Wellness Billionaire's Blog

Would you believe that most people today are chronically dehydrated? That’s year round and it is even worse in the hot summer months. This can lead to a wide range of health problems. Your body loses so much water every day just due to basic body functioning and your environment, it can be extremely difficult to stay properly hydrated. However, with a little education and simple lifestyle changes in many cases, you can drink enough water, stay adequately hydrated and set yourself up for optimal health.

Here’s another question for you…do you know how much water your body tends to lose every hour? One liter. If you’re exercising, that figure can skyrocket to three or even four liters an hour. So do yourself a favor and drink a big glass of right now for starters!

Always keep a bottle of water with you when you go out. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be available to you at all times.

If you are exercising, keep an even larger container on your person or be near the water cooler or hydrating station for continual replenishment.

Try not to hold in your urine or minimize your movements in an attempt to conserve water. Once you’ve consumed water and your body no longer needs , get rid of it. Holding it will only put you at risk for infections and other health conditions. It’s always a good idea to drink a glass of water after returning from the bathroom.

Drink sport drinks that contain electrolytes. There are many products on the market to choose from. These help your body to optimize the water, maximizing your body’s functioning.

Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Think about it…if you’re thirsty then you are already somewhat dehydrated. Start to make regular water consumption a healthful habit. You may have a few more trips to the bathroom, but when it comes to your health it’s worth it.

Dress accordingly, stay cool and take breaks. Avoid excessive exposure to extreme temperatures and conditions, and avoid excessive consumption of substances that tend to dehydrate you even faster like alcohol and coffee.

Knowing the signs of dehydration and knowing what to do if someone around you is dehydrated is very important and can be matter of life and death.  Signs of dehydration include thirst, weakness, nausea, muscle cramps, feeling dizzy and light headedness. Decreased urine levels and urine that has a strong odor or is darker than normal, tiredness, sluggishness, irritability and headaches can also be clear warning signs of advanced heatstroke. All, some or none of these warning signs may be present, so look for them. The best way of course to avoid dehydration is to monitor water or fluid intake regularly and modify your activity according to the outside temperature and current weather conditions.

Coming Soon, “How to Help Someone Suffering from Heat Stroke”.