Article: - Are you dehydrated?
If we asked you ‘Are you dehydrated?’ you’d probably say ‘No!?’
But what about if we asked you ‘Are you thirsty?’ If the answer is yes, the chances are that you actually are dehydrated.
Not drinking enough water is responsible for a whole load of problems you might get, from tiredness and lack of concentration to headaches and feeling sick. It can also lead to other painful and not very nice health problems, such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections (trust us you really do want to avoid these).
It is pretty shocking, but a lot of people exist in a constant state of dehydration (sounds pretty dramatic!) simply because they don’t drink enough. Between 50% and 70% of our bodies are made up of the stuff, and it comes in useful for loads of things – flushing toxins out of the body, moving nutrients around inside the body, regulating body temperature – and of course having a good cry at the end of a sad film! Come on, even the toughest guys have been reduced to tears by Disney’s Bambi.
We get so used to existing without enough water that we become accustomed to feeling tired and getting headaches and have resigned ourselves to the fact that we all might just be a little bit moody, not realising that with just a few more glasses of water a day we could feel so much better!
How much water should I drink?
Most experts recommend drinking around 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to be getting enough. However, the exact amount does depend on your bodyweight. Apparently drinking 1/40th of your weight a day is best – so you do the maths! If some of this water takes other forms – such as tea, juice or squash – then that’s fine, but it is best if as much is pure water as possible. Try to avoid sugary drinks wherever you can though, as drinking a lot of these is definitely not good for you or your teeth, as much as they may taste good!
If you’re sporty and spend lots of time exercising, you should up your fluid intake. Fruit juice mixed with water is a great way of keeping your body supplied with everything it needs during your work out.
Okay so the best way of telling whether you are getting enough water is the colour of your wee (yes its weird we know). If it is quite dark, then you should probably be drinking more water, but if it is light then you’re probably okay on the water drinking front.
However, there is such a thing as a water overload and that can cause even more severe problems, so you shouldn’t go overboard (!) with your water drinking!
How to drink more water
Yeah we know water tastes boring and drinking so much of it probably seems like a chore, so here are a few ways that work for us at OY!
- Carry a bottle of water with you and refill where you can (much cheaper than buying cans or bottles) and means as well you always have a drink whenever you get thirsty.
- When you are at home, stick a slice of lemon in your water to make it tastier.
- Have a drink when you feel a little hungry – sometimes your brain gets confused between hungry and thirsty!
- Eat loads of fruit and veg, as these have a really high water content and will help your hydration levels, and also your 5 a day intake!