How do you know if you’re properly hydrated?

Many of us know we should drink more water, but do you know if you are drinking enough each day?

Well the good news is, there’s a few simple things you can do to make sure you are keeping your body properly hydrated.

#1 – Calculate your daily water requirement

It is generally agreed among the naturpaths and nutritionists we work with that you should drink 1 litre of water for every 25kgs of body weight.

#2 – Check our your urine throughout the day

When we first get up in the morning and go to the toilet is it normal for your urine to be a dark yellow.  But throughout the day, as you continually hydrate yourself, your urine should almost be colourless, and not have a strong smell as a result.  This means you are well hydrated. 

Simply, the darker your urine throughout the day , the more dehydrated you are physically.

#3 – Check for symptoms of dehydation

This is a fairly basic health check we can do, but most of us are not aware of the basic symptoms of being dehydated.

“By the time dry mouth becomes an indicator of water shortage, many delicate functions of the body have been shut down and prepared for deletion.  A dehydrated body loses sophistication and versatility.”             Dr F Batmanghelidj, Author “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”

 So what are some of the signs of dehydation?

• You may begin to yawn in an attempt to get more oxygen to the brain
• You may start to crave sweet foods in an attempt to increase blood sugars
• Sleepiness may overtake you as your brain struggles to satisfy its own oxygen demands
• The Pituitary Gland releases a hormone called Anti Diuretic Hormone (ADH).  The ADH causes the body to store fluid, a reflex action to create a fluid reservoir in case the water shortage becomes even more critical.  If water intake is low and there is none in the bowel, the contents of the bowel become very dry and compacted, resulting in constipation.

So the simple thing to do is calculate your daily water intake, and ensure you drink that amount each day.  Remember though, not all water is the same, and for that reason, we recommend you drink an Alkaline Mineralised Water for optimum health and wellbeing.

 

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