We all know we are hungry when our stomachs start talking to us, but most of the time we can hardly tell when we are thirsty. Hunger growls are a direct side effect of not eating enough. It’s unfortunate to know that our body doesn’t supply itself with the proper indicators to determine when we are becoming dehydrated. And because of this unique inability to make proper judgments we are forced to subconsciously make an effort in recognizing that our body lacks water.

Did you know?

• When we have joint pains, headaches or even gastric ulcers, that it is normally an indicator that our body is dehydrated.
• Our body uses water to flush acidic waste from our cells, relieving itself from potential disease.
• A 5 percent drop in water levels in the body can cause up to 30 percent loss of energy.

Let’s do the math!

So how much daily water intake do I need in order to avoid having complication? It’s easy! The basic rule of thumb is to take your current body weight and divide it by two. The number that is left over is the total number of ounces your body needs on a daily basis. For example: a 200 pound person would need to consume 100 ounces of water daily. That’s a lot, you say? Well, not exactly! You should actually be consuming more, given that our bodies are comprised of more than 50 percent water.

How do I keep from getting dehydrated?

There are many ways to keep from getting dehydrated. The most common method of hydrating is by drinking water. Although you don’t have to just drink water to stay hydrated, we also intake water by consuming certain foods. Oatmeal, for example, is 84 percent water. There is also good news for coffee drinkers! Army research has confirmed that coffee is an acceptable source of fluids and counts toward your daily water intake.

Make sure you drink enough water to avoid dehydration and to maintain your summer fun. Find out more on how you can make drinking water more of a habit. Keep up with all of the latest news from Golden Ocala by following us on Facebook and Twitter.