As you start to become dehydrated, you may not immediately notice. You get a little thirsty and develop chapped lips or dry skin. You may develop headaches as it begins to affect your mood. Long term, dehydration can lead to ailments, joint issues, elevated blood pressure, and extra wear and tear on your organs. It’s a body operating in a far-less-than-optimal state.
As a culture, we don’t drink enough water, and no fluid is more important to your body than pure, clean water. After all, about 75 percent of the human body is water. This means that someone who weighs 200-pounds weighs 50 pounds without water!
Proper hydration is responsible for a host of benefits aside from not feeling thirsty and proper function. You feel fresh, you’re not as hungry, and your skin appears brighter. People can literally see in your face how hydrated your body is!
It doesn’t take much to start a habit in the right direction. Just holding yourself to a minimum requirement equivalent to 3 to 5 tall glasses of water each day—no more than about a glass during each meal—is enough to start you feeling the benefits of proper hydration.
Your choice in this habit isn’t about getting the “perfect” amount of water. It is about turning your awareness toward the choices you make and the habits you form. In the words of W.H. Auden, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”
