How To Tell You're Dehydrated

Most of us are walking around chronically dehydrated. Literally like empty water wells in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Empty, dry and desolate. The only problem with it is that we are fluid beings meant to be alive, flexible and vibrant just like the ocean. In fact, our bodies are roughly 60-75% water! Think about that for a moment.

The majority of your body is water. Friends, that is a scientific fact. If you’d like to explore the research there’s plenty available.

The point is that water is arguably the single most important element in the human diet that cannot be replaced by any other source. It’s so vital that we cannot go more than three or four days without it or we’d die. So then why do most of us only drink enough to survive?

Whenever we choose to do something enough just to get by we always get the short of the stick. The same is true with our water intake. For those of us who are chronically dehydrated we tend to “exist” compared to our potential of “thriving.” If we’re only putting enough water in our body to accomplish the “minimum” then we’re suffering.

Are you dehydrated?

Here are some indicators that you are dehydrated and your body is dying of thirst:

You regularly have some form of mucus. Most commonly it’s nasal related, but excessive ear wax, dandruff, dry coughs and acne are all indicators that your body is not getting enough water.

According to the Mayo Clinic, headaches and constipation are also very common symptoms. Just think for a moment. How many of those things are you plagued by on a daily basis? If you are, then you’re certainly not living, you’re existing. Of course, there are many other symptoms, but alleviating those symptoms alone could improve your quality of life.

When I say quality of life, I’m not only referring to alleviation of the symptoms, which result in less tissue paper use or less bloating, but the side affects of those symptoms. When you have a headache, generally you’re irritable. When you’re irritable your patience levels are lower. Your friends and family don’t want to be around you. Your work performance might suffer and the list goes on about how your hormones are impacted by dehydration and the way you show up in life. Amazing isn’t it?!

Benefits of water

The benefits are amazing! You’ll have clearer skin because your body can better dispose of waste. Weight management is another, because as Dr. Batmangeldi has shown us, you’d eat less and more efficiently use the food you already have stored in your system. Also, reduced cramping because your bodies wouldn’t need to pull from its reserves to repair itself. Reduction of “mental fogginess”, too, because your body would effectively reduce the number of toxins reaching your brain. You’d even experience more alertness and less fatigue because your cells would effectively distribute water throughout your body, offering proper nourishment to our brains, joints and muscles.

Drink up!

Here 3 things you can do to help you drink more water every day:

Buy a 64 ounce refillable water bottle and set a goal to drink a minimum of one of them a day, then two a day.
Download a free water drinking app to remind your drink regularly while holding yourself accountable to others.
Sip. Sipping your water from the moment you wake up until you go to bed will help your cells begin to absorb and use the water versus it flowing right through you.

Drink more water. You deserve to thrive!

Marquese Martin-Hayes is a certified raw vegan nutrition specialist and is the founder of The Proper Perspective, a practice designed of life coaches to help individuals, families, and corporations maximize their impact. He is the co-founder of The Proper Physique, a nutrition coaching practice, Jus Juus, a juice boutique concept, and he dabbles in other better living ideas.