“I have a headache,” a coworker complains. “Drink some water. You might be dehydrated “ I tell them.
“I’ve been constipated recently,” a client shares in session. “Maybe you’re not getting enough fluid?” I ask her.
“I’m feeling tired this afternoon for some reason,” says my husband. “Have you drank enough fluids today?” After being together for almost 10 years, my husband now says, “I have a headache, and yes, I drank enough water today.” I even went to the eye doctor a while back and complained about my contacts feeling stuck in place sometimes later in the day. She told me I might not be drinking enough water!
I think it’s safe to
say that water/fluids can sometimes be my go-to remedy.
And why not? If a symptom you are experiencing can be eased by simply drinking
more fluid, what’s to lose? Sure, hydration is not always going to be the
answer, but why not start there? You can take a look at WebMD and see a number of possible
symptoms associated with both mild and severe dehydration. Everything from dry
mouth/skin, headaches, muscle cramps, sleepiness to dizziness.
So how much fluid do you need? This can be a very individualized question to answer but a general rule of thumb might be to divide your weight in pounds in half and that gives you how many ounces you might need- however, check with your primary care physician or dietitian as several things can influence fluid needs such as medical conditions, physical activity levels, etc.
I often hear the complaint from clients that they are tired of water, or don’t like drinking water. It doesn’t have to be water! While I’m not encouraging anyone to get their daily fluid recs from 10 cups of soda, I’m also not telling anyone that they need 10 cups of exclusively water either. There’s flavored water, tea, milk, juice, carbonated waters, etc. My personal tip: throw a piece of fresh fruit in the morning to your water bottle (a slice of orange or strawberry or a few berries) to give your water just a little flavor. For me, it also has to be COLD. I carry around my water bottle pretty much everywhere I go. If it’s not accessible, I’m not going to drink as much.
All in all, find what works for you. If you try to force yourself to drink something you don’t really enjoy, you will likely end up not drinking enough throughout the day. If you’re struggling with figuring out how much to drink or how to incorporate more fluids into your daily diet, reach out (https://ayalanutrition.com/contact/) and we can talk.