Water water everywhere but not enough of us are properly hydrated

Staying hydrated is one of the best ways you can possibly take care of your body.  Water is essential for every single cell in your body to function at its highest level.  

Most people know this, yet some studies have indicated that 75% of Americans are functioning in a chronic state of dehydration.

Symptoms of chronic dehydration include:

  • Constant hunger – dehydration is often confused with hunger
  • Heartburn – heartburn increases in relationship to dehydration.  Over time chronic heartburn can lead to ulceration and even cancer.  
  • Nerve function – dehydration disrupts proper nerve function resulting in the sensation of pain
  • Digestion – is impacted with dehydration.
  • Brain function – dehydration has a drastic impact on cognitive ability
  • Bone function – the skeletal structure is compromised with dehydration

This article from foodmatters.com is worth a read if you want to learn more about the symptoms of dehydration

We are so lucky to live in a country where we have fresh, clean, drinking water flowing from the tap. We just don’t know how lucky we are to have this available to us.  

Earlier this year, I took a trip to India to visit my brother. This trip was incredibly eye opening for me. You can not drink the water in India. You can not brush your teeth with the water out of the tap in India.  

India is incredibly hot and dry. It was about 100 degrees every day I was there. I drank a lot of water.  

In our travels I noticed women walking along the side of the road carrying huge loads.

I took this photo on the way to an organic spice farm in Goa, India. It was 108º F that day and dry. Just look at the load this woman was carrying. This was on the side of a very busy road where dirt bikes, rickshaws, cars, and livestock were zipping around. I have this photo saved in my favorites on my iPhone. Anytime I think I have it bad or I am having a hard day, I bring up this photo and get instant perspective.

I learned that the task of retrieving water on a daily basis for some women living in rural India is a constant challenge. The Water Project reports that nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.  Water is the fountain of live and today, all around the world, people are spending the entire day searching for it.  

The Water Project Reports: “Indian women can take up to six trips a day to gather and transport water. These walks in rural regions can average ten miles a day, carrying up to fifteen liters every trip. The women load jars or buckets on their heads to carry water. The pressure, added with the distance to water sources, creates back, feet, and posture problems. The heat increases their exhaustion, and the chore itself takes away much needed time for other duties. It is a great loss for these women to spend their days fetching water; they are removed from being able to make an income, better care for their children, or in a younger girl’s circumstance, be able to get a proper education.  It is common for girls in rural India to drop out of school, so as to help carry out the burden of moving water.”

How is that for perspective? What is the obstacle that is getting in your way of being properly hydrated? Is it because you are worried about the inconvenience of more frequent bathroom breaks?  Don’t like the taste?  Would rather drink coffee or soda?  It is time to get over these obstacles and commit to getting yourself properly hydrated.  

Your body is about 60% water… and just a small 2% decrease can significantly impair performance and the way you feel.

Our recommendation is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. This is critically important. If you are not already drinking this amount of water, make the commitment today.

Example:  If you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking a minimum of 100 ounces of water each day.

Need motivation to drink more water? Download our strategies here.

Water should be the main drink you consume on a daily basis. We want you to avoid alcohol, sugary juices, and soda because those beverages do nothing to serve you. Not only that, they’re loaded with sugar that will spike your insulin. It places a heavy load on your body to detoxify from it, which is the exact opposite of what we’re trying to achieve with proper hydration.

Hope this helps provide you with a little perspective and tools and resources to commit to proper hydration.

Cheers!

Paige

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Paige Wilcox

About Paige Wilcox

This blog, Inspire Healthy Living is focused on actionable strategies for healthy living that are going to make a major impact on your life. I will be working with our trainer team to cover a broad range of health and fitness topics that can be easily integrated into your daily life. At Wilcox Wellness & Fitness, we are passionate about helping people live their very best life and we believe that the foundation for your best life starts with a commitment to healthy living.