The human body needs water daily as it loses water every day even when the body hasn’t done anything stressful. The amount of water lost by the body varies depending on your activity levels and climatic conditions.
One good fact however is that the body is tuned to tell you whether you need to replenish your water reservoir. The easiest way to judge if your body needs water is how thirsty you are.
Water is needed for good health and there is no replacement for water. Most studies show that about two in three people are dehydrated and need to drink more water. It is necessary to understand the subtle signals that your body sends, indicating you need to drink more water.
Hunger even though you’ve recently eaten
When the body is dehydrated, it tends to think it needs food. Eating food at this period only creates more work for the body, whereas drinking water purifies body organs and supplies it with the fuel it needs to go through the other processes a body goes through.
Joint aches
The human cartilage and spinal discs are made up of about 80% water. This is an absolute necessity to keep the bones from grinding against each other with every step taken. By keeping your body hydrated, you ensure that your joints can absorb the shock of sudden movements, such as running, jumping, or falling awkwardly.
Dull, dry skin and/or definite wrinkles
As the body’s largest organ, the skin needs to stay hydrated. Dry skin is one of the earliest signs of full-on dehydration, which can lead to much larger problems. A lack of water means a lack of sweat, which leads to a body’s inability to wash away excess dirt and oil accumulated throughout the day. To avoid breakouts, drinking more water is advised.
The colour of your urine is an important marker. Dark urine indicates a need to drink more water
In addition to thirst, it is also important to look at the colour of your urine. You should be drinking enough water to turn your urine a light-colored yellow. Dark-colored urine is a sign that your kidneys are retaining fluids in order to maintain your bodily functions, which includes detoxification. As a result, your urine will seem highly concentrated and dark in color.
Infrequent urination; and/or constipation
You may also urinate less frequently, for the same reason stated above. Since the thirst mechanism tends to become less efficient with age, older adults need to pay more careful attention to the color of their urine to ensure adequate water intake. The incidence of urination can also be used to judge your water intake. A healthy person urinates on average about seven or eight times a day. If your urine is limited or if you haven’t urinated in several hours, that too is an indication that you’re not drinking enough fluids.
Exhaustion and/or mood swings
When the body is dehydrated it “borrows” water from your blood. A lack of properly hydrated blood leads to a lack of oxygen being brought throughout the body. A lack of oxygen leads to exhaustion, sleepiness and mood swings.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that you need water for good health. A simple effort of substituting all the sweetened, bottled beverages you indulge in with regular pure water can go a long way towards improving your health. It works wonders to help you manage your weight too. The amount of water your body needs, however, is something you need to fine-tune based on your circumstances. It is necessary to understand the body requirements and the obvious signals that it’s high time to replenish your fluids.
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