(Long Island, N.Y.) Being thirsty can make you looks years older. I didn’t get this information from a new study or the latest medical research. No- I got this bit of breaking news from my bathroom mirror! How many times have we read how important it is to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day? OK, about a zillion. But surprisingly, when I asked 10 random women, age range from 25-48, only two replied that they felt as if they drank enough water, and one out of the two said “but not really everyday.” The other eight kind of thought they should, or promised me that they would try. Hey, I’m not the water police!
I am clearly dehydrated. I feel bloated, tired, and cranky. My skin is hurting. My muscles are too tense. My body is screaming: “Water me, won’t ya?”
But why wont I? I think I’m just lazy in the liquid department. I exercise, and eat right. I used to down tons of water. Yet lately, according to the unforgiving lights of my bathroom mirror, I no longer do. And it’s not just your face that feels the impact of being dehydrated. Your health and well being depends on water.(Ah, If there was such a thing as The Intention Awards, I would win hands down for the best all-around effort to drink adequate amounts of H2O.) I start the day downing a glass or two, then ask myself, coffee has water in it, so does a diet Dr. Pepper. That’s good, that counts…right? WRONG. I know it’s wrong. I’ve learned many women have issue with water (or lack thereof).
Anne Marie, age 40, started to feel dizzy while sitting at her desk. “I put my head down, but still felt like I was going to faint.” she recalls. ” I finally got down on the floor to keep from keeling over; every time I tried to stand up, I knew I needed to lie down again.”
Her husband took her to their family doctor and low and behold…her symptoms were caused by dehydration. ” I was very surprised.” said Anne Marie. ” I had no idea that dehydration could make you feel faint.” What did the doctor recommended she do about her dehydration: ” Go home and drink Gatorade and see how I was feeling in a little while. I drank two quarts over the entire day and felt much better by evening. Nothing ever tasted so good, which is funny because Gatorade is fine, but not my drink of choice—but that day, it was delicious. I guess I really needed it!”
Rachel, a 26-year-old magazine editor from NYC also had an experience with dehydration. ” I felt incredibly dizzy and lightheaded. I actually was eating lunch at the counter at a NYC diner when I felt as if I was going to pass out. I almost fell off the stool I was sitting on because I felt so dizzy–out of the blue. I managed to walk to Lenox Hill Hospital and admit myself.”
There she had some kind of liquid sugar pumped into my veins for about 6 hours. ” I felt weak, so I lay down on the bed while the pump ‘filled me’.”she says. ” It was kind of funny because I felt like a deflated balloon being filled slowly with air. Afterward, I had to keep going to the bathroom non-stop. They just told me to drink lots of water and Gatorade for a few days. It was definitely dehydration.”
Soda, coffee, juice DOES not count in that 8-10 glasses of water you should be drinking a day. It must be water. Plain water
The warm weather is just around the bend so keeping your family (and yourself) hydrated is extremely important. I started drinking up the good stuff everyday. At first it did feel like a chore, but the effects just simple water has on your body is amazing. Here are some tips to help you get a good start.
- If you don’t like the taste of cold water (many do not) then be sure to leave your bottles of water out and store them at room temperature.
- For kids who don’t like to drink water, let them sip right from the water bottle or buy a new cup with a crazy straw. (Kids love novelty)
- Get a sports bottle and carry it with you where ever you go. A sip here, a sip there. Slow and steady wins the race.
- If you really hate the taste of water, try squeezing a lemon, lime or orange in it to add a little flavor.
- If you are feeling thirsty, you’re probably ALREADY dehydrated. Don’t ignore thirst.
- When your mouth is dry, don’t reach for candy. Your body doesn’t need sweets, it needs water.
- Invest in a water filtering system at your kitchen sink to avoid the “tap water is gross-but bottled water is too expensive” excuse. It’s worth it in the long run.
- If you give your kids a snack they love, serve water with it. Chances are they won’t complain while devouring sour cream and onion potato chips.
- When your getting a craving for something naughty, start to sip some water. It may help with the craving.
- Make it a ritual to drink a full glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. At least you’ll be off to a great start!
