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Inspiration for living a luxuriously and balanced life

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Are You Getting Enough ...

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...WATER ?

Water makes up more than two thirds of the human body, without it we would die within a few days. Despite knowing this and living in a part of the world where free, clean water is easily accessible many of us do not drink enough water to maintain our body properly hydrated. 

Cell and organ function that make up our entire anatomy and physiology depend on water to work properly. Our senses are based on receptor cells, these receptors respond to nerve stimuli and send nerve impulses along sensory neurons. The brain which interprets nerve impulses enables us to perceive the impulse as one of our senses. 

The brain is 90% water, those of us who have sustained brain injuries may not realize that our sense of thirst has significantly declined, and our impaired memory does not help us to remember to drink water. Medications such as antihistamines and certain antidepressants also increase our fluid needs. Dehydration adds additional stress to other areas in the body that are already struggling due to injury.  


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Busy work and family schedules can contribute to dehydration in otherwise healthy persons. The next time you are sitting at your desk feeling tired or are behind the wheel chauffeuring a child to yet another activity/practice, pause - and think about how much water you have drank (or not) so far in the day. Your daytime fatigue could actually be mild dehydration. Most people often  mistake dehydration for hunger, before grabbing that candy bar in your desk drawer or eating junior's leftover fries from the drive-thru on the way to activity/practice try drinking a glass of water first.


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Thirst, loss of appetite, dry skin, dark coloured urine, fatigue, head rushes, and dry mouth  are some (but not all) signs that your body is entering into mild dehydration. Adults 65 plus and loved ones of seniors read here for additional information.

HOW MUCH WATER ???

An important thing to remember is that a glass - refers to an 8 oz glass. How much is a really tough question, just like a body is not one size fits all - neither is the amount of water each of us requires to drink for proper hydration. I will share my nutritionist's response when I recently posed this question ~ a good rule of thumb is 1/2 your weight divided by eight. In my individual case - (half of 140) 70 divided by 8 =  8.75 glasses daily of water, since I do take meds - it is advisable to increase this amount by a glass or so for me.
Found this graph here and thought it may be helpful as a starting point to getting more fluids in our body. Note the 50 oz of water is equal to 6.75 glasses of water (8 oz size).

Eating properly balanced meals can help. About  20% ( or 2 1/2 cups) of our fluid intake comes from food. Though all foods contain some water, fruits and vegetables provide the greatest amount. Our mother knew what she was saying when she told us to "eat your veggies". 



What are your secrets for getting enough Water in you day? Please Share....







Disclaimer : The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. The site owner makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, completeness, currentness, or timeliness of the content, text or graphics. Any links to other sites are provided for information only - they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites which may contain additional information in written or photographic form.

30 comments:

  1. This is a good article, and very helpful to remind people of the importance of hydration. I know that even headaches can be "cured" with water. It is because the headache is just a sign of dehydration. One thing I like to do, is keep a large big gulp style cup filled in the morning and take it with me in the car, etc through my day so I can always have a drink available. Thanks for this very informative post!
    Blessings,
    Susie

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  2. Dearest Celia,

    It is so true that water intake is THE most important thing! Otherwise the body starts extracting from our blood and that causes high blood pressure... Lots of affects if we don't hydrate ourselves properly. What is the secret? Not a secret really but I keep a bottle of water on my bedside table and when I wake up, I drink. If having been to a dinner, prepared by others, with higher sodium I might wake up with a light headache. Drinking water is often the cure! Listen to your body, you get a warning signal that you are on the underside of your water intake. Walking or sporting causes the same.
    In the morning with my breakfast I also drink one glass of skim milk. It makes for a great protective liner in the stomach before taking medication. Just a habit and it works fine.
    Thanks for such a very informative post!
    Hugs to you both,
    Mariette

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  3. I have to remind myself to drink water but the first thing I do when I wake up is drink! It wakes me up!

    Hello there beautiful! Anita

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  4. Celia,
    So true! Especially here in the desert, you can get dehydrated so quickly...I always have to remind myself and family. I hope you have the most lovely Fall temps and are enjoying the outside before Winter hits. Do you have any sunny winter travel plans?
    I wish you a wonderful week ahead!
    xo,
    Nathalie

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  5. An interesting and informative article. I really have to make an effort and remind myself to drink water during the day rather than tea and coffee! I prefer fruit juice as I find water so boring(!) but I make myself drink water as I do understand the benefits.
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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  6. my daughter and i were remarking how much less water
    the italians and english drink. we americans drink us
    some WATER!

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  7. I doubt I drink enough water, I do however eat a fair amount of fruit/veg which are made up like you say with a fair amount of water.

    I need reminding to drink more! Elle x

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  8. My fave way to ensure enough water is the Prodyne Fruit Infusion Water Pitcher (you can get it on Amazon). It has the tube in the middle you can put any fruit you like to infuse the water with - yummy. Another way is cucumber water - very refreshing. We don't drink anything in our house except water and my morning tea. A good book is "Your Body's Many Cries for Water: You Are Not Sick, You Are Thirsty" by F. Batmanghelidj. Excellent post!

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  9. This is great Celia! I am prone to UTI's and learned to drink water as part of my treatment plan. It's something that doesn't always come naturally to people.. but once you get in the habit, water tastes SO good! Water is the first beverage of the day for me :)

    Enjoy your Sunday :)

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  10. No, I am always dehydrated and I know I should drink more water but I never think about it.
    Plus I take very mild water pills .. I am bad. I will just shrivel up and blow away one day.

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  11. I love your blog, your posts are always so informative and full of nuggets. I do drink lots of water, when I get tired of drinking regular water, I drink mineral water because I like the fizz without all the bloatness and caffeine I get from diet coke. I also do eat lots of veggies and fruit because that is how I grew up. I think one of tricks in drinking enough water is to find a brand you like. For regular water I drink Acqua Panna, my mineral water is San Pellegrino, they're both Italian brands easily found in any market. :)

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  12. This is so true, I know when I start to get a headache I've not drank enough water that day. I also find drinking plenty of water stops unnecessary snacking between meals.

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  13. Not this week. I ran out of bottled water and I can tell when I don't drink as much my skin looks dull. Off to get some tomorrow! xo

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  14. Hi sweet friend! I'm trying to drink more water, but it's a CHORE for me most of the time. But...I'll keep trying. :-)

    Hugs,
    Kat

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  15. Interesting post! I sip all day long. Waiting until you are thirsty is a sign of dehydration. Food also has water, so big salads, strawberries, jicama, etc., help fluid intake :)

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  16. I know I'm not! I'm never thirsty and just can't drink water unless I am. Must try harder.

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  17. Water is my constant companion ... bottled, from the well, doesn't matter ...I drink it.... Fabulous and informative post... Hugs

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  18. Thanks for the visit this morning! Love this post, I drink bottles of water a day, or from the filter at least....wishing you a wonderful end to the week!

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  19. This is a great post and so important. I love the side caption describing how the body uses the water. Thank you for sharing this info.

    Thank you also for stopping by and your kind comment and giveaway entry.
    Have a great weekend.
    XO Celestina Marie

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  20. I really need to drink lots more water than I do now.
    Thanks for the informative post.

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  21. Today I feel like to see the Doctor again that is so true with Yours in here.
    I has all ways first thing in the morning and in the night time.
    Only way for my body is not too fart I really think keep it up....
    I wish you keep it up Celia!!
    Looking for I will be back to see you.
    Michiko

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  22. What a fabulous post and blog. I discovered you through Adrienne at 'The Rich Life on a Budget). I'm looking forward to perusing your lovely blog!

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  23. I have water with me all day home or in the car.
    xoxo
    SC

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  24. We need TONS of water here in the dry desert!!!I like adding liquid chlorophyll that has a minty flavor, killing two birds with one stone :)
    I love your picture on your google connect, you look TRES BELLE!
    Happy Thursday my friend!
    xo,
    Nathalie

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  25. Water....yeah I need to drink more. I too love the picture of the water streaming and the woman's face. Have a great weekend. Stay safe out there.

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  26. Great post! I especially like the tip on how to tailor your water intake to your specific needs. To get my eight glasses I use water bottles that are at least 16 oz. it makes it so much easier.

    LittlePinkRainBoots.blogspot.com

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  27. What a glamorous way to tell us such an important message! I love your new blog look..have a great week!
    xo
    Sharon

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  28. great post! I always makes sure I drink at least 2 liters or more a day..also I dont like drinking cold water, I feel like its harder to drink more if the water you drink is super cold!

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  29. Great information, Celia! I'm so sure I don't drink enough water ... and after reading the nutritionist's way to figure out how much we should be drinking, I'm sure that I don't. It's so easy when I'm sitting at a studio desk for time to fly and before I know it, I've gone an afternoon without drinking anything. I'm vowing to be more conscious of it!

    Thanks for stopping by this week, C. I've been very busy this week getting a whole batch of rough sketches out before leaving Friday morning on a long weekend to be with my family for the Easter holiday. Your illustrations are the first of the batch to be painted as soon as I return first of the week ... I'll keep you posted, sweet. Have a wonderful weekend! xo ~S

    SANDY M Illustration
    http://oohlafroufrou.blogspot.com

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  30. Living in the Southwest desert, I know the necessity of water. When it is so hot and dry, unless I drink water constantly, I see the effects of dehydration on my skin, my eyes, my body and my inner workings. I keep a bottle of water with me all the time.

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