Hung Out to Dry?

This is a good article found by Linda on water and hydration.  It's got quite a few good points, some you may already know, but it's always good to refresh your memory, Jd How do you know if you are dehydrated?  What do you do if you are dehydrated? Adult dehydration is a common occurrence. Keeping your body from becoming dehydrated is extremely important to your health and you need to know the warning signs of dehydration so you can take action, especially if you have a very active lifestyle. Your body needs a minimum of 64 oz of water per day. That's at least 8 glasses of water and you could probably drink more. So, how do you know if you are dehydrated? Here are some signs and symptoms of dehydration: 1) Dry mouth and dry lips 2) Dark urine 3) Sunken eyes 4) Flushed skin 5) Cramps 6) Headache 7) Fatigue If you're active in sports or have a hectic and stressful lifestyle then you may also need to drink more liquids. Dehydration happens when there is not enough fluid in your body to produce sweat and your body can't cool itself down.  Dehydration symptoms are easily recognized; hot, red, moist skin, confusion, dizziness, profuse sweating, rapid and weak pulse, nausea and even vomiting.  Not so noticeable symptoms include headaches, loss of concentration, and moodiness. To avoid dehydration, start drinking water first thing in the morning.  Eight glasses of water a day is the recommended amount, but if your activities involve work outside or hard labour work, you need a lot more.  Water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.  So it's good to drink everyday! Take sips rather than gulping down water all at once.  Be especially conscious of your water intake during sports or other outdoor activity. Drink steadily throughout the day especially if you are active to avoid dehydration symptoms like a headache or migraine. We lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, so replenish your water level frequently. Our bodies have about 60 to 70% water in them.  Our blood is mostly water and our muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water.  You can easily get some H2O into your system by eating fresh fruits and vegetables which contain anywhere from 70% to 92% of water. When you wake up in the morning your urine should be clear with no odour, not dark yellow.  This is a quick and easy way to tell if you are dehydrated.  Also, if you are dehydrated or malnourished, your body may not be processing your medications correctly.  This makes your blood volume low, therefore your entire transit system suffers and you will cramp up that much more easily. You can alleviate many physical problems just by drinking the appropriate amount of water per day. This is especially true if you have difficulty with constipation.  When you drink water it gets into the intestines where some of it goes to major organs such as the kidneys and bladder, but the rest is utilized by the colon to remove waste products out of your system. Dehydration can be a serious problem but it is easily remedied.  Be sure to always pay attention to your body and learn to recognize the symptoms of dehydration.  Drink water all day long to avoid those uncomfortable symptoms. Your body will thank you!