Ah, the chilly Manitoba winters are upon us. Like most people, in the chilly months you may turn more to warm beverages as opposed to regular water when you feel thirsty. Here are a few reasons why you SHOULD keep drinking water and different ways you can enjoy it!
But before we dig into all that, what really is dehydration? It’s when you use OR loose more fluid than you take in and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out normal functions for your cells – 75% of your body weight is water! Diarrhea, vomiting, fevers and urinating more than taking in fluids due to Diabetes are the most common causes for water loss.
Some Signs to look out for:
| ADULTS | INFANTS AND KIDS |
| Increased thirst | Dry mouth |
| Less frequent urination | Dry tongue |
| Dark yellow urine | No tears when crying |
| Dizziness | 0 wet diapers for 3 hours |
| Fatigue | Sunken eyes and cheeks * |
| Headaches | Sunken soft spot on top of skull * |
| Sleepiness, confusion * | |
| Dry Skin | |
| Poor skin elasticity | |
| Being in extreme hot temperatures * | |
| Excessive sweating * | |
| Strenuous exercise | |
| Muscle cramps | |
| Fainting * | |
| Drop in blood pressure * |
*= moderate to severe signs which require medical attention ASAP
Another neat test I get patients to do or I do on myself is, I will pinch the skin on my index finger in the middle where the dry skin is. If the skin slowly sinks back to normal position or stays like that – you need some more fluids!
How much water should you be drinking?
The estimated average intake for 19-30 year olds according to the USDA
is Men = 3.7 L and Women= 2.7 L
But if you find water boring, don’t worry I got some ideas for you. This is how I like drinking water and it may work for you too! Things I add to my water time to time; lemon, cucumber, basil, mint and chia seeds.
Lemon: has vitamin C (which may help decrease cardiovascular disease and help reduce blood pressure), aids in digestion because it has diuretic properties which may also help with constipation, helps maintain pH balance, detoxifying agent, has anti-inflammatory properties.
Cucumbers: great for skin, rich in Vitamin K and which promotes bone mineral density and also helps regulate blood pressure and also has diuretic properties.
Mint: breath fresher, helps with indigestion and gas and helps keep you alert
Chia Seeds: source of omega 3, antioxidants, supports digestion, great source of protein, has hydrophilic properties which can attract to water in the body if you don’t soak the chia seeds
Basil: good for digestion, has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties and promotes gut health.
