Do you roll your eyes at the idea of dehydration? Think it doesn’t apply to you? Or think it’s not that big of a deal?
Then, read on for these scary truths about dehydration.
If you’re new to my blog, Welcome! I’m so glad you are here. My goal is to provide you with tips that help you stay strong and active as you age.
Here are some of my other blogs to check out after you read this one.
- 4 easy changes to get you eating healthier
- Sarah’s journey from pain to her dream job
- Easy steps for starting your fitness routine
- Secrets to removing mental blocks to losing weight
- Secrets to a strong, healthy female body
- Do you want to lose weight?
- Start losing weight today without feeling deprived!
- Effective steps to reverse the creeping weight gain
Signs of Dehydration
Most of us are dehydrated on a daily basis and don’t even realize it.
You may have been mildly dehydrated for so long that you just take all the signs as “normal”.
Do any of these signs sound familiar?
- Feeling weak or tired
- Frequent headaches
- Constipation
Scary Truth about Dehydration #1 - It can land you in the hospital!
The above signs are just the beginning and should be considered warning signs that you need to drink more water.
Without a doubt, your kidneys need water to function properly and to flush waste out of the body. Dehydration can also lead to kidney stones. Unfortunately, to this one, I can attest. Growing up, I rarely drank plain water. During college, I drank even less. As a matter of fact, the week before I was to start my very first job after graduating, I found myself in the hospital with kidney stones. From that day forward, I started drinking more water.
Scary Truth about Dehydration #2 - It makes your wrinkles more visible!
When you are dehydrated, your skin will appear dry, tight and maybe even flaky. Dry skin also accentuates our wrinkles. I don’t know about you, but I’ll do about anything to hide my wrinkles.
Scary Truth about Dehydration #3 - It can increase your risk of Coronary Heart Disease
Drinking adequate amounts of water has been linked to lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Unquestionably, as the leading cause of death among women, this is worth taking serious.
Scary Truth about Dehydration #4 - It can create mental confusion and delusion.
After the boat she was on sank, Debbie Scaling Kiley described feeling semi-delusional by the 3rd day on a life raft without water. By the fourth day, 2 men jumped overboard in a state of delusion. By the 5th day, she was overwhelmed with thoughts of dying of dehydration. Luckily, she was rescued on the 5th day.
This story shows what can happen in extreme dehydration.
In normal circumstances, it is unlikely that you would reach this extreme dehydration. It does, however, show how critical water is to our survival.
How to Stay Hydrated
First, don’t wait until you feel thirsty. By then, you are already dehydrated.
Drink a minimum of 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you’ll need to drink at least 75 ounces of water. Again, this is the bare minimum. If you’re working out or live in a warm climate, you need even more. Personally, I drink double the minimum required.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Carry a water bottle everywhere. Just like you do your cell phone or purse.
- Eat fruits and vegetables like watermelon, grapes, tomatoes
- Feeling hungry? Drink water. Often our brains signal that we are hungry when we are actually dehydrated.
- Drink water before every meal
- Drink water before, during and after exercise
One more benefit of drinking an adequate amount of water…
It improves your ability to lose weight!!!
For more tips, motivation, support and encouragement to lose weight, join our free Facebook group for Women Over 50.
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