Hydration is incredibly important! Our bodies are up to 60% water and we are constantly losing water throughout the day through our sweat, breathing and urine. Dehydration is incredibly common with up to 75% of Americans (with similar numbers in most western countries) being chronically dehydrated.
When we are dehydrated we can experience loss of mental clarity or brain fog, headaches, lethargy or tiredness and dehydration can even contribute to depression and anxiety.
The good news is it is easy to ensure adequate hydration of our bodies. While there are different ideas online of how many glasses of water we should drink a day the best way to tell is by listening to the signs of our body. The colour of our urine is the best indicator for dehydration. We want our urine to be clear, or a light straw colour – this means we are drinking enough water and are adequately hydrated. If our urine is darker than this it is time to drink some more water.
So to sum it all up: drink water regularly throughout the day to ensure light or clear coloured urine. Always make sure to drink when you’re thirsty and in hot climates or after sweaty exercise – make sure to drink extra water to replace the water lost through sweat.