{"id":3136,"date":"2022-03-13T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T07:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/?p=3136"},"modified":"2022-03-04T17:25:53","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T17:25:53","slug":"staying-on-top-of-your-water-intake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/staying-on-top-of-your-water-intake\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying on top of your water intake"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adequate hydration is essential for survival. Water is needed by every cell, tissue and organ in our body and we lose water constantly throughout the day. Staying on top of your water intake is therefore essential, particularly for those living with diabetes because having high blood glucose levels hinders hydration.<\/p>\n

With at least 60% of the human body comprised of water, it is unsurprising that without it, the human body can only survive for a number of days. Moreover, there are several ways dehydration can occur. Some are more surprising than others and knowing how to keep hydrated is important for you\u2019re your body to function properly.<\/p>\n

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Benefits of adequate hydration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Keeping hydrated is not only about ensuring you are consuming enough fluids, but also the quality of those fluids. Many drinks are laden with calories, sugar and additives to make them taste good. It might not come as much of a surprise when we tell you that water is our number one choice!<\/p>\n

Ensuring you are getting adequate hydration provides you with a number of health benefits. As well as improved functioning of the brain, organ and bowel, benefits include the maintenance of bodily fluids, electrolyte balance, body temperature, flushing out waste, heightened energy levels and performance, skin health, the lubrication of joints and helping to keep you fuller for longer!<\/p>\n

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Factors causing dehydration & those at increased risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Several different factors can lead to dehydration, with certain groups of people more at risk. Those suffering with chronic illnesses usually require more fluids, as do pregnant females and breastfeeding mothers. Other groups that are more vulnerable to becoming dehydrated include infants, children, the elderly and those living with diabetes insipidus \u2013 a form of diabetes not associated with high blood glucose levels.<\/p>\n

Aside from insufficient water intake, other risk factors include overly strenuous exercise and excessive sweating, warmer temperatures and being out in the sun for too long, alcohol consumption and finally the expulsion of bodily fluids (vomiting\/diarrhoea\/excessive urination).<\/p>\n

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Regulation of fluid intake<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The human body is incredibly clever and while we often drink for pleasure, our fluid intake is largely influenced by a complex, physiological control system. This complex system responds to our body\u2019s water status, enabling us to maintain homeostasis through regulatory processes. Without going into too much detail, these regulatory processes involve the kidneys and thirst receptors located in the brain.<\/p>\n

Should fluid intake be increased, there will be changes to the intracellular and extracellular fluid of the cells. The body will respond by increased urinary excretion and the down regulation of thirst receptors in the brain. Alternatively, should fluid intake be insufficient, urinary output will be reduced and changes in plasma osmolality (concentration) will lead to the stimulation of thirst receptors in the brain, thus prompting increased fluid intake.<\/p>\n

Symptoms\/complications associated with dehydration<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Confusion<\/li>\n
  • Lethargy<\/li>\n
  • Headache<\/li>\n
  • Dizziness\/lightheaded<\/li>\n
  • Increased thirst<\/li>\n
  • Dry mouth\/lips\/eyes\/skin<\/li>\n
  • Decreased urine output<\/li>\n
  • Urine dark in colour<\/li>\n
  • Constipation<\/li>\n
  • Low blood pressure<\/li>\n
  • Rapid heart rate<\/li>\n
  • Seizures<\/li>\n
  • Kidney problems<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    How much water should you drink?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    There are conflicting views regarding the amount of water we should consume daily. It is fair to suggest that there is not a one size fits all. It depends on a number of factors. For example, an individual\u2019s activity levels, age, health status and the climate they are exposed to. Those who are exposed to the heat and with very active jobs will demand more water than perhaps someone who lives in a colder climate and has a sedentary lifestyle.<\/p>\n

    While the NHS in England recommends about 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of fluid each day, this has been criticised, with other health sources suggesting fluid intakes of around 2-3 litres for females and 3-4 litres for men. This can make it hard for people to know how much fluid they should consume.<\/p>\n

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    It is a good idea to listen to your body and simply try to be more mindful of what you are drinking, how often you are drinking and how thirsty you are. Water is always a good choice, but some people struggle with the lack of taste. Why not try adding some fresh fruit or perhaps some mint or cucumber to your water. Secondly, you can usually tell if you are dehydrated by the colour of your urine and if you feel thirsty or not. If your urine is a darker colour, this is a good indication that you are dehydrated. Other useful ways of ensuring you are well hydrated are to ensure you drink a big glass of water when you wake, before bed and before every meal. Keeping a bottle of water by you at all times is also very useful.<\/p>\n

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    Adequate hydration is essential for survival. Water is needed by every cell, tissue and organ in our body and we lose water constantly throughout the day. Staying on top of your water intake is therefore essential, particularly for those living with diabetes because having high blood glucose levels hinders hydration. With at least 60% of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":3246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,14],"class_list":["post-3136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-12-week-challenge","category-motivation"],"acf":{"post_private":false,"post_video":"","updated_at":"","featured_image_mobile":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3136"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24521,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3136\/revisions\/24521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lowcarbprogram.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}