You are dehydrated.
Well, our cookies can’t tell that you, specifically, are but with 75% of North Americans chronically dehydrated, the odds are pretty good. How did it come to this? There are many different theories on how this can occur. Are we too preoccupied to notice we’re thirsty? Have we unknowingly confused hunger with thirst? Too much caffeine? We could go on and on, but the purpose of this post isn’t to come up with excuses, it’s to find a solution.
Relying on our senses alone is not usually enough to tell when we're dehydrated.
John Williams
And why is it such a problem?
Water is the essence of life on earth. Without it, we could only survive a few days. In total, our bodies are made up of about 75% water, while our blood, which carries oxygen and essential nutrients throughout our body, removing toxins and keeping our system nourished, is 92% water. In addition to this, it controls our body temperature and serves as a lubricant that cushions joints and protects tissue from trauma. Dehydration occurs when there is a less than optimal concentration of water in our bodies. This is usually defined as a 1-2% loss in body water volume. Relying on our senses alone is usually not enough to prevent this from occurring. By the time we feel thirsty, we are already dehydrated and experiencing some of the effects that go along with it, including a 10% drop in mental performance, particularly in working memory.
