On a daily basis, the human body loses water, even when you’re not purposely working up a sweat. The amount, of course, varies depending on your activity levels and climatic conditions. The body is however tuned to tell you whether you need to replenish your water reservoir. Your breath, skin, and muscles may be telling you that your body is running low on water. Moreover, your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work correctly. For example, your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste, and lubricate joints.

There is no replacement for water. Drinking sodas or coffee can exacerbate dehydration. Worse yet, sodas, processed fruit juices, and other sweetened beverages are primary sources of fructose, which will only deteriorate your health and worsen the situation.

Indicators that You Need More Water:

It is necessary to understand the subtle signals that your body sends, indicating you need to drink more water. These include:

1) Hunger even though you’ve recently eaten

2) Joint aches

3) Dull, dry skin and/or definite wrinkles

4) Infrequent urination; and/or constipation

5) The color of your urine is an important marker. Dark urine indicates a need to drink more water

6) Exhaustion and/or mood swings

How much water do you need to drink every day?

A common recommendation is to drink six or eight 8-ounce glasses of water or other fluid every day. But some adults may need more or less, depending on how healthy they are, how much they exercise, and how hot and dry the climate is.

You may sometimes need to drink more water than usual if you:

• Exercise intensely, especially in a hot climate.
• Are sick, such as with the flu, or have a health problem like a urinary tract infection.
• Are pregnant or breast-feeding.

 

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