DEHYDRATION SIGNS
The color of your urine is the best indicator that you’re not getting enough water. The lighter the color, the better hydrated you are. These symptoms also can indicate insufficient water intake:
How far would your truck go without water in the radiator? Not very far. The oil would boil and stop lubricating, the hot metal would expand and stop sliding, and pistons and bearings would seize. Your engine would be worthless.
Like your truck, your body needs water just to function properly. Yet most people ignore the signs of constant dehydration.
No bodily function takes place without water. It regulates body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, removes toxins and waste from cells and from the body, and cushions and protects joints and organs.
Even if you spend the bulk of your day relatively still in an air-conditioned cab, don’t think you aren’t burning up water. Adults lose nearly 12 cups of water every day.
So what happens if, like most people, you don’t replace enough of that water? Your body rations and distributes what’s available. Eventually this can produce various pains and other symptoms. You can’t depend on the sensation of thirst to tell you when you’re dehydrated because that’s the last symptom.
Numerous health problems respond favorably to increased water intake, such as arthritis, asthma, heartburn, back pain, hypertension, dizziness, headaches and migraines, and kidney stones and urinary infections. And drinking the recommended amount of water has shown signs of cutting the risk of certain cancers, like colon, breast, bladder and kidney. It reduces the risk of heart attack and boosts mental performance.
Dr. Pereydoon Batmanghelidj, who shares his thoughts on the website www.watercure.com, believes that water can cure most of what ails people. “It is chronic dehydration that causes the pains and degenerative diseases of the human body.” Remember, you can live weeks without food but only days without water. Get in the habit of keeping water in your cab and drinking it throughout the day – before you get thirsty.
HOW MUCH TO DRINK
It’s estimated that healthy adults require at least eight to 10 cups of water each day, even more if you do a lot of physical activity. To be more precise, divide half of your weight by 8 to determine the number of 8-ounce glasses (cups) you should consume. For example, a 160-pound person would require 10 glasses.
Some foods help your hydration, too, such as vegetables, which are about 90 percent water. Fluids such as juice and milk may be reasonable substitutes. Sodas and other caffeinated beverages are diuretics, which can cause dehydration, so drink an extra glass of water for each caffeinated beverage you consume.
