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Water is essential for life. Without it, humans can’t survive. Both obvious statements. However, not all hydration is created equally, so put down your plastic, BPA-free water bottles and listen up.
Our bodies are made up of 75 percent water and even if we eat the best foods and exercise as recommended, if we are not properly hydrated, we cannot expect our health to flourish. Up there with optimal sleep and nutrition, hydration is a key player in allowing our bodies to reach maximum functionality.
When you analyze where people are living the longest and dissect the why, there’s a common thread. Water. The source of your water and the quality is crucial to vitality. For example, glacial spring water has minerals and is actually structured water meaning it is alive with active hydrogen. You can think of this as the living water.
What is dehydration?
Dehydration is often misunderstood and is quite a complicated issue. Unknowingly to most, it’s even the number one cause of several health conditions and truly affects people’s day to day lives producing headaches, overeating and so much more. We can think of it as a silent inhibitor of health in this situation because people often choose to not attribute dehydration to major health concerns. When you are living in a dehydrated state your body cannot detoxify and is in a constant inflammatory state. This is a huge red flag because inflammation is the main cause of ALL disease.
Treat your water bottle like you do your phone, your wallet, or your keys….I bet you never leave home without these essentials.
Here are 8 signs you’re dehydrated:
Dry Skin. Your blood needs to be properly hydrated to circulate and bring moisture to your skin. If it isn’t, that’s when you get flakey.
Food Cravings. Do you crave sweets or salty things? Don’t be too hard on yourself. This is caused when your organs aren’t hydrated. For example, your liver will release glycogens which in turn tricks your body to crave these types of foods. Committing to a seasonal four-day reset program is an easy way to flush away the bad so you can better absorb the good.
Headaches. Your brain is about 80 percent water and it sits in a sack of fluid. When you’re dehydrated, your brain tissue is lacking water and the brain actually shrinks away from the skull, triggering nerves and receptors around the brain which can give you a massive headache.
Stinky Breath. Your saliva requires fluids to rid bacteria and if you don’t have enough water, your mouth will start to grow bacteria and begin to stink. Badly.
Constipation. Our intestines need fluids to perform peristalsis. If you’re dehydrated, your large intestine sucks every last bit of water out of that food to hydrate your body, making your stool extremely dry and hard. Ouch.
Flu-like Symptoms. Your body will communicate with you that it desperately needs water via symptoms such as fever, chills, sweats, confusion, lightheadedness and even diarrhea.
Urine Color. If it’s dark in color, you need to listen to your body and perhaps take note of your intake. You should aim for your urine to be light yellow, to even clear.
The Skin Test. Grab your skin on the back of your hand. With your other hand pinch about half to one centimeter high and then let the skin go. The skin should spring back to its normal position in less than a couple of seconds. If it’s slow to return to its normal position, you are lacking fluids.
