Class is in session, everybody, so listen up! H20, the chemical compound for water, is one of the most abundant molecules on the planet. Hear that one more time. Water is one of the most abundant molecules on the planet. So why aren’t we getting enough of it? I can see everyone’s heads drop as you ashamedly slink down into your seat so the teacher can’t see you. It’s ok. If we’re flunking, we’re all flunking together. 1 in 4 Brits reportedly don't consume enough of their daily water according to research, and nearly 4 million haven't drunk a glass of water in over a week. Needless to say, we aren't passing the test. So what makes drinking water so hard? Instead, we drink everything under the sun from Gatorade to coffee to alcohol when we’re thirsty needing and hoping it does its job of refreshment. Unfortunately, none of these even come close to fully hydrating our bodies like water.

Foods To Help Keep You Hydrated

The good thing about water is that it doesn’t just have to be liquid. You can get some of the water you need from your daily diet. On average most people get about 20% of their water intake from food. Most are fruits but there are also some untapped sources that you wouldn’t even think about like oatmeal. Some foods obviously contain more water than others, like watermelon for instance, which is comprised of 90% water but no matter what the following list of foods can contribute to your daily water intake:

• Watermelon
• Oatmeal
• Cantaloupe
• Yogurt
• Grapefruit
• Soup
• Honeydew Melons
• Smoothies
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Green Peppers
• Romaine Lettuce
• Apples
• Bananas
• Zuchinni

This list isn’t going to do you any good, however, unless you know when to hydrate and how much. Here’s a good start for you to test your water knowledge.

Causes & Symptoms Of Dehydration

Common culprits of dehydration often work together and do a double whammy on us before we even realize it.These causes include sunburn, lack of water intake, stress, sickness, prescription medicine, exercise, pregnancy, and alcohol. It’s easy to get dehydrated if we aren’t paying attention to how important our water intake is on the day to day. So how do I know I’m dehydrated? There are quite a few signs that point to you filling up that water bottle and chugging it down and the most common is simple thirst. Sad to say when we do get thirsty we’re reaching for the wrong things, so dehydration can set in quickly. These other common symptoms of dehydration can sneak up on you so make yourself aware and go grab yourself a glass of water, and you should really be doing that anyway shouldn’t you?

Benefits Of Water

Surely you’ve heard of all the wonderful benefits of drinking water and keeping yourself hydrated but we still don’t tap into one of the most natural ingredients that can get us healthy and keep us healthy. I guess it’s your loss if you don’t want to:

• Lose weight
• Have better skin
• Boost your immune system
• Increase your energy
• Flush out toxins
• Increase physical performance

But who cares about all that anyway, right? Bottom line, getting enough water is important especially since our bodies are made up of 60-75% of it. It’s crucial to the functionality of our bodies, including our spines and joints. Contact us today if you have any questions about dehydration and how we can help!