Hydrate Like Your Life Depends On It

If you know one thing about me, it’s probably that I own a fitness facility. If you know a second thing about me, it is that I carry a jug of water with me all the time (well…enough to adequately hydrated on a consistent basis).

To some people, it looks ridiculous. My dad can’t stand it when I bring it in to church with me. However, it serves a couple benefits for me; first, it is a visual indicator of how much water I have (or haven’t drank) AND provides some pretty unique opportunities to educate people on why I think it is so important when they ask why I would carry such a large object.

Key facts about water

• Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body depends on water to operate.
• If you are thirsty, your body has already reached a state of dehydration and is only able to respond to this scenario. Thirst is not a predictor of dehydration. Thirst is an indicator. Some people can even feel hunger pains when they are dehydrated!
• Water molecules are used in the process of creating adenine triphosphate (ATP), or what most people refer to as “energy.” It makes sense for me to assume that with less water, your body will not be able to go about this process as smoothly.
• Water is used heavily in the digestion process in the breakdown and delivery of nutrients.
• Water is what your cartilage absorbs to create cushioning between joints for pain-free movement. If cartilage does not retain water, it shrinks and can lead to bone on bone contact.

How it dehydration affects us most

1. Poor blood circulation, as it becomes less “fluid.”
   • All nutrients and other important cells are transported via our circulation system within our body. It is like the highway transportation system. If blood circulation is slowed, this means your body cannot fight infections efficiently due to immune cells not being transported in great numbers.
   • It is because of this that dehydration is suspect as a leading cause of urinary tract caners. These include kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers.
   • If your blood is not circulating efficiently, that means your heart has to do more work to still deliver everything your body needs.
2. Wouldn’t it be nice to magically have a more sustainable source of energy throughout your day; something without the side effects of consuming too many RedBull or Monsters?
3. With more energy do you think you could live a happier and more active lifestyle?
   • For example, if a potato chip factory is low on the amount of oil necessary to create their product at its finest, they can still operate and sell their product, but it isn’t as good as it could be. The same can be said for your body, if you are under hydrated, you can still function and go about your daily business, but it is not going to be the same compared to what it could be.

4. Remaining adequately hydrated will actually help to curb your appetite. So, drinking water can be a great place to start for people looking to lose weight!

“A gallon a day keeps the doctor away.” – Blake Bramer