A lot of us struggle with drinking enough water throughout the day even though we all know the benefits of drinking water. Your body needs at least 2 litres of water every day to function properly and keep you healthy. Listed below are signs which will help you understand it’s time to start drinking enough water and tips to help you stay hydrated.
10 Signs You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
1. You’re Constantly Thirsty
Let’s start with one of the most common signs of dehydration, feeling thirsty all the time. Being thirsty is not always a sign of dehydration but constant thirst is. Your body is trying to indicate the lack of intake of water through constant thirst. When your body doesn’t get the required amount of water it’s unable to process the functions of the body smoothly.
2. Your Skin Doesn’t Feel Good
If all your skincare products and treatments are failing to improve the condition of your skin that means you’re not drinking enough water. Your skin cells require sufficient water to flush harmful toxins from your body. It’s a no-brainer that water is the key to flawless skin but when your body is deprived of water it leads to dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, pimples, and acne.
3. Constipation
Water plays a prominent role in the movement of food through the digestive tract and digestive system. Not drinking enough water leads to harder stool and it also slows down its movement through your system which ultimately causes constipation. If your bowel movement is irregular start drinking more water to loosen the stools and to avoid bloating and constipation
4. Bad Breath
Persistent bad breath is not only a result of an oral unhygienic routine but also a lack of water. Water helps the salivary glands to produce more saliva which directly helps to get rid of the bacteria present in the mouth. Lack of water hinders the production of saliva which builds up bacteria on the tongue, gums, and teeth leading to bad breath.
5. Fatigue
When your body tries to function without enough water you might experience fatigue from time to time. Not drinking enough water results in an overall fluid loss in the body. It exerts more pressure on the heart to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the organs as there is a decrease in blood volume because of the loss of fluids. If your fatigue doesn’t go away with quality sleep it’s a sign you’re not drinking enough water.
6. Weight Gain
Lack of water also affects your weight. Drinking less water makes you more hungry, leading to weight gain. Less intake of water lowers the metabolic rate of the body leading to weight gain. Along with your daily fitness routine, also try drinking enough water to prevent dehydration.
7. Headache
Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration-induced headaches. This type of headache is usually a result of a lack of oxygen being delivered to the brain. Dehydration leads to the thickening of the blood, making it difficult to carry oxygen to the different parts of the body.
8. Decreased Urination
Reduced urination or change in colour is a result of a lack of water in your body. It’s a known fact that your kidney requires water to function effectively and to get rid of the toxins present in your system. When your body is deprived of water, your kidney will retain more water leading to reduced urination. You need to start drinking more water if there’s decreased urination or a change in colour.
9. Muscle Pains & Joint Aches
If you’re facing muscle pains or joint aches, start drinking more water. As the cartilages present in your body are made up of 80% water. If your body fails to deliver a sufficient amount of water, the cartilages become weak and cause the bones to grind against each other.
10. Tiredness
If you’re tired all the time despite quality sleep, it’s high time you drink a glass of water to charge your body and get that energy back. The water-deprived body tries to preserve energy leading to dizziness and tiredness.
5 Tips To Drink More Water
1. Set Yourself A Daily Goal
Setting yourself a daily water intake goal can make everything easier for you. All you have to do is simply act on maintaining that goal. According to PubMed Central, they say that your goal must be SMART which is the acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Time-bound. For instance, set up your water intake goal to be 1 litre per day and gradually increase that to 1.5 and then 2 litres or more. Make this a habit and record your progress. Nowadays, you even find so many apps like Daily Water Tracker Reminder, Hydro Coach, WaterMinder and so on, which you can download on your phone that will keep reminding you after set intervals to drink water. This will ensure that your goal is attainable. By the end of the week, you can measure your progress and see how your water intake has improved with each day.
2. Reward Yourself On Hitting Goals
There’s nothing more encouraging than giving yourself a sweet little reward after you hit your goal. It just makes you want to keep accomplishing it again and again. Make a rule that for every day you hit your goal, you’ll splurge on one indulgence that day (doesn’t have to be monetary). It could simply be allowing yourself a small piece of chocolate or cheese as a dessert, watching that extra episode on Netflix, or ordering a coffee from your favourite cafe.
3. Drink Water After Every Bathroom Break You Take
Thinking of getting up from your desk for a bathroom break? Guess what! It’s time to start linking that with drinking water. Since you’re already getting up, it’s advisable to stop by the kitchen or the water cooler to chug a glass of water. This will set up a great cycle for you. The more you drink water, the more you’ll be actually getting up to go to the bathroom. It’s a great way to create a loop where your body is enabled to keep hydrating.
4. Eat Water-Rich Foods & Herbal Tea
Eating water-rich food and drinking more herbal tea is actually a sneaky way to get more water in your system. It’s more like eating your H2O. Add fruits and veggies with higher water content to your daily routine. Some of your top picks must include cucumber, watermelon, grapes, citrus fruits, lettuce and so on. Also, tea is nothing but deliciously flavoured water. Make a habit of drinking herbal tea hot in the winter and ice it in the summer. Make yourself some herbal tea during your office break or when at home. Remember that drinking tea has its own benefits, one of the most important being making you feel a lot calmer than usual. Form a tea habit and enjoy the process of hydration!
5. Keep A Reusable Water Bottle Always In Front Of You
Keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day can actually help you drink more water since it’ll keep reminding you about hydration every now and then. A reusable water bottle can help you drink water easily in any setting, be it while you’re in your car, grocery shopping, jogging or even when you’re at work or school. It serves as a visual reminder to drink more water plus, it’s better for your environment as you can ditch the plastic pet bottles.
Not drinking enough water might be one of the biggest health risks you’re taking. There are tons of proven facts that drinking water has solved many health issues and makes you feel more refreshed and lively. So go get your water bottles and keep sipping a hydrated life.
