Drinking water is essential for staying healthy, and maintaining your optimal body temperature, especially around summer time. It’s important that you carefully monitor your water intake – according to research, men should drink about 15.5 cups, and women should have at least 11.5 cups, daily.
Staying hydrated has a direct impact on your health; it helps regulate your blood circulation, heart rate, kidney functions and also improves your cognitive functions. If you are living in an area known for its heat, you have to be even more careful in order to avoid a heat stroke.
Therefore, you have to ensure that you drink water that is rich in minerals and is free of added flavors or chemicals. With pure drinking water being a scarcity in a number of American cities, it is imperative that you consider getting bottled water delivery in Atlanta, for both your home and office.
How Do You Know Its Time to Hydrate?
When you become dehydrated, your body sends certain signals – such as having a dry mouth, fatigue, dry skin, dizziness, headaches, and more. Here are some more signs that tell you that it’s time to hydrate yourself.
Feeling Thirsty? You’re Probably Dehydrated
Thirst is the most obvious symptom that your body needs water. Prevent thirst by drinking as much water as you can throughout the day. According to Dr. Irvin Sulapas, a primary care sports medicine physician; “the rule of thumb is – if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. So keep well hydrated by drinking plenty of water, even before you begin your outdoor activity.”
Changes in Physical Performance
You know it’s time to drink water when you feel weak, lose your appetite, feel irritated, fatigued, light-headed, and/or notice dry skin or low blood pressure. Many of these changes in your body are signaling that you need to drink a glass of water immediately.
No Sweat When Exercising
When you play sports or exercise, you lose fluids through perspiration. Hence, if you aren’t sweating normally during your workout, especially in summers, it could mean that you have heat exhaustion.
Additionally, the International Olympic Committee states that “dehydration impairs an athlete’s performance in most events: endurance sports, team sports, power and sprint sports, winter sports and sports with weight classes. Athletes need to be well-hydrated before and during exercise and competition.”
Tips for Increasing Your Water Intake
Summertime means relaxing on beaches or poolside in the sun – which only dehydrates you more, especially if you are not keeping track of your water intake. However, if you have a hard time remembering to drink water, here are a few tips:
Keep A Water Bottle with You at All Times
Whether you’re at the office or a party, make sure you have a bottle of water at all times. This is the easiest way to remember to drink more water.
Eat Your Fruits
Drinking enough water is not the only way to stay hydrated. Fruits high in water content, such as watermelon or oranges, can also go a long way in keeping up your water intake.
Start and End Your Day with Water
To increase your water intake, start by drinking 250 ml water at dinner and right after you wake up. Avoid drinking this much right before bed unless you’re willing to make trips to the restroom throughout the night. Your body loses water while you are asleep, and following this routine will help you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Drink Water Even When Not Thirsty
Don’t wait till you’re thirsty or possibly dehydrated. Some studies suggest that you should only drink water when you’re thirsty, however, as you age, your body loses its ability to send thirst signals to your brain. So, sip water throughout the day from a bottle that you keep with you at all times.
Drink More If You Sweat a Lot
If you sweat more than an average person, then you also need to be careful about rehydrating yourself. The right amount of water intake is going to help you sweat less, and Dr. David M. Pariser, M.D, a dermatologist says that more than 99% of sweat is water. Hence, a good way to hydrate well is by calculating how much you sweat, and then adjusting your water intake accordingly – for example, an average person sweats about 0.5L to more than 2.5L per hour.
One of the easiest ways to stay hydrated is by having access to fresh mountain spring water. At Lipsey Water, we bottle water right from its source – in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We hand deliver pharmaceutical-grade five-gallon bottles to homes and offices around the Atlanta area. Contact us today to start your free, two-week trial!