Nutri-Jyoti News article archive
March 2008 - Dehydration: To Drink or Not to Drink

As busy professionals, we are frequently on the move. With a lot of travelling, especially by plane, it's important to be well hydrated before starting out. It makes a big difference to our energy levels on arrival. We all know that water is vital for survival. We can go for weeks without food but few could survive for more than 3-7 days without water.

Even being mildly dehydrated (1% of our body mass) can reduce our attention and concentration by up to 13% and cause dizziness, irritability and headaches.

So when travelling, it's better for us to drink

• still water than sparkling because the carbon in sparkling water is an acid mineral, which produces toxicity in the body and requires energy to be eliminated.
• water that is warm or room-temperature so that the body does not have to use as much energy to bring it up to body temperature.

However, even when we're not on the go

1. A glass of water can help to cure hunger pangs as we often eat when we are actually thirsty
2. It can help to drink a glass of water if we have a sugar craving, because our bodies might simply be dehydrated. Eating a sugary snack would certainly give us a sudden burst of energy (an instant high) but we will also a quick descent from this high.
3. When it comes to water intake and use it's important to think your own health but also that of the environment. Personal health and ecology often go together.

The "adequate" water intake is slightly different for each one of us. As a general rule we should aim to drink the equivalent of 4 - 8 glasses a day of water to keep our bodies functioning at an optimum level. However, it's important to respect how much this amount can vary depending on our body types and our environment at any given moment.
When we are travelling, we may require more water to support our body's reaction to stressors. Flying, for example, is stressful/ dehydrating for the body so, in addition to our normal water intake, we should aim to drink a glass of water (1-2 dl) for every hour we are in the air.

For more information about adequate water consumption and tips to increase your water intake, get the complimentary e-course “5 nutritional keys to vitality in your life”

Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved Janet Gomez

Want to publish this article on your site in its entirety without changes? Feel free, but please include the following resource information with the article : Janet Gomez, nutritional consultant, produces the "Nutri-Jyoti News", a free bi-monthly e-newsletter for busy professionals. If you feel ready to learn how to use nutritional strategies to manage your energy levels? Sign up for her FREE e-course "5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life" on the Nutri-Jyoti home page