Our Precious Commodity, Water.
You work hard all day, sometimes forgetting to eat or take a break. It seems like a never-ending to-do list with projects stacking up much faster than you can check them off. The boss is inquires about why things aren’t getting done and asks you to work through lunch and stay late to meet predetermined deadlines. Exhausted and after working furiously, you finally finish your project well after your usual dinnertime. You pack up and head home to just collapse in your bed to wake up and start the cycle all over again.
Sometimes we get so involved in projects that we don’t realize how much time passes by and we neglect our bodies; we forget to eat and drink. Our bodies begin to let us know and we end up in either the dreaded hangry state or wind up with a blistering headache. Unfortunately, some of us get to this point all to often and others around us are sure to let us know.
Astonishingly, the average person can last between 2-3 weeks without food, while Ghandi lasted a whopping 21 days before total starvation. Although this is the average, there are many variables to consider on an individual basis. To many, it feels as if we couldn’t even make it even 2 days without food. Our bodies begin to feel light-headed and have a drop in blood sugar levels even within a day.
As far as living without water, that is a different story. Because the human body is made up of about 60% water and every cell in the body needs water to function properly, the average person can go without water for 3-4 days. Throughout this time, you’ll likely experience symptoms of dry, chapped lips, a swollen and cracking tongue, other skin irritations, and hallucinations.
Clearly, is it critical to keep an eye on your water intake each and everyday, but how much is enough? There are different guidelines and recommendations depending on what source you’re looking at. The Mayo clinic recommends approximately 13 cups for men, while women can get away with 9. Remember, this is simply an average recommendation. There are many variables that may increase your body’s demand for water, such as weight, activity level, age, and obviously gender.
Besides the obvious of staying hydrated, why else should you drink adequate amounts of water?
Lose weight –Unlike soda, juices, and nearly any other fluid, water allows you to stay hydrated at 0 calories per drink, with no added sugar or chemicals. If you replace these other fluids with water, you’ll be consuming less calories, thus help your body lose weight.
Body functions – As stated above, the body is comprised of about 60% water. Without enough water, many of our organs and systems won’t work properly. Some of these include your digestive system, transportation of nutrients, maintenance of body temperature.
Decrease performance – If you’ve ever done exercise until complete exhaustion, you know what I’m talking about. When you’re body is running low on fluids, your muscles begin to fatigue at a quicker rate and you’ll likely develop a cramp sooner than later. This would be a fun experiment to try on yourself. Try exercising when fairly dehydrated and see how your body reacts versus when you’re properly hydrated.
Better skin – Dehydration causes your skin to look more dry and wrinkly. Nobody wants that. On the other end of the spectrum, over hydrating yourself won’t remove wrinkles, sorry folks.
Keep the pipes flowing – If dehydrated, your body will pull water from any and every source possible, including waste. Being dehydrated for excessive amounts of time will result in constipation.
There are many additional benefits of drinking enough water and maintaining proper hydration. If you’re struggling with this, try having a glass (or two) of water with every meal, chose a drink that you enjoy (excluding alcohol), eat more water dense foods (fruit/vegetables/soup), and always have a full water bottle at your disposal. Personally, I always remember to have water at my nightstand and in my car. When I used to have a 9-5, I always had a water bottle at my desk or in my locker. Small things like this can be a friendly reminder to drink enough throughout the day and allow you to drink even before you’ve become thirsty.