I heard on the news recently that just like brushing your teeth, drinking enough water is an essential good health habit that should be part of your daily routine! Around 70% of the human body is made up of water, blood is 85% water and skin is 80% water. We need water to flush waste and toxins from the body, maintain cell renewal & function (deliver minerals & nutrients), lubricate the joints, form saliva and mucus, deliver oxygen, boost skin health, cushion the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues, regulate body temperature, maintain blood pressure, the digestive system depends on it, assist with weight loss and boost exercise performance!
Early symptoms of dehydration include:
· increased thirst
· dry mouth
· tired or sleepy
· decreased urine output
· urine is low volume and more yellowish than normal
· headache
· dry skin
· dizziness
· constipation
Causes of dehydration include:
· diarrhoea
· vomiting
· sweating
· extreme heat
· diabetes
· alcohol
· lack of water intake and high caffeine intake
· some medications
Many clients I see are dehydrated, I can assess this by the amount of product or oil I need to put on their skin. If the skin and body is thirsty, it will drink anything applied to assist with hydration. When I do a skin analysis in a facial, with the magnifying lamp I can see parched fine lines across the forehead and around the eyes. The skin loses elasticity, when pinched it slowly sinks back to normal instead of bouncing back straight away.
I’ve been advising clients for years to drink more water. I know this appears difficult if you’re not thirsty, but the more you drink the better you will feel and the more your body craves water, then it is easy. Just take a water bottle with you wherever you go and drink throughout the day. Keep a few bottles in the fridge handy to take if you’re on the run. Herbal teas and clear soups or broths are great in the cooler weather to keep up your water intake and fruit and vegetables with a high water content go towards your water consumption. Try not to have more than one caffeinated beverage per day as they are diuretics and drain your body of water.
There are three general rules of thumb to follow when it comes to drinking water:
1. Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.
2. Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
3. Drink at least eight, eight-ounce glasses daily or one cup for every 9 kilos of body weight.