THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER
I am trying to re-introduce good habits back into my life at the moment. An important habit I had let slip was drinking enough water, as I mentioned this morning. Last year when I researched the importance of water for our brains, I nearly frightened myself to death when I found out how too little water impacts on the brain. According to research at least 75% of adults do not drink enough water every day. Dehydration can cause urinary tract infections, brain fog, digestive issues, anxiety, fatigue to mention just a few problems. Did you know that water makes up 60% of our body, 75% of our muscles and 85% of our brains? Despite that, a lot of us don’t take hydration seriously. I know I certainly don’t. I keep forgetting to drink. Here are some ways that you can tell that you are not hydrated enough.
- You don’t go for a ‘wee’ very often and when you do it is a dark yellow or brown. Toxins will accumulate in your body if you don’t drink enough water which causes the brain fog and exhaustion.
- Your skin, lips and eyes feel dry. You also won’t sweat the toxins out when you are exercising. This can lead to cracked skin and acne through blocked pores.
- You often have joint or back pain. This is because your body cartilage contains 80% water, and your joints need to be kept lubricated to protect the bones. The back pain might be a sign that your kidneys are not working properly, and lack of water can lead to permanent kidney damage.
- You are not satisfied even after you have eaten. You may think that you are hungry but in fact you are thirsty as it is the same part of the stomach that sends the message to the brain.
- You have regular mood swings and often feel tired. This is because water carries oxygen to the body. If your body does not have enough oxygen the systems will slow down. Studies have shown that drinking less water can also cause confusion, anxiety and fatigue.
- You suffer from high blood pressure due to your blood becoming thicker. This can lead to a build-up of sodium which can cause major health problems.
- You have high cholesterol as your body retains water if it is lacking liquid. It holds on to water to keep you alive.
- You get rashes, cracks and red skin frequently. As the toxins build up on the skin they become the perfect breeding ground for acne, eczema and psoriasis.
- You suffer from digestive problems. Water helps move the waste through your body and get rid of the toxins.
- You get bad head aches and brain fog. When your brain does not have enough water, it pulls away from the skull which can cause headaches and migraines.
Many of us drink coffee, sugary drinks, alcohol etc thinking that we are getting enough liquid. Although all liquid is better than none, and you can get liquid from some foods especially fruit or veg, water is the best way to quickly hydrate our bodies as it does not need to go through any process. We are probably not hydrating ourselves enough, which makes me wonder if our children are drinking enough as, if not, it could lead to health complications. Unfortunately, this research didn’t scare me enough into drinking more last year. Let’s hope I can build it into a stronger habit this year. 🙄
