Staying hydrated on a regular basis can be tricky to remember. You already find chances to drink water throughout the day, but are you getting enough? It’s easy to tell if you’re dehydrated based on what your body is telling you, such as headaches or lethargy. How can you stay hydrated throughout the day aside from getting a few glasses of water in? Take a look at this guide to help you make sure you’re staying hydrated.
Signs of dehydration
You may not have realized that some of the symptoms you experience on the regular are actually signs of dehydration. Since feeling tired, getting a headache, and overall dizziness or lightheadedness could be caused from anything, you may not have associated these symptoms with your lack of hydration. Look out for these signs, as well as muscle cramps, constipation, dry or sticky mouth, and even dry skin indicating that you may be moderately dehydrated.
You’ll even notice that you aren’t urinating as often when you are dehydrated. If things get too serious, you’ll notice symptoms like rapid heartbeat and breathing, a fever, unconsciousness or delirium, and low blood pressure. This will also be accompanied by extreme thirst, confusion, dry skin with no bounce after being pinched, and sunken eyes.
How you can start hydrating yourself better
You’ve heard that you should drink eight glasses of water per day. It’s smart to take your current body weight and divide the number in half, using that as a guide of how many ounces of water you actually need in a day. If you can’t get all of that in your water intake, you can find other ways to secretly hydrate your body. Doing this through water-rich foods and other beverages is a great way to add some variety to your hydration needs for the day.
A great place to start is to incorporate water-rich foods into your daily diet. Start adding things like strawberries or watermelon to your breakfast and celery or cucumbers to your salad at lunch. These are great sources of hydration and since your body wants 20% of your daily water intake to be done through food, you’ll be covering your bases while enjoying other health benefits from these foods.
Your morning coffee is actually a wonderful source of water too. While it’s not as straightforward as a glass of water, about eight ounces of coffee will equal about four ounces of water. Then, be sure to choose a vegetable juice with breakfast since this tends to be a great alternative to water. You’ll find it to be a high quality beverage option for replenishing your cells, hydrating, and offering you important nutrients.
In addition to regular water, add in some coconut water into your day. It’s a great way to stay hydrated without overloading you on carbs. It offers a high level of potassium too, making your bodily fluids easier to regulate.
Now that you know the signs of dehydration and ways to stay hydrated, remember to make sure you are remaining hydrated throughout the day and the week. You’ll struggle with physical activity, pregnancy, and overall wellness if you are dehydrated. Before your next chiropractic adjustment, be sure to keep hydrated in order to see the best results from your treatment.
