If you read my posts you will hear me harp
on the importance of water,
coming at it from many different angles.
Water is a vital element in our lives.
Without it, the body can not function properly.
What Is Dehydration?
Through activities of daily living, the average person loses about 3- 4 liters (about 10-15 cups) of fluid a day in sweat, urine, exhaled air and bowel movement. What is lost must be replaced by the water/ fluid we drink and the food we eat.
We lose approximately 1-2 liters of water just from breathing. The evaporation of sweat from the skin accounts for 90% of our cooling ability.
Dehydration refers to loss of water that affects the body. In hot weather or at any time, the body uses just as much water as it takes in. That is why water intake is so critical to your daily diet.
How does the body lose water? Metabolic processes like cellular repair and cellular
respiration require water. Each cell bathes in it. Excretion of bodily waste products through urination causes a loss of water as well.
But, the quickest way that we lose water
from the body is through perspiration or sweat.
When you are out in the hot weather, the body sweats to cool itself off.
Water escapes the body through the skin.
Here it evaporates cooling the tissues below.
It may not feel like you are cooling off when water is dripping from your body,
but have someone blow across your skin. Feel it now?
Most of the time when you are thirsty, you are already feeling the
effects of dehydration.
Some of the symptoms are:
* Light-headed
* Dark urine
* Loss of appetite
* Heat intolerance
* Dry cough
* Fatigue
Avoiding Dehydration
The best way to deal with dehydration is to avoid it in the first place.
With a few tips you can ensure that you are always adequately hydrated,
whether out in the heat or inside out of the elements.
* Drink water throughout the day – Drinking a mouthful of water throughout the day doesn't account for any deficiencies you already have incurred during the day.
Then once you start to sweat you could create a large deficit quickly.
If you are trying to drink at least eight glasses a day, drink one glass about
every two hours for even hydration,
more if it is very hot or you are exerting yourself.
* Wear loose-fitting clothing during physical activity – In the heat, dark clothing can attract more heat. Light, loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabrics can minimize water loss through sweat. It can also pull moisture
away from your body so you stay cooler.
* Avoid soft drinks and alcohol – These types of beverages only increase thirst. Instead of water loss being replaced with water, it is replaced with
substances that the body needs to excrete.
In fact, more water is pulled from your system to dilute them.
They may taste good but they are not helping your body at that moment.
Save the beer or cold soda for relaxation time later on.
Dehydration is a serious matter. Whether it is hot or you are exercising a lot, replace that lost water with more water on a consistent basis to stay healthy.
This visual is from Today's Fitness Trainer it shows how important
hydration is for the entire body.
