Skip the Water?

Sure, you can skip your water. But, dehydration, (which is simply losing more water than you take in) can affect you in lots of not so nice ways.

                                     (Photo by Nathan Anderson)

We lose water through sweating, crying, peeing, (of course), and even breathing.

Not having enough water makes it harder for your body to do its jobs, like regulate body temperature and clear out wastes. Mild dehydration can make you feel tired, give you a headache, and even affect your mood and focus. Lack of enough water causes constipation, contributes to urinary tract infections, and messes with a healthy blood pressure. Just to name a few.

And it's not only about how you feel....dehydration makes your skin dry and wrinkly. Why pay for good skincare products, and not take care of the inside where the skin gets most of its nourishment?  To me it would be like buying a Mercedes Benz and using cheap gas.  

And don't forget two very important things about our skin:

1 - It is our largest organ.
2 - It is our fist line of defense against injury and infection.

What team doesn't want a great defense? (It is getting close to football season, after all.) And God designed all the parts of our body to work together as a team. When one part is sick, and can't work like it should, it affects our whole body. (Picture huge defensive tackle down on the field.)

Here is when you may be saying..."but I don't like the taste", or "how much water is enough?"

If you just can't make yourself drink plain water with meals or throughout the day, here are a few substitute suggestions. Just be careful of added sugar (which is a topic for another day):

1 - Coconut water - it comes in different flavors, and is low in calories. Plus it contains needed electrolytes.
2 - Aloe Vera Juice - it can boost your digestive system (teamwork).
3 - Kombucha - multiple flavor choices. Another good player to add to the       digestion team, because of the probiotics that it contains.
4 - Tea. Hot or iced. NO SUGAR added. Use stevia if you need it sweetened.     Green tea is especially good for you because of the antioxidants it contains.
5 - Cucumber juice. Make an infused water with cucumber, lemon and lime   slices. It's very refreshing.
6 - Watermelon. Who doesn't enjoy chunks of watermelon on a hot summer day?!
7 - Ready made fruit infused sparkling water such as LaCroix. Easy and portable.
8 - Black coffee, in moderation, counts as water. Yay!
9 - Celery juice. It has lots of vitamin E, and is a good substitute for savory drinks like tomato juice.

Now, how much is enough?

You have probably heard for years that you need 6 - 8 glasses a day. But how big of a glass? And, not everyone is the same size or has the same needs. For example someone working inside an air conditioned building doesn't need as much as a roofer in July. 

One good guideline is to set a goal of consuming 1/2 oz of liquid per pound of body weight. So, for someone that weighs 100 lbs, that's 50 oz, or approximately (6) 8 oz bottles of water per day. If that just doesn't seem doable....not to worry. Just make sure you "pee pale", as a former choir director used to say. As long as your urine is clear, and a pale yellow in color, you are getting enough liquid in your diet. If your urine is dark orange, cloudy, or has an odor, drink more water.

So, if I were you.......Ditch the soda, sweet tea, energy drinks and Gatorade.

Drink your water, as you pursue better, inside and out.




Credit to: WebMD, livinghealthier, and eMedicineHealth