YOUR 2024 BRAIN BRAWN MINI RESOLUTION: DRINK UP! WEEK 3

Do you know how to detect dehydration?

 
We hope you are finding new ways to quench your thirst and stay hydrated. If you've been following along with our Drink Up! mini resolution, then you know we are suggesting drinking 8 cups of water a day AND we are encouraging folks to check their urine for hydration status! Here is that chart again in case you need it.

But are there other ways to detect dehydration?
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Signs & Symptoms of Dehydration:
 

• Unexplained sluggishness – if nothing else has changed in your daily routine (sleep, exercise, etc.) then maybe you need some water. When dehydrated, blood pressure drops, decreasing blood flow to the brain inviting fatigue.
  
  
• Palpitations – blood volume decreases in dehydration (it has less water in it) which causes an increase in heart rate to compensate.
  
  
• Headaches – typical dehydration headaches feel like a dull ache or tightening all over the head (like a tension headache), but dehydration can also trigger migraines.
  
  
• Inability to concentrate – suffering from brain fog? It might be your hydration levels. Not only does dehydration result in reduced memory and attention, but it can also increase anxiety and foul moods.
  
  
• Bad breath – dehydration results in reduced body fluid production, including saliva-which serves the very important function of bathing the teeth and oral mucosa in enzyme rich oral fluids.
  
  
• Dry skin – think of the cells in your body as a sponge. When a sponge is dry it is shriveled, hard and dry. When it is wet it is pliable, soft and voluminous. This is most evident in your skin cells. In fact, a test of serious dehydration is called a skin turgor test whereby the skin is pinched and if it doesn’t snap back, if it holds its tented shape then dehydration of a serious nature has set in.
  
  
• Chills – if dehydrated, the body conserves blood flow to vital organs, redirecting flow from the skin causing you to feel more cold than typical.
  
  
• Muscle cramps – water has electrolytes (sodium and potassium), which are necessary for muscle contractions, an absence of electrolytes can force the muscle to spasm involuntarily.
  
  
• Sweet tooth cravings/hunger – if the liver doesn’t have enough hydration, it sends signals to the brain for food (it confuses dehydration with starvation), usually something glycogen rich like sweets.

​Dehydration Devices

 
Wearable devices which detect hydration levels are rapidly entering the market. Here are a few:

1. This watch is strictly for measuring hydration status, it can be paired with an app for logging your water consumption: Hydrostasis GECAᵀᴹ Watch
   
   
2. Have an Apple watch? Try one of these hydration detecting bands : Thirsty work: Living with a hydration tracking strap for Apple Watch - Wareable. Bonus? It also measures your body composition
   
   
3. This arm band (https://hdroptech.com/ ) can be used during exercise but also adds a spot check option using a finger reading.
   
   
4. Sweaty workouts? Don’t want another band? Maybe consider this patch that can read your electrolytes and determine your refilling needs.

 
That’s all for now. Next week, we’ll recap our Motivated Mondays progress thus far. Feel free to email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele at [email protected] with your individual questions.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

YOUR MINI RESOLUTION: DRINK UP!
DRINK 8 CUPS OF WATER PER DAY*

*Log your water intake AND make note of your urine color
(ideal color = light, like lemonade; darker color may indicate dehydration)

Click to view and download the log.