Are you drinking enough water?
Find out if you’re drinking enough water by watching out for these five signs of dehydration
It’s shaping up to be another summer of record-breaking high temperatures. And the news media is beginning to sound like a broken record, too – over and over again we’re reminded to keep ourselves well hydrated by drinking plenty of water. But it’s an important message – not just during a heat wave, but also throughout the year because water serves so many critical functions in the body.
How do you know if you’re drinking enough?
If you’re one of those people who keeps track of your fluid intake, and you monitor how much you drink every day, then you probably have a pretty good idea. But there are some other indicators that your fluid intake may not be quite up to par.
Your mouth is dry
This seems so obvious – if you’re thirsty, you’re probably not getting enough fluids. True enough, but keep in mind that sometimes your thirst mechanism doesn’t kick in until you’re already running fairly ‘dry’ – which is one reason why athletes, especially, are encouraged to drink on a schedule. Also, as people age, the thirst response isn’t quite as strong, which is why establishing a healthy ‘drinking habit’ as a young adult is so important.
Your urine is dark
When your body is well hydrated, you can tell by looking at the color of your urine. If it’s relatively clear – enough that you could read the newspaper through it – then you’re good. Without enough water, your urine becomes concentrated, and dark in color. Your urine should look more like lemonade, and less like apple juice.
You’re constipated
Proper bowel function relies on adequate fluids, so if you’re constipated, it’s possible that you aren’t drinking enough water. Most people consider fiber the most important factor in ensuring a well-functioning digestive tract. But in order for certain fibers (the water-soluble ones) to properly do their job, they need to soak up water, which causes the fibers to swell up – adding bulk and aiding elimination.
Your breath isn’t as sweet as it could be
When your mouth gets dry, there’s less saliva to wash away the naturally occurring bacteria that live there. As the bacteria feed on little bits of food and skin cells in your mouth, they start to multiply, leaving your breath a little stale – think “morning mouth”. Water helps because it keeps the saliva flowing and can help reduce bacterial buildup.
Your workouts aren’t as good as they could be
Water is critical in helping your body produce the energy your muscles need to fuel your workouts. When you’re not well hydrated, you may feel your energy flagging. That’s why getting enough fluids before and during exercise is so important.
Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.
Tags: balanced diet, dehydration, Dietitian, DiscoverGoodNutrition, drinking enough water?, Healthy Eating, healthy eating plans, healthy kids, Herbalife, how to, hydration, nutrition, Nutrition advice, Nutritionist, Susan Bowerman, to eat healthy
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[...] Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife. Filed Under: Well Being [...]
Thank you Susan. When I was first told about the importance of drinking enough water on a daily basis, I started doing this ernestly. My wife once told my mother that I was drinking water like a cow. And I haven’t stopped this practice to this day, 22 years later. It’s very important.
Dear Anne,
Clear liquids like tea contribute to your fluid intake just as water would. If you are aiming, for example, for eight glasses of fluid per day, any combination of water and tea can be used to meet your goals.
Best regards, Susan
Hi Susan,
I consume a lot of tea made with water during the day; I add only milk, no sugar…I drink green, herbal and black tea.
How much water do I require daily in addition to the tea?
Anne
Madeline, it’s extremely unlikely that you need to drink 4.2 liters of water daily. Let thirst be your guide: Drink enough but not too much. Never force feed yourself water or anything else.
Dear Charles, People may experience thirst after a salty or spicy meal; it could also be the result of excessive fluid losses from exercise. If this doesn’t apply to you, and you find that your thirst is persistent and unexplained, and/or if you are also passing an unusual amount of urine, you should speak with your medical doctor.
Regards,
Susan
hi ,when i have finished eating food or any snacks im very very thirsty always,even icecream, what is this reason please ,regards charles
Yes Herbalife gives you all the nutrition and protein you need on a daily basis so you lose the weight in a healthy way. Herbalife offers the very best and healthiest weight loss products on the market!
How much water should you drink.
thx
Useful information…
Yeah….ryt
Great tips to share! thanx!
Yes I agree with all this tips
How can a person loost wt and main wt ?
how much water u need to drink a day ?
tks
Is Herbalife products good esp for loosing wt ?
our body is 70% water my wt is 60kg that meang Zi
I need 60×0.7=4.2ltr of water per day !
Agree…thnks…