All of us understand that we die if our bodies don’t get enough water. It’s a pretty straightforward concept.
However, that’s what happens if we get so little water that we die. Far less known is the fact that mild dehydration can still impact the functioning of your body. According to wikipedia “Dehydration symptoms generally become noticeable after 2% of one’s normal water volume has been lost.”
The symptoms of mild dehydration include… “include thirst, decreased urine volume, abnormally dark urine, unexplained tiredness, irritability, lack of tears when crying, headache, dry mouth, dizziness when standing due to orthostatic hypotension, and in some cases insomnia. ”
The Wentry on dehydration goes on to say, “Mild dehydration also has been shown to negatively impact people’s moods. Experiments by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has shown that dehydration is associated with confusion, fatigue, and negative moods. Mild dehydration, which includes water losses between 1% and 2%, observed in the experiment are comparable to mild dehydration experienced by people in their everyday lives.”
That’s both astonishing and fascinating. Headaches, insomnia, bad moods, confusion, fatigue and so much more, all caused by not getting enough water. Drinking water also is proven to be great help in losing weight. So, we might be overweight, tired, confused and be in a horrible mood, all because we’re not drinking enough water.
It might be an overly simplistic answer to a complex problem. However, if the solution could be that easy, isn’t it be worth the time to at least give it a try?
Hypothesis: Consuming a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water per day (64-80 ounces or 2-2.5 L) will help me to lose weight, feel more energetic and alert, and be in a better mood.
We shall see how the week works out. Operation End Mild Dehydration is underway (yeah, I need better operation names).
So important, yet so often overlooked…I’m in!