Hot and muggy are the two words most people use to describe summers in the DC metro area. While the air may be thick with humidity, there is one element that is key to summertime health – water! Water makes up more than 70 percent of your body’s tissues and plays a role in nearly every bodily function from regulating temperature and cushioning joints to bringing oxygen to the cells and removing waste from the body. Therefore, it’s vital to pay attention to how much and what you drink.
There’s a lot more to dehydration than simply feeling thirsty. Signs of dehydration can also include spasms, tension in your neck or jaw, constipation, vomiting, and heart problems. Many people who experience symptoms like trouble concentrating or lingering muscle pains have no idea that they’re really suffering from preventable dehydration symptoms.
Here some other common symptoms of dehydration:
- Fatigue
- Dry skin
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Sleepiness
- Thirst
- Decreased urination
- Muscle weakness
- Dizziness
- Digestive issues
Tip 1: Know your goal.
The easiest way to know how much water to drink daily is to take your weight in pounds and halve it. Take that number and drink that many ounces of water each day. For instance, if you weight 160 pounds, you should be drinking 80 ounces of water daily. If you are going to be outside or working out and sweating a lot, drink more.
NOTE: This is also true for children! Make sure your kids have water bottles with them and drink consistently throughout the day. Especially if you have children at camp, mark their water bottles clearly with their name and encourage them to fill them up repeatedly as many of the activities at camp are high energy and outside.
Tip 2: Make it easy.
It’s important to sip water all day long so keep a water bottle with you at all times. Depending on your size, your body can only process a bit more than a glass of water (10 ounces) per hour. If you drink much more than this at one sitting, the extra water will not be used, but merely flushed down the toilet. Know how much your water bottle holds and schedule times to refill it. This way you can confirm precisely how much water you are drinking.
Tip 3: Make it tasty.
Most people are so accustomed to drinking flavored beverages that they have trouble drinking plain, unflavored water. So, make it tasty! Put 1-2 pieces of fruit in your water bottle every time you fill it up. Eat watermelon as part of your water intake. And popsicles made from 100% juice are okay every once in a while (they have too much natural sugar for daily consumption!). Experiment with different flavors and continue to mix it up so you don’t become bored with your water.
Come visit us at King Street Chiropractic Wellness Center to learn more about your health and wellness. Let us set your health in motion!
Dr. Steven Trauben, D.C. &
Dr. Jeff Borenstein, D.C.
(703) 454-5180
www.kingstreetwellness.com