The Importance and Benefits of Staying Hydrated

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importance of proper hydration

Water is the key to life.

Few people can survive without water for an extended period of time, whereas many people can go for some time without food.

Fluid is so vital to our bodies that we start to feel thirsty even when the levels drop marginally. Low levels of liquid in the body can cause cerebral pains, sensations of discombobulation, loss of focus, and a dry mouth. 

You should, therefore, not underestimate the importance of staying hydrated at all times.

Five Benefits of Proper Hydration

Being well hydrated is crucial to performing optimally.

1. Water Keeps Your Body Temperature Constant

Your body manages its temperature via the amount of sweat that escapes from your skin. Keeping an optimal temperature is important because your organs can only function optimally within a range of tolerable temperatures. It is also why you sweat more and feel thirstier in a hot environment than a cold one.

Now imagine what will happen if you are underhydrated and in a hot environment. Your body will start signaling to you it is unable to carry out the job of keeping your organs functioning optimally due to the lack of water.

Being in a dehydrated state for a prolonged period of time will cause your body to release less and less sweat which can lead to dizziness.

2. It Keeps Your Joint Healthy

The function that water plays in keeping your joints healthy is commonly neglected but shouldn’t be. You are using your joints every single day, whether you are aware of it or not.

Your joints will typically weaken as you age. The good news is that being physically active can help counter this phenomenon. Physically active people, however, also tends to lose a lot of water via sweating which makes being sufficiently hydrated all the more important.

Why?

It is because water makes up a large part of the synovial fluid found in your joints, and it is this fluid that keeps your joints in tip-top health.

3. It Keeps Your Skin Supple

Have you ever seen wrinkles on your skin when you are dehydrated? That is because the water inside your body is not longer sufficient to ‘puff up’ your skin, thus leaving them saggy-looking.

Similarly, have you seen your skin bloating when you consume too much liquid?

The trick here is to drink until you feel satiated, similar to how you’d stop eating just before the feeling of fullness kicks in. Just keep in mind that your body will need some time to process the water before normalizing.

4. Water Cleanses Your Body

Your kidneys need water to channel waste from your bloodstream and discharge them via urine. Your kidney is mother nature’s way of disposing of waste and toxins from your body, and it does so efficiently than any detox diet out there.

Not being properly hydrated is asking your kidneys to work extra hard in doing their job, potentially damaging them in the long term.

Bonus: keeping hydrated may also help forestall urinary tract diseases and kidney stones.

5. It Promotes Overall Health

It makes a lot of sense that if water is essential to life, it should also be essential to all aspects of being alive. All organisms on this planet can attest to that, no matter their age or species.

It’s the same for humans, and the good news is most of us can easily access this life-giving nourishment without having to worry about getting sick from drinking untreated water.

We all should feel blessed.

Staying Hydrated

It is easy to forget to drink enough water when you are occupied, so here are some tips to help you out. 

  1. Set a reminder that will alert you to drink water on a schedule.
  2. Keep your bottle bottle filled and reachable at all times.
  3. Make it a habit to drink a glass of water when you wake up.

Do your best to drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Note that this varies based on individual differences such as activity level, type of work, and others.

You can also keep yourself hydrated via eating water-rich fruits like lettuce, watermelon, and tomatoes.

Find plain drinking water too boring for you? Try adding a slice of lemon and/or lime or some fruits to make it more appealing.

Consuming alcohol and caffeinated drinks are fine too as long as you keep it within reasonable limits.

A Quick & Simple Hydration Test

The color of your urine is a good way to tell whether or not you are dehydrated. A light golden color is a sign that you are very much hydrated, whereas a dark golden tone indicates otherwise.

Do note that medications could alter the color of your urine, so please remember to take this into account.