain function
Doctors estimate a whopping 75% of people are dehydrated and most people are not even aware of it (here’s that poor brain function symptom). The brain is about 65% water and as little as 2% loss in water content begins to cause the brain to lose alertness and the body to feel fatigued. Wow – and just from a small lack of water! I’m getting thirsty just thinking about it! Sip, sip, gulp.
So – the solution is simple, drink lots of water; but exactly how much should we be drinking? The old eight, 8 oz. glasses of water per day isn’t totally accurate. It doesn’t take into account, body size/weight, climate or activity.
To use a "water needed to avoid dehydration" formula: take your body weight in pounds and divide it in half. That number is the oz. of water that you require daily. To that, add 12 to 16 oz. for hot dry weather and another 12 to 16 oz. if you are doing strenuous physical work.
Drinking more water will never be harmful – in fact your kidneys will keep or maintain the correct water content and you will simply relieve yourself of the excess. This excess is believed to reduce the chances of colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50% (now I’m really guzzling). Excess water also flushes out toxins; so it’s really a win win when drinking more than the minimum.
So teach your kids what to look for when dehydration strikes – better yet the importance of hydration before it sets in. Provide them with good sources of water – and plenty of it!! Of course, if you’re buying bottled I believe it’s best to purchase from a company who knows the importance of recycling and taking care of the Earth. Ice River Springs is a company that means business – 100% of their bottles are made from recyclable plastic! 100%! Drink up and cheers to good health!
