Most of us do not drink enough water daily.
SAN ANTONIO — Hot days are almost here and that means staying hydrated should be top of mind.
Long term water deprivation can lead to all sorts of problems like lung diseases, heart disease, and in extreme cases can even shorten your life. That’s why avoiding dehydration at all times is so important.
Dr. Mahmud Kara, the founder of Alternative Health Solutions told us, “Water we know is important for nerve cells, for brain cells, for heart cells. Water is important enough itself H2O for a cell to function.”
But we need electrolytes too. Dr. Kara added, “You drink water, straight water. Your body can absorb some of it, but it gets to a point. And that’s called passive absorption. It cannot absorb any more than a certain amount. That’s where electrolytes come into play.”
Some of the signs of dehydration include less frequent urination, dark-colored urine, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion.
Dr. Kara says looking at your urine is a must. Dr. Kara said, “If you’re going relatively frequently and your urine is light almost watery, it looks like water, then you’re probably getting enough water.”
But it becomes time to see a doctor if you have had diarrhea for 24 hours or more. Are irritable or disoriented and much sleepier or less active than usual. Can’t keep down fluids. Have bloody or black stool.
Dr. Kara added, “If on the other hand, you’re not going very frequently and your urine is yellow too dark urine, then it’s very likely that you’re not getting enough water.”
The Institute of the National Academies determined adequately hydrated males drink 125 ounces of water a day. Adequately hydrated females drink about 91 ounces of water a day. But the amount of water you should drink depends on the size of your body.
For a rough calculation take your weight and divide it in half. That is about how many ounces of water you should drink a day. So a 200 pound person should drink about 100 ounces of water a day.
Dr. Kara also said, “Be careful about how you’re getting the water, what’s in it, spread it throughout the day and have yourself a good glass of water first thing in the morning.”
For more information about natural health remedies check out Dr. Kara’s website here.
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