So... Are you drinking enough water?
Written by: Karen Scarberry LEHP, BCNWP
Your brain does what..?!!?!?
Did I get your attention? Good, that was my plan. This post is actually about water and what the lack of water does to your body.
Did you know that you need half your body weight in ounces of water each day?
For example, if you weigh 120 lbs, you need 60 ounces of water each day.
Did you know that coffee causes dehydration, too?
The more coffee you drink, the more water needs replaced.
When you are dehydrated, your brain shrinks, yep you read that right.
Your brain is 75% water so when you don’t drink enough, it's similar to a grape turning into a raisin.
How can you function at full capacity like that?
We have hit the summer season which means the heat is being turned up. The action of sweat is to cool our bodies down so we don't get overheated.
The more we sweat, the more water our bodies are losing.
Be careful in the heat, take breaks often, find some shade, and rehydrate. If you notice you haven't urinated in a longer time than usual, that's a sign you could be dehydrated.
Other symptoms of dehydration include headache, increased pain, dizziness, low blood pressure, and constipation. If you’re thirsty, that’s a warning sign, listen to it!
So you tell me you don’t like the taste of water.
Get a filter with lab results so you can see what is removed. City water is heavily treated with chemicals to make it “clean”. Another option is infused water. Strawberries, pineapple, muddled mint, cucumber, lemon, limes, and any combinations of these. Strawberry mint is my personal favorite.
When you increase your intake, do it slowly. If you go straight to the top, your cells will be overwhelmed and you won’t be able to stay out of the bathroom.
Are you drinking enough?
Karen Scarberry LEHP, BCNWP
References:
(n.a)Medically reviewed 06/05/23. Accessed 02/22/24 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
Burket, J (n.d) Accessed 02/22/24
https://www.dentinstitute.com/22-facts-about-the-brain-world-brain-day/#:~:text=About%2075%25%20of%20the%20brain,changes%20in%20memory%20and%20attention.
A. Biller,a M. Reuter,b,c,d B. Patenaude,e,f G.A. Homola,g F. Breuer,h M. Bendszus,a and A.J. Bartscha,f,g 2015 May 6. Responses of the Human Brain to Mild Dehydration and Rehydration Explored In Vivo by 1H-MR Imaging and Spectroscopy. Accessed 02/27/24