The Importance of Hydration
Water is essential for life and for the functioning of the human body. Our bodies are composed of 60% water, which helps regulate temperature and maintain various bodily functions from metabolism to brain function. But we also lose water throughout the day, doing various activities, which means we need to remember to hydrate ourselves.
Adequate hydration has many benefits and it should be an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle. Let’s take a look at what hydrates you, how hydration works, and how to know if you are dehydrated.
What Hydrates You?
Water is certainly the most obvious answer when it comes to hydrating yourself. An article from Healthline shares that an “adequate intake (AI) of water is 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women” per day. This amount helps to keep your body hydrated, although it is a very general recommendation and doesn’t necessarily include certain lifestyle choices, pregnancy, or the climate you’re living in.
There are also other foods and drinks, besides plain water, that provide the body with hydration. Water-rich fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and watermelon can help keep you hydrated throughout the day. And while we don’t recommend any kind of sugary drinks for hydration purposes, sports drinks can make sure that your electrolyte balance stays in check during longer workouts.
How Does Hydration Work?
Hydration plays an essential role in keeping your body healthy. Staying hydrated helps to keep your electrolytes and vitamins balanced, as well as helping to maintain the oxygen levels in your blood. Electrolytes are minerals such as sodium, chloride, and potassium that help regulate important bodily functions like heart rate, muscle contraction, and fluid balance. Vitamins also play a key role in maintaining proper hydration levels since they help the body absorb necessary water-soluble minerals into cells.
Water helps keep your body functioning properly by maintaining blood volume and transporting oxygen throughout the body via red blood cells. In addition to these functions, proper hydration helps regulate body temperature by helping sweat evaporate off your skin.
These are a few more ways that water helps our bodies to function:
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It helps regulate our body temperature,
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Water helps to lubricate joints and keep us flexible,
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It acts as a natural detoxifying agent in our body, enabling us to flush out unwanted toxins and waste products from our system,
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And water can aid digestion by breaking down food particles in the stomach more effectively.
The most important factor for proper hydration is drinking enough water throughout the day.
How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day?
As mentioned above, there are guidelines for how much water we should drink everyday but there is really no “one size fits all” answer here - it depends on your activity level and other factors such as age and weight. Generally speaking, however, experts recommend drinking about 8 glasses of water per day for adults. Of course, if you’re particularly active or live in a hot climate then it may be necessary to drink more than that.
A good way to keep track of how much water you’ve already drunk is by using a bottle with incremental measuring. The Survivor Filter Active All Terrain has measurements on the side of the bottle to help you stay hydrated, and a carrier bag to help you keep it close, making it perfect for those who love the outdoors!
An easy way to know if you need to be drinking more water daily is by looking at the color of your urine; it should be light yellow or clear. If it's dark yellow or amber colored then this may mean that you are not drinking enough water and could even be dehydrated. It's important to stay aware of how much liquid your body needs in order to function at its optimal level and monitoring your urine color can give you an indication of whether your hydration levels are on track.
Effects Of Dehydration
When dehydration happens, it can cause many serious health problems, including fatigue, dizziness, headache, and decreased performance in physical activities. Dehydration can also lead to long-term health risks such as kidney stones and confusion.
The effects of dehydration are far-reaching and can affect the body both mentally and physically. Physically, dehydration leads to muscle cramps and headaches due to the lack of electrolytes in the body which help maintain nerve transmission in muscles and brain tissue. Mentally, it can cause confusion or even delirium in extreme cases due to lack of cognitive focus caused by brain shrinkage from low water intake. Furthermore, prolonged dehydration increases risk of developing chronic illnesses like hypertension or diabetes due to its impact on metabolic processes.
Staying adequately hydrated is essential not just for athletes but everyone who wants to lead a healthy lifestyle – from children to seniors! Whether you’re going for a walk or hiking through the wilderness, let Survivor Filter help you stay hydrated. Taking proactive steps such as using a high-quality water filter can help ensure that no matter where life takes you next you will always have access to sufficient amounts of clean water whenever needed!