Our bodies have the amazing ability of acting as our own “smoke detector,” metaphorically speaking. When there is something wrong or when it needs something it’s not getting, we become warned through the way we’re feeling, often by symptoms that cause discomfort. While in the moment, it’s easy to view this as a bad thing, when it’s actually incredible that our bodies are so sensitive and function in a way that communicates with our brain so quickly. For example, if we put our hand on a hot stove, our nerve endings would send a message to our brain telling us we’re in pain and to pull our hand away. The same is true when our body isn’t getting enough water. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re hydrated or not, but if we pay attention, we’ll start to notice that our body is sending us warnings and learning how to tune in and listen will help us stay hydrated and look and feel our best.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re hydrated or not, but if we pay attention, we’ll start to notice that our body is sending us warnings and learning how to tune in and listen will help us stay hydrated and look and feel our best.
One of the quickest ways to tell if we’re drinking enough water is our lips and skin. When we are dehydrated, our body starts to pull water from other parts of the body as a way of maximizing the amount of water it does have. Our lips and skin are the most outwardly visible way to tell if we’re hydrated because they’re a direct reflection of our water intake. Our lips become cracked, sore and dry and our skin in general is ultra dry and sometimes flaky. To help with dry/cracked lips, we recommend using our Daily Conditioning Lip Balm and for dry skin on the body, we recommend using our High Desert Body Cream as it is composed of only 5 organic, pure ingredients and locks in moisture.
Our lips and skin are the most outwardly visible way to tell if we’re hydrated because they’re a direct reflection of our water intake.
Another subtle, but very common symptom of not getting enough water is experiencing a dull headache. When we don’t have enough water in our bodies, our brain begins to contract and pull away from the skull resulting in a subtle headache that can become worse if the body goes longer without water. Our brain, along with our bodies, thrives when it is well hydrated. Drinking enough water increases blood flow which impacts just about every part of our body. Giving our bodies the right amount of water throughout the day can maximize our ability to think and even has significant impacts on memory. Check out our recent blog post, The Many Benefits of Staying Hydrated to learn more about just how good water is for the body.
Feeling sleepy is another less known symptom of not getting enough water, but definitely one to pay attention to. When we are dehydrated, it causes the body to work harder than it would if it were hydrated. Functions as simple as pumping blood to the heart use up more energy and in turn leave us more tired or fatigued. So instead of grabbing that caffeinated tea or coffee in the middle of the afternoon when you start to feel sleepy, think about your water intake for the day and maybe hydrate first and notice how you will feel more awake.
Instead of grabbing that caffeinated tea or coffee in the middle of the afternoon when you start to feel sleepy, think about your water intake for the day and maybe hydrate first and notice how you will feel more awake.
While drinking water is such a necessary, important habit to remember; we are all human and it’s quite likely it will slip our minds some days. Luckily for us, our bodies are sensitive and provide us with an incredible way to tune in to how we’re doing. Our bodies will gently remind us when something is wrong or if it’s not getting something it needs, like more hydration. If we learn how to listen to the little signs it’s putting out, we can get back on track and begin to start looking and feeling our best.