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There is nothing more refreshing in this world than a large, icy glass of water.
I don’t think there is anyone who can deny that sometimes a simple glass of water can be more satisfying than a cup of coffee or a can of soda. Yet many of us do not drink enough water every day. By abandoning the most natural source in the world, we continually damage our bodies.
If you recognize any of the following symptoms in yourself, we recommend you go and drink a glass of H2O immediately.
1. Your mouth is dry
Whenever you feel that sticky and unpleasant sensation in your mouth, you should obviously go and drink right away. However, sweet drinks are only a temporary solution to a larger problem. Drinking water lubricates the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, and they will continue to keep the mouth moist and with enough saliva.
2. Your skin is dry
Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so of course it must stay hydrated. In fact, dry skin is one of the most common signs of full dehydration, which can lead to much bigger problems. Lack of water means less sweating, which leads to the body’s inability to remove excess dirt and oil accumulated throughout the day. To prevent breakouts, the first solution should be to drink more water.
3. Strong thirst
Anyone who has ever had a “hangover” can tell you that when you wake up your body simply doesn’t have enough water. Alcohol dehydrates the whole body and drinking water sends signals to the brain until your fluid levels return to baseline. Listen to what your body is telling you; it knows what it’s talking about!
4. Your eyes are dry
Drinking water doesn’t just help your mouth and throat. Lack of water intake leads to dry, red eyes. Without water in the body, your tear ducts dry out. Be aware that this can cause much greater damage to your eyes, especially if you wear contact lenses daily.
5. You feel joint pain
Our cartilage consists of approximately 80% water. By keeping the body hydrated, you ensure that your joints can absorb the shock of sudden movements such as running, jumping, or unpleasant falls.
6. Your muscle mass is decreasing
Your muscles are also mostly water. It is obvious that less water in the body means less muscle mass. Drinking water before, during, and after exercise not only keeps you hydrated and comfortable, but also brings water to the right places in your body and reduces the chance of inflammation and pain related to exercise and weightlifting.
7. Recovery from illness is long
Drinking water allows your body to continuously flush out toxins. Your organs work to filter some waste products like a machine, but if you don’t support that machine with water, it can’t function properly. In a dehydrated body, organs start pulling water from stored areas, such as your blood, which leads to a whole new set of problems.
8. You feel inexplicably tired
As we just mentioned, when dehydrated the body “borrows” water from the blood. Lack of properly hydrated blood leads to a lack of oxygen being delivered throughout the body. Of course, lack of oxygen leads to drowsiness and complete fatigue. Remember that coffee won’t help in the long run.
9. You feel abdominal pain as if hungry
When you’re dehydrated, your body might start to think it needs food. This happens during the day and at night when you wake up craving a midnight snack. However, food creates more work for your body, while drinking water cleanses your organs. As they say, hunger is often disguised thirst.
10. You have digestive problems
We already mentioned mucous in the mouth and throat, and this also applies to the entire digestive system. Without proper hydration, the amount and strength of mucus in the stomach decreases, allowing stomach acid to cause serious damage to your insides. This leads to frequent heartburn and digestive troubles.
11. You are experiencing premature aging
The amount of water our bodies naturally retain decreases as we age. It is clear that this means when we are older we should consciously increase our water intake. While premature aging is more visible on the outside, the damage it causes to our insides will eventually show as well. To reduce the risk of your body aging faster, it is important to drink enough water throughout your life.
12. You read this far
If you clicked on this article, you are probably thinking, “hmm, I don’t think I drink enough water.” So, if you feel you are not drinking enough water, pour yourself a glass right now! Don’t overdo it, of course. And now, if you’ll excuse me, all this writing has made me thirsty.
