Dehydration is very common, meaning your body is depleting more liquids than you are consuming. You might be surprised how much water you may need to be drinking a day to stay hydrated.
Staying hydrated is a critical component to staying well – keeping your organs and body functioning properly, having enough energy, feeling full/satisfied, and improving your skin, hair, eyes, etc.
If you are having these symptoms you could be dehydrated: Dry mouth, Peeing and sweating less than usual, Dry skin, Feeling tired, Dizziness, Headache, Sick to your stomach, and Fainting. If you are always dehydrated you may have aching joints and feel stressed. https://medlineplus.gov/dehydration.html
Not sure if you’re drinking enough? Try a visual pee check! The color of your urine can tell you how you’re doing – here’s a chart to visualize.
- From https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/news/how-know-youre-well-hydrated-tidbits-our-trainings
- How much water should I drink?
- “On days that you are not very active or spending a lot of time indoors start with 8-10 cups of water (8oz each) per day. Make sure to spread these cups of water throughout the day.
- On days that you are working outdoors and sweating alot, we recommend drinking 4 cups of water (8oz each) per hour or 1 cup every 15 minutes. It sounds like a lot, but in order to stay hydrated while working in high temperatures, you need to replace all of the water you are sweating out.” https://aghealth.ucdavis.edu/news/how-know-youre-well-hydrated-tidbits-our-trainings
- Tips to stay hydrated:
- Get in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you everywhere, and just keep refilling it throughout the day.
- If you don’t like the taste of water, try adding a splash of fruit juice, sparkling water, or herbal tea to get the water your body needs.
- Keep a glass of water beside your bed at night, and drink water when you first wake up. It not only rehydrates you from the night but also can give you a boost of energy in the morning.
- Watch how much you sweat- if you’re sweating more, you need to drink more water. If you live in a hot, dry climate where your sweat may be evaporating quickly, be extra attentive to how much water you drink and monitor yourself for signs of dehydration.
- Consider downloading a healthy lifestyle app that helps you track how much water you drink throughout the day, like Daily Water Tracker Reminder (iPhone or Android) or Hydro Coach (Android only), which can be customized if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Hydration impacts your body more than you think! Proper nutrition and hydration will help your body better function. Talk to your provider about what to consider if you want to get pregnant in the next year.
Everyone deserves access to clean and safe drinking water from their kitchen tap. This isn’t true everywhere in the U.S. Here’s a 2020 report from the National Resources Defense Council with more information.
Search your city to see what contaminants are/aren’t filtered out in your tap water here. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ Click here https://www.turningonthetap.org/#/introduction(flint:1//yonkers:1) for an interactive website highlight communities impacted by water injustice.
Tip: If your water isn’t safe you can consider using a water filter and/or filling up your water bottle at work or school if there is a water cooler or safe water. No amount of lead is safe for children or really anyone to drink.