The Heat is On. Stay Hydrated.

Rule of thumb: Your body weight divided by 2= the ounces of water you should aim to drink per day!

With the weather growing warmer, hydration is important as ever! Our bodies depend on water for survival, with water making up 55-65% of the adult body, and even more in children. Without proper hydration, our overall health is compromised. Nutrition Therapy Consultant Dawn Cameron shares how we can remain properly hydrated, and the consequences if we don’t…

Why every sip counts…

Roles of water in the body are abundant. It improves muscle function, transports nutrients to cells (essential for exercise), flushes waste, regulates body temperature, and aids recovery. That’s just to name a few!

And we are constantly losing water through daily activity, even on our least active days. That’s why replenishing the fluid we lose is essential to properly function and maintain health and wellbeing.

Thirsty? You could already be dehydrated.  

Fluid check. How much water do you consume per day?

Here’s a rule of thumb: Take your body weight, divide it by 2, that number = total ounces of water you should aim to drink per day at minimum. Ex: 140 lb. person should strive for 70 oz.

And in the summer heat? You should try to drink even more!

Dehydration is a serious health and safety concern. If your body's water content drops by as little as 2% it will cause fatigue. A 10% drop causes significant health problems, including digestive and immune system complications. And more than a 10% drop could cause death.

Credit: Fleet Feet Sports

 Know the signs

Very Early signs of dehydration include:

·        Fatigue

·        Anxiety

·        Irritability

·        Cravings

·        Cramps

·        Headaches

·        Depression

Mature signs of dehydration include:

·        Heartburn

·        Joint pain

·        Back pain

·        Migraines

·        Constipation

Ditch the Gatorade. Drink the clear stuff.

In order to have good hydration, we should be weary of excessive consumption of diuretics—beverages that cause dehydration. Some of those include coffee, caffeinated and some non-caffeinated teas, packaged fruit juices, soda, and alcohol.

 Another rule of thumb: For every 8 oz. of a diuretic consumed, add another 12-16 oz. of water to your daily amount.

 Bored with plain water? Jazz it up!

 Some healthy additions...

·       Sea salt, pink salt (sodium, chloride, microminerals)

·       Squeeze of citrus juice--lemons or limes

·       Apple cider vinegar, Stevia

 Thank you Dawn Cameron for sharing your expertise on the importance of staying hydrated.

You can follow her work at https://www.eatthrivemove.com/, or her Instagram @eatthrivemove.