Don't Forget your Water!

Something that always boosts my self esteem for the day is getting the recommended amount of water. No matter what, I always have a bottle of water with me and I’m constantly filling up my Brita filter. Water is good for you in so many ways, getting the recommended amount of water always makes me feel extra good about myself. But why is water so important? Your body is made of 55%-75% of water. In order to be considered dehydrated you need to loose 10% of your body weight in fluids. Loosing only 2% can still cause tiredness, dull critical thinking abilities, and effect athletic performance. Some symptoms of being dehydrated are being extra thirsty, feeling extra tired, headaches, a dry mouth, little or no urination, muscle weakness, dizziness, and being light headed.

The amount of fluids we loose through out the day may be more than you think. If you go to the bathroom 6 times a day we loose 6 cups of fluids, sweating through out the day without exercise you loose two cups, when you breathe normally your lungs expel 2-4 cups of water, and when your feet sweat you loose 1 cup. That is why it is important to drink a lot of water to make up for the fluids you loose. There are many approaches to getting the enough water. The recommended amount is 64 oz. My favorite way to drink the full 64 oz is carrying a 16 oz water bottle and filling it up 4 times. They also make 64 oz water bottles to make it easier for people. You should also concentrate on eating foods that have high water content like fruits and veggies. Oranges and cucumbers contain the most water out of all fruits and veggies. Depending on your lifestyle you may need more water than other people. If you exercise or engage in activities that cause you to sweat it is important to drink more water, 2 cups of water before a run and drinking water throughout your work out is important. If you live somewhere that is usually always humid you should drink extra water to make up for the water you perspire and to lower your body temperature. When you are sick some symptoms cause you to loose water so you should always be hydrating while sick. And also when you are pregnant or breast feeding you should drink a lot of fluids because of the loss of fluid.

When it comes down to it, water is good for everything; it is a major part of every system in our bodies. It helps with sleep, gives you energy, helps you concentrate, prevents cancer, prevents osteoporosis, gives you healthier skin, helps you eliminate body wastes, improves eye health, helps you loose weight, maintains muscle tone, regulates body temperature; the benefits are endless. So next time you leave the house or dorm don’t forget your water bottle!