Skip to main content

How to Know if You’re Dehydrated

More than half of your body—55 to 60 percent—is composed of water. When that drops by as little as 1.5 percent below your optimal level, you are mildly dehydrated, your energy level decreases and your metabolism slows down. You may not realize it, but you’re losing water all day—even when you’re not sweating, you exhale tiny amounts of water vapor in every breath. Surprisingly, feeling thirsty is not the only, or always the first, sign that you are mildly dehydrated. Here are seven other indications that you need to drink up.

Hunger. The signals your brain sends when you need calories and when you need fluids originate in the same place, and can be mistaken for each other. When you’re dehydrated, your liver holds on to its glycogen reserves, an essential source of energy for you. Your body begins to crave food when sufficient glycogen isn’t available to burn.

How to Drink More Water

Read More

Fatigue. As your metabolism slows, your body begins to conserve its energy, leaving you feeling tired. Mild dehydration also reduces the volume of blood in your body, forcing your heart to work harder to pump oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells. When your heart is working less efficiently, you may feel exhausted even though you haven’t exerted yourself very much.

Headaches. The reduced volume of blood caused by mild dehydration also means less oxygen reaches your brain with each beat of your heart. In response, the blood vessels in your brain dilate to bring in more oxygen. Dilated blood vessels may lead to a headache.

Why Water is Good for Your Mood

Read More

Bad breath. Your saliva has antibacterial properties which prevent nasty microbes that are the source of bad breath from setting up residence in your mouth. Dehydration reduces the volume of saliva you produce, often resulting in unpleasant odors in your mouth.

Dark urine. The most visible sign of mild dehydration is evident when you go to the bathroom. Pale yellow or green urine indicates that you are well-hydrated. As your body’s fluid levels decrease, the color becomes noticeably darker, a sign that you need to drink more water.

Quiz: What’s your water IQ?

Read More

Constipation. Your digestive tract relies on fluids to help move waste through the system. If you’re feeling stopped up, dehydration may be the cause and more fluids can be the cure.

SOLUTION: To stay at your peak, you need to replenish your fluids throughout the day. Women need eight to 12 cups of water daily, men about 11 to 15 cups. Plain water is the best way to rehydrate—it’s quickly absorbed and calorie, fat and carb free. Ice water can feel refreshing, but it will sit in your stomach until it warms up. When you need to rehydrate in a hurry, go with fluids that are closer to room temperature.

The post How to Know if You’re Dehydrated appeared first on The Leaf.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Save 600 Calories a Day

By now you know: Losing weight boils down to using up more calories than you consume. It seems simple enough. The hard part is actually making it happen. But cutting calories and dieting doesn’t have to mean cutting out all your favorite foods. Don’t believe us? Check out these four simple swaps guaranteed to save you over 600 calories a day without putting the kibosh on your favorite flavors: Drink fat-free milk instead of whole Replace your whole milk habit with a fat-free fix, and for every 16 ounces you trade, you’ll save over 130 calories. Feeling adventurous? Opt for unsweetened almond milk instead of your whole milk, and you’ll save even more—over 230 calories per 16 ounces. 6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Snacking Swap regular soda for seltzer water One 20 ounce regular Pepsi clocks in at 250 calories*. Substitute just one regular soft drink a day with a seltzer or sparkling water, and you won’t just save yourself 250 calories, you’ll also spare your...
Post a Comment
Read more

Monday Motivation: 10 Workday Habits of Healthy People

Spending a good chunk of your day inside an office, plopped and stressed in front of a computer, can take a toll on your health, frame of mind and diet. You’re likely not moving your body enough and perhaps sticking your hand in the communal candy bowl a little too much. Making a few small changes to your workday routine or office space can help you stick to your diet plan, shed unwanted pounds and even sneak in a little exercise and added weight loss motivation! 9 Sneaky Fat Traps at the Office You Need to Avoid Read More Here are 10 simple strategies to help you stay healthy at work: 1. Fill up before work. Eating a nutritious breakfast not only helps provide the fuel you need to begin your workday but can also help you lose weight and keep it off. A survey from The National Weight Control Registry showed that the majority of people who maintained a 30-pound weight loss for one year or more ate a breakfast. Plus, according to Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, studies ...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 High-Protein Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes

Set it and forget it: That’s the way you want to cook during the week when work, kids, school activities and sports all collide. And truth be told, you don’t mind making weekend meals the same way, either. Slow cooker dinners are your solution when you’re short on time (and energy). Plus, when that slow cooker recipe also happens to be super-high in protein, you can consider it a win for your waistline. A high-protein diet keeps you fuller for longer and helps your body build muscle. Protein is also more thermogenic than carbohydrates and fats (meaning it requires more energy for digesting and absorbing). This means that you’ll burn more calories eating a high-protein food compared to something higher in carbs and fat. Get energized and stay satisfied with protein-packed meals that are delicious and nutritious! Here are 10 high-protein slow cooker dinner recipes that are made easy in your slow cooker: 6 Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes to Get in Your Protein Read More 1. Slow ...
Post a Comment
Read more