Here are ten symptoms of dehydration you should pay a closer attention to:
1. Hammer Head:
That feeling of a tiny construction worker inside your head, hammering away at your skull. Yep, that annoying pulsating, throbbing, drumming pressure we refer to as a headache can almost always be a result of our hydration status.
Whether we have had too much or not enough water, we can almost be sure to welcome this hard worker in as it feels like it is trying to hammer our head back together! Our brains need quality circulation since it plays such an important role telling the rest of our body what to do.
When our blood vessels are dehydrated, picture our circulatory system being at low tide where the heart has to work even harder to send our blood to all the places it needs to go! With low hydration levels in our blood vessels, they shrink (contract) to a smaller size, which directly impacts the size/pressure of the brain. And we feel these changes, painfully. Keep your brain happy by reaching your calculated daily water intake.
Not sure how much you should be drinking each day? Talk to your Trainer/Coach, they will be thrilled to help calculate that unique-to-you amount.
2. Desert Floor Lips:
You have a hard time ignoring them in mid-conversation. Whether you’re feeling your own lips or watching those of the person in front of you, or even hearing the smacking of one’s dry oral mucosa…it is uncomfortable for both parties!
We think the answer is chapstick, because it feels better on the outside, but once again hydration is key to plumping those lips up again from the inside by dilating the blood vessels within them (it will help add a little natural color too)!
Do we see a theme here? Hydration equals plumper blood vessels, which in turn plump up & give better color to the area they lie within.
3. Racoon Eyes, Raisin Face & Ashy Skin:
That’s right. We can start looking like walking ZOMBIES when our bodies are depleted of water…just like a sad, wilted, dying flower. Give it some water and sunshine and it comes to life again!
Same thing here, people. Plump up that skin to hide those wrinkles and dark circles, and add shine to those ashy arms, legs & face. Adequate hydration will help decrease itchiness, rashes & acne! Water helps to flush out toxins from the largest organ of the body…that’s right, your skin.
4. Shady & Smelly:
Study your pee. That’s right. I said it! Every time you go to the bathroom, make it a habit to note the color, smell & amount of that urine! Your senses can give you the information you need about your hydration level from the toilet alone. The darker & more potently odorous it is….the more DILUTION (hydration) it NEEDS! In a perfectly hydrated state, your pee should be crystal clear with no odor whatsoever.
Speaking of smelly things…the more dehydrated you are, the worse your BODY ODOR will be! You want better smelling armpits after a workout, just sitting there at your desk, or even during those nervous times? Keep up with your water intake throughout the day, the answer is surprisingly not in a more powerful deodorant.
5. Hangry with a Chance of Moody:
Those cravings though…when you just want to raid the pantry for something salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy…and you get started and just can’t stop! I hate to reveal this, but then again I LOVE to bring the revelation that you are actually dehydrated and trying to fill your tank but with the WRONG THING!
The next time this happens to you, drag yourself to your go-to water resource (be it the sink, water bottle, refrigerator water, water fountain, whatever) and drink 16-24 fl oz right there on the spot. POOF! You’ll be having less cravings already. Try to eat healthy balanced meals & snacks on a consistent schedule to keep your blood sugar regulated as well, but ultimately keep that water in check throughout the whole day.
6. Traffic Jam:
Yes. You can have traffic IN YOUR BOWELS. Nobody likes a traffic jam on the road, but having one inside of you is even worse! It creates bloating, gas, low-energy, that slow heavy feeling and, ultimately, all you can focus on is how miserable you feel.
Think about a water slide at a water park…how would it feel to go down that slide without any water on it? OUCH! You would slowly skid down burning your skin and have marks to prove it once you got to the bottom.
Now, what happens when that same slide is lubed up with water going down it? You have the time of your life slipping & sliding down with the joy of climbing those stairs all over again. Lube up that gut with a hydrated tissue gut-slide for a less-inflamed, less-painful, dare I say enjoyable and regular bowel schedule. You will feel lighter, less bloated & more energetic than ever before!
7. Sharp Pains in the Middle:
Imagine your stomach to be a toilet bowl inside your body. Now fill that bowl up…and try to, “flush” it with little to no water and see what happens?
I’ll tell you what happens… Acid reflux, burning pain in your chest, inflamed stomach tissues and possibly ulcers as it tries to dry-push the broken down food down your sphincter/flapdoor leading into the next location it is supposed to go, the duodenum (or the pipe following the toilet flushing, in this visual scenario).
What helps?
Try drinking 8-12 fl oz water 5-10 minutes before your snack/meal. This will help with feeling full/satiety level, but will also help, “flush the food” down to its next determined location in your body with a lot less pain to go with it.
8. Fogged & Bogged:
Brain fog. “What was I saying? My eyes are dry. I’m tired. I have no energy”. These are familiar phrases that we can all relate to at some point or another. But once you experience the other side…the full of energy, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed hydrated brain…you very well might start singing about a whole new world and possibly a magic carpet ride!
9. No Veins, No Mojo:
Do I even need to explain this? Plumper veins = plumper mojo & equipment (for him & her)! The trick is starting early in the day and continuing throughout the afternoon before the night comes. Because when the mood strikes (more likely to happen in a hydrated state), you don’t want to have to deal with a full bladder in that same moment!
10. Thirst is the Worst:
The thirst signal is actually your body’s LAST signal that you are dehydrated. So many of us are guilty of not drinking enough, “because I’m not thirsty!”.
Well, this is where you have to be DISCIPLINED and RESPONSIBLE in turning drinking water into a healthy habit, rather than a reaction to thirst. Stay on top of it and you’ll always be ahead of the game.
