Posted by on May 3, 2014 in Blog | 2 comments

Our Lovely Watery World

Although more than 70% of the earth is covered with water, most of it, 97%, is salty and must be treated to be used for drinking or growing crops. Much of the freshwater is locked in glaciers and the polar ice caps.

Humans are 60% Water

In the US, a recent spill of a toxic chemical, made tap water unusable for 300,000 West Virginia residents and highlighted the importance of water. We forget that our bodies are about 60% water and hydration is vital to survival as well as top performance. Below is an infographic shared with Medivizor by the National Hydration Council, a British non-profit working to increase awareness of the need to stay hydrated.
NCS_glass_water for Medivizor

Symptoms of Dehydration

Some of the symptoms of more severe dehydration are extreme thirst, dizziness, confusion and not urinating. Other symptoms may be diarrhea, vomiting, irritability and fever. This is because severe Screen Shot 2014-02-24 at 11.44.06 AM dehydration leads to brain swelling, kidney failure, seizures and death according to the Mayo Clinic. Staying well hydrated helps your heart according to the American Heart Association.

Our bodies have evolved to give us clues of when to drink. Thirst is first. Quenching thirst tends to keep us hydrated. Another clue is the color of urine. Knowing the color your urine should be can also be helpful; if your color is #1-3, you are hydrated (Remember, some medications and vitamins can change the color of your urine.)This urine color chart can give you an idea.

At the end of the day, how much water you should drink is extremely personal: whatever quenches your thirst. So go on, take a sip of water!