Ahhh, water!

Do you get enough? Do you ever feel sluggish or tired during the middle of the day? Do you get sudden food cravings around this time? Do you have trouble concentrating at times? If so, you may be dehydrated and need water.

Our bodies are more than half water. Our cardiovascular system needs it to pump blood to every muscle throughout our bodies. Our immune system needs it for the lymph that courses through our bodies to fight off disease. Our muscles and nervous system need it to function properly, and our brain needs it to think and focus on tasks. It is vital to our well being, yet we sometimes don't take the time to have a nice, refreshing glass of H2O.

I have to admit, it takes a big effort on my part to stay hydrated. I think I must have higher fluid requirements than most...I go to bed with a glass of water, because I get thirsty through the night. I drink another 8 ounces when I get up, then I have a cup of coffee, and then if I don't drink another bottle before lunch time, I get sluggish and feel as if I am getting a bladder infection. Weird, huh?

I had a friend that only drank 2 cups of coffee through the whole day...and still had energy to keep going long into the night. My body starts to shut down about 8:30 at night, and if I don't get enough water through the day, even earlier than that. I never understood how she could get by on so little water through the day, but my conclusion now is that she has less water loss than I do. She retains heat and moisture--she is always hot. I give it off--I am always cold.

So, where are you on the scale? Do you need more water or less. If you feel tired and sluggish, are cold a lot, have trouble concentrating at times, try drinking more water. If our bodies are 60% water, and we don't maintain that through hydration, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to realize the consequences.

One last point...we get a lot of water through food. When you have those afternoon munchies or late evening munchies, it could be that your body just needs water. Trying drinking a tall, refreshing glass of water first, and the munchies may just evaporate.