Just how important is water you ask? VERY IMPORTANT! Your body NEEDS water, it’s a necessity for several functions. The amount of fluid you should be drinking will vary by your weight and activity level but not drinking water throughout the day can lead to dehydration.

A survey done by The New York Times found that 75% of Americans are dehydrated. 

It is very likely everyone has experienced dehydration at some point. The effects of dehydration will vary on how dehydrated you are but to avoid serious health problems it is important to know the importance of hydration, steps to hydrate, and how long it takes to rehydrate our bodies. 

The Importance of Hydration 

Basically, every single cell and tissue inside of your body requires water to function. There’s a reason why we can only go 3 days without water but weeks without food it’s because water is the most important thing for your body. 

When you are hydrated your skin looks better, you will be more energized, can assist in weight loss, and help you function better. 

Signs to look for dehydration

One of the biggest ways to know if you are dehydrated is when you feel thirsty. Your body will send out several cues to let you know when it needs water so listen to your body. If you’re thirsty or feeling dry you will need to hydrate. 

Another way to examine your hydration levels is by your urine color. If your urine is a very light yellow or clear, you are hydrated. If your urine is a darker yellow, you are dehydrated and should increase the amount of water you're drinking.

There are different levels of dehydration and symptoms of dehydration: mild, moderate and severe dehydration. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, we recommend seeking medical care immediately.

Mild symptoms:

-Dry eyes

-Fatigue

-Sluggishness

-Yellow urine color

Severe symptoms:

-Fever or chills

-Confusion/Dizziness

-Unconsciousness

-Rapid heart rate

How long does it take to rehydrate

The amount of time it takes to rehydrate your body will depend on how dehydrated you are. 

For milder forms of dehydration, your rehydration process shouldn’t take too long and only requires you to just drink more water. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research says around 45 minutes to an hour to rehydrate from mild dehydration. 

For more severe forms of dehydration, it is recommended you visit a hospital and rehydrate your body through IV’S for up to 24 hours, or until you’re able to rehydrate fluids yourself. When you’re severely dehydrated, you will need to put back a LOT of fluid and so having a doctor monitor this process is ideal. 

No matter what level of dehydration you are experiencing there is one important thing to remember when rehydrating and that is to pace yourself.CDC guidelines for those suffering from dehydration recommend drinking up to 1 liter of fluid per hour for an adult.Don’t over hydrate that can be bad for your health and in severe cases cause you to go into a form of shock. Take your time when rehydrating your body. 

Tips on staying hydrated

1. Carry your HydroJug with you- our bottle holds a half-gallon of water, you will be able to easily track the amount of water you drink daily. 
2. Flavor your water. If you have a hard time drinking water, consider a low-calorie flavoring option or add fruit to your water. 
3. Sip some water before every meal. 
4. When eating out choose to drink water instead of a soda with your meal. 
5. Set daily reminders on your phone to drink at the top of every hour. 

We should all make drinking water one of our top priorities, our bodies need it to function.