Are you drinking enough water? Did you know that it is possible to become chronically dehydrated, which can lead to life-threatening problems?
Our body is made up largely of water and is meant to have a certain amount of water for optimal health. When we are not drinking enough, or if we are drinking too much, it can cause us big problems.
Chronic Dehydration
I was researching some symptoms a couple of years ago and dehydration kept coming up. I had never heard of chronic dehydration. As I read more about it, I realized I was not drinking nearly enough water every day. I was barely drinking any. And I had barely been drinking any for years. Whether this had anything to do with the symptoms I was researching, I don’t know, but I know that I definitely was not drinking enough water.
I will share this, though. Some years ago, my son and I both caught the same bug. He drinks water ALL THE TIME and was over this in a day or two. The bug really wasn’t that serious. I, on the other hand, almost got myself admitted to the hospital. If the doctor had not immediately put in an IV to get fluids in me right there in the doctor’s office, they were going to have to admit me. The difference was night and day. I have read that when you are chronically dehydrated things can get serious for you very quickly. A chronically dehydrated person does not have the reserves that a hydrated person has. It is nothing to play with…trust me.
Even still, I do not think I wrapped my head around the fact that this was chronic dehydration when this happened, and it could be wreaking havoc on my whole body.
It wasn’t until I started having some serious health problems that I stumbled across chronic dehydration. While I do not know if caused my health problems, I am sure it did not help, and it may have been one of the factors in a perfect storm.
The bottom line is this is a simple thing to do that contributes more than we realize to our health.
We need to drink a healthy amount of water every day.
This was a problem, because most days I hated water. It tends to be one of those things you either love or you hate. But not drinking water apparently was not a healthy option. I had to figure out some way to do this.
I know this is going to sound overkill for most sane people, but I filter the bottled water. It made it taste better, or rather made it have less of a taste. This was a great start, but it still wasn’t something I enjoyed. I decided to add some things to it…a little pineapple, grapes, strawberries, or cucumbers. Oh, now we are talking. I loved it like this. I did this for several months and gradually phased out the fruits and veggies and found that now I loved water all by itself. Part of the problem may have been the water was a big step down from tea in the terms of flavor. The fruits and veggies helped to ease the transition. The last thing I did, at the risk of sounding crazier than the filtering the bottled water thing, was that I drink it in a bottle…like a glass bottle, something a coke or beer might come in. I know this sounds crazy, but who doesn’t prefer a coke in a glass bottle? I have not had a coke in years, but when I did, it definitely would taste better. I just happened to have some GORGEOUS, brown Angry Orchard bottles that I had become slightly addicted to and was washing them and saving them. Now, they are my primary drinking glass for all of my water. Granted, I now look like an alcoholic, but I don’t care. I am getting hydrated.
It’s strange. I’ve probably been doing this for about a year now, and I cannot imagine drinking anything else as my primary drink. I never thought I would say that.
So don’t give up if you do not like water. There is still hope for you.
So, tipping my brown, bottle of twice-filtered water to you today. Cheers!
Resources:
13 Symptoms of Chronic Dehydration
Dehydration – A Leading Cause of Diseases
I think finding a water bottle (or glass! haha) you love is key to drinking enough water. When I have my favorite water bottle next to my desk, I can go through it easily! Maybe it’s a mental thing, but it’s a lot tougher when I don’t like the container.
Ha ha! That is awesome, Katie! Thank goodness it wasn’t as crazy as it sounded when I said it out loud. Isn’t it funny how quirky little things like that made a huge difference for us? Have a beautiful day, friend!
Wow. I don’t think I realized a person can be so dehydrated but I totally understand that it would be awful for your body! I live in Italy and they always look at me like I’m a freak because I drink so much liquids – I’ve literally had people ask my why I drink so much water! I love the idea of carrying around my own water bottle. Found via SITS
I didn’t realize it either, Madaline, even after almost being admitted to the hospital. I didn’t realize it was a chronic problem. We think we are getting liquids, but sometimes it’s liquids that are making us even more dehydrated. Good for you taking your water everywhere! How funny they think it’s so strange that they even ask you about it. It’s so normal to do here. Love meeting new friends from SITS! xo
I had to learn to like water too. I used to drink nothing but soda and I’m sure I was dehydrated a lot. Now I drink tea, water, and coffee and I’ve given up the soda. I flavor my water with lemon juice or Mio when I get bored with it. I also really enjoy coconut water which is a great choice for hydration.
Exactly, Nicole. I think a lot of us are chronically dehydrated and not even realize it. I haven’t had a soda in a really long time. It’s funny. After you get used to not drinking it, I don’t eve think it would taste good now. I have never tried coconut water. I will have to try that. I saw it mentioned somewhere the other day and was wondering what it was. When I think of a coconut, I think of the “meat” and the milk. Is coconut water made from the milk? ~Topaz
I believe coconut milk is made from grinding up the meat of the coconut and coconut water is what is inside a coconut when you crack it open.
It’s amazing how much sense that make now that you say that, Nicole. Ha ha!
I’ve been working on drinking more water each day. I’ve been adding more unsweetened teas also to give myself some variety. I’m about to read the 13 signs of chronic dehydration. Stopping by from the SITS Sharefest.
Good for you! I am sure the lack of water wreaks havoc in our bodies even when it is not obvious symptoms at first. I just bought a box of tea. I haven’t opened it yet. I haven’t figured out how to love tea unsweetened yet. Any tips for that? lol
~Topaz
I don’t think people realize that they’re dehydrated until it’s too late. If you don’t enjoy drinking water, it can definitely become a problem. Thank you for drawing attention to this!
You are so right. It is not something where you have a lot of noticeable symptoms. You’re welcome, MB. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for sharing this! I have lately been wondering if that was a thing, but I never remember to look it up. I found you through SITS today, so I guess I was meant to learn this. 🙂 I add apple cider vinegar to my water. I know that some folks can’t deal with the taste of it, but I’ve come to like it (with A LOT of water to dilute it) and find it helps some of my digestion issues. Bottoms up!
I didn’t know it was a thing either. I know we have always heard to drink 8 glasses of water a day. It never registered how serious that it can be if you don’t drink enough water. Of course, I never knew you could drink too much until recently. I’ve tried the apple cider vinegar, too. It wasn’t bad…like you said, with a lot of water. lol But then I got the kind of apple cider with the stuff in it. I think they call it the “mother” or something like that. Oh, that did not taste good at all. lol But that is supposed to be the kind we use. That will take some time to get used to, I guess. lol
~Topaz
I have an easy trick to make yourself drink more water – eat spicy food. Really! I use a little paprika or cayenne pepper whenever I cook. Makes it taste better AND makes you crave water!
Hmmm…that might be the one thing I didn’t think to do. lol I bet it would work, though. Thanks for the tip, Candice! It’s nice to meet you!
~Topaz
Found via SITS! 🙂 This is really interesting! I have to constantly remind myself to drink throughout the day. I’ve recently found SkinnyGirl water flavoring liquid that tastes AMAZING. It’s definitely gotten me to be able to drink more.
Flavoring the water with fruits was a huge help. I don’t need it flavored now, but I definitely needed something going from sweet tea to water. Glad you found a way to flavor yours, too. It’s nice to meet you, Emily!
I really so need to start drinking more water. For me it’s a catch. If I drink as much water as is suggested, I am constantly running to the ladies room. This is no problem when I’m home, but at work or out at events, it’s a Huge problem. I have to find a way to expand my bladder. 😉
Visiting from SITS
Barbara @ http://www.allmylivesnow.com
Ha ha! I can relate, Barbara! Water is not as bad for me, though, as tea or most other drinks would be, so I get to drink a little more of it. And, yes, I try to limit what I drink when I am out of the house…anything to avoid a public bathroom. lol Thanks for stopping by, Barbara.
I’m ALWAYS telling my kids to drink more water! I had’t heard of chronic dehydration though. I wonder if that’s why one of my kids gets sicker faster than the other? I thought she just took after her grandmother. Time to go nag again!
And I totally agree on the glass bottles. I’ve been wanting to try one of those glass bottles that comes with its own little plastic holder thing.
I had never heard of it either, Jill. That is why I wanted to get the message out. I don’t know if it would make you get sick faster. In my case, my son actually got it first. He just recovered quickly. I quickly became dehydrated and almost got myself admitted to the hospital. But generally speaking, I would think kids would especially need to be hydrated, because they are on the go so much and in the heat a lot more than most adults.
Oh, what glass bottle with the holder? I haven’t seen those.
I so relate to this post! I grew up drinking Diet Coke and Kool-Aid. I only started to drink water when I moved to Tucson to go to school at the University of Arizona. All of the Arizona kids had water coolers in their dorm rooms, and I soon learned it water was a necessity in the desert heat.
It definitely took me a while to get used to it. I also had to find my drink ware of choice: a Camelbak water bottle. I think it’s something about the straw.
Oh, wow. I haven’t thought about Kool-Aid in years. I am so glad that we have become a much more health conscious nation. And glad you got used to it and found your drink ware, Farrah!