We’d put cold, hard cash on the table as a bet that you probably aren’t drinking enough water. In the summer, we find ourselves guzzling glasses of H2O to cool down, but as the weather turns cooler, hydration seems to slip our minds.
Considering that around 60% of our body is made up of water, it’s a pretty vital liquid to consume. What occurs when we don’t drink enough is that our body attempts to conserve water however it can—be it by thickening blood, preventing us from urinating, or pulling fluid from other places like tissue.
So how do you tell if you’re dehydrated?
Aside from fairly obvious signs like thirst and dry lips, dehydration can present as a reduced urge to pee (and darker urine when you do); an increased heart rate; lightheadedness; and a headache. If those symptoms are something you experience regularly, but you drink a decent amount of water, it may be that you are not getting a sufficient salt intake.
Our bodies need salt to hold on to fluids, so make sure that you include some during the day; particularly if you sweat a lot. During perspiration, we lose both water and salt, so replenishing with water but not sodium can still lead to dehydration.
