7 Signs That You May Be Dehydrated

7 Signs That You or Your Kids May Be Dehydrated

During these hot summer months, it’s more important than ever to be aware of possible dehydration.  Many times, it’s not something we would even consider.  In fact, just recently a family member of mine was hospitalized from severe dehydration, but had no idea that was the cause.

Do you have any of the following?

• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Dry tongue
• Coated tongue
• Vertical ridges on your nails
• Dry skin
• Poor skin elasticity 

These are all signs of dehydration. Even if you don’t notice any of these signs, you could still be water-deficient. It’s extremely common, especially in those with thyroid issues.

Here’s the formula for your recommended water intake:

Take your weight in pounds and divide in half.
That amount in ounces is your recommended water intake.
That number divided by 8 equals the number of glasses you should drink every day.

OK, if you’re not a math whiz, here’s an example.

If you weigh 150 pounds, you need half of that amount – 75 ounces – of water per day. Dividing 75 by 8 (go ahead and use a calculator if you want, no one will know) means you need to drink about 9 glasses of water per day at an average of 8 ounces per glass.

Or make it even simpler – get one of those big water bottles and load it up in the morning, while sipping on it through the day OR simply drink 5 large water bottles (16 oz.) a day. By the way, water means water only or seltzer NOT flavored water, sports drinks, coffee or tea. While they may have water in them, they don’t qualify as pure hydration from water.

Also, it’s important to have plenty of salt.  By salt, I mean the pure salt loaded with minerals your body needs to help retain the water.  Yes, you NEED salt for life. Skip the white, bleached salt and processed sodium and use pink Himalayan sea salt (my personal fave) and Celtic salt generously.

Here are some other tips to prevent water loss that could lead to dehydration:

• Don’t overload on caffeine
• Don’t drink a lot of soda
• Take it easy on the alcoholic beverages

Water Facts

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This likely applies to half the world’s population. If you get thirsty often you may have been dehydrated for a long time already.
• If you’re trying to lose weight, be aware. Dehydration slows down your metabolism. Even MILD dehydration will slow the metabolism as much as 3%.
• Dehydration leads to tight, thin skin that wrinkles easily.
• In 37% of people, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
• One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and makes you 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.