Why Do We Need To Drink More Water?

Most of us can say that we’re healthy.  We feel ready for the day when we get out of bed in the morning, and thankfully get through the day without incident! Most of us.

But even those of us that don’t have any illness, chronic or otherwise, could be neglecting our bodies without realising it.  And it can all start with mild dehydration.

There is an almond sized gland in our brains called the hypothalamus which controls certain metabolic processes and other activities of the nervous system; for example hunger, body temperature, sleep, fatigue and thirst.  When there’s not enough fluid in our body, this gland detects dehydration and releases certain hormones which control the kidneys and stops them from releasing more water.  Urination is reduced which then signals the brain to crave more water in order to return hydration levels to normal.

If you ignore your body’s signals for more water, chronic dehydration and other potential illnesses and infections could be only hours away.

It would be unrealistic to drink water 24/7, without any other drinks included in our diets.  If like us you need a strong coffee to get going in the morning, do try and balance it out with a glass of water afterwards.  Coffee and tea are diuretic which increase blood flow to the kidneys, forcing urination whether we need it or not!

Ensuring hydration throughout the day will support overall cellular health, it will kick start your metabolism, decrease swelling in joints, reduce the chances of fatigue, muscle cramps and dizziness, as well as keeping your kidneys and other organs in good working order.

Our brains are the driving force behind all of our body’s organs, functions and responses to those functions – we really shouldn’t trick them, just hydrate them!