Drinking Water- Dehydration-
Dehydration
- felt tired or had trouble focusing during the last half of school
- gotten a headache or felt dizzy or light-headed
- had a dry, sticky (unkiss-able) mouth
- felt like your muscles were sort of weak
- not had to go to the bathroom for a long period of time
- cried, but had few or no tears
- had fuzzy short term memory (not good on test days) or had trouble focusing on a computer screen
......oh yeah, or been thirsty?
Then you are DEHYDRATED. The funny thing about dehydration-you can't use thirst as a gauge for when you need to start drinking water. By the time you are thirsty, you are already becoming dehydrated. A better barometer is the color of your urine: clear, light-colored urine means you're well hydrated; dark yellow urine usually signals dehydration
(Dehydration.)
...and you need to drink even MORE water than normal if...
- you are exercising
- you live at a high altitude
- you are sick, esp. if there is vomiting or diarrhea
- you sweat a lot
("Water.")
And if being DEHYDRATED wasn't bad enough for your organs, get this: You'll have an increase in
- Fat deposits
- Your skin will sag and wrinkle ("3- All Natural.")
- Your metabolism slows down (Dehydration.)
So, don't wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Drink water with every meal. Carry a water bottle with you (and drink it). How hard is that?
Even though you know you should be drinking water it can be hard. Some ideas to help promote better drinking habits:
- Have a water bottle in the car when you're driving (it makes singing along to your music easier and not make your throat hurt)
- Fill up a few water bottles before going to bed- you won't even have to think about it in the morning
- Challenge yourself to drink a certain amount before going to school, shower, breakfast, etc.
- Have a special water cup- have it be pretty, or soothing to your lips when you drink from it
- Carry a water bottle with you at all times
- Drink water at each meal
- Add a slice of lemon, or any other fruit to your water for a splash of flavor
“3 All-Natural Ways to Prevent Saggy Skin.” Bath Body Junky. 25 Apr. 2007. 26 May, 2007 < http://site.bathbodyjunky.com/blog/2007/04/3-all-natural-ways-to-prevent-saggy.html>.
Dehydration. 3 Jan. 2007 Mayo Clinic. 13 Apr. 2007 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dehydration/ DS00561/DSECTION=1.
"Water: How much should you drink every day?" CNN.com 23 May 2006. 31 Mar. 2007 <http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html>.
