Signs you are dehydrated-even if you don't feel thirsty

Feeling a bit sluggish? Before you make a mad dash for that coffee pot, pour yourself a nice big glass of water. There is a good chance it will perk you up. I know this from personal experience.

Everyday around 3:00 I would start to fade. I felt tired and had trouble concentrating. My first instinct would be to grab a cup of caffeine. Sometimes, I thought my blood sugar was dropping and that I needed a snack. But really, I was just thirsty. I am not the only one. In fact, water is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in our society.

Coffee, soda, juice, sports drinks and alcohol have become the beverages of choice. None of which are good replacement for water. We are hydraulic beings (made up of 80% water) and all of our systems depend on water to function properly.

Some of the roles of water are:

• transports nutrients through the bloodstream

• flushes waste and toxins out of the body

• regulate body temperature

• lubricates and cushions joints

• helps to reduce swelling

• improves digestion and elimination

• controls cravings

• helps with weight lost

• healthier looking skin

If the body’s water content drops by as little as 2%, it will cause fatigue.  A drop of 10% can cause significant health problems. Losses greater than 10% can cause death. Yikes :/

In addition to fatigue, dehydration can show up as:

• Headaches

• Brain Fog

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Depression

• Cravings

• Muscle cramps

• Heartburn

• Joint Pain

• Back Pain

• Migraines

• Fibromyalgia

• Constipation

Just think of how much better we can feel if we just stay hydrated! So, how much water should you drink?

Studies show that you should be drinking 1/2 of your body weight in ounces per day. Even more if you exercise. And if you drink diuretic beverages (coffee, alcohol for instance), you should drink 12 ounces of water for every 8 ounces of diuretic.

Personally, I like to start my day with a big glass of lemon water. We wake up dehydrated because we lose water through breathing and sweating while we are sleeping. Lemon water also aids in digestion, helps the liver to detoxify and has numerous other health benefits. Doing this helps me to kick-start my day with more energy and sets the stage for sipping water throughout the day. And I surely feel better when I do.

So get yourself an awesome new water bottle and start hydrating today!

Here's to feeling groovy!