There are many people who are trying to improve their health with more exercise, better-eating choices and reducing their intake of alcohol, but they may be ignoring a very important aspect of their health, namely hydration. While it's great that people are quitting smoking, exercising more and improving their lifestyle, drinking enough fluids, especially the right kinds of fluids, can greatly contribute to our overall physical and mental wellbeing.
Our bodies are composed of roughly 66 percent water. As we sweat, workout, use the restroom and go about our daily activities, we're lowering the amount of fluids in our body. If we're made up of two-thirds water, don't you think it should be a priority to replenish our fluids as we use them?
Drinking fluids does more for us than simply relieve thirst. Consuming plenty of hydrating liquid does many positive things for the human body, and if hydration levels are low, many key systems may not operate properly causing health concerns. Keeping properly hydrated helps:
- Carry oxygen and nutrients to every cell in our body
- Convert food into energy
- Regulate body temperature
- Protect vital organs
- Keep our senses operating properly
- Remove waste and toxins from our system
As you can see from this partial list, water plays a vital role in many aspects of our physiology. The cells in our muscles need oxygen and other nutrients to perform, our brain needs oxygen to think clearly and vital organs such as our heart and lungs will suffer from poor performance when they aren't getting the nutrients they need.
Proper hydration also helps prevent illness. Drinking plenty of fluids will flush toxins out of the body as well as keep our internal temperature within a healthy range. Our sense of taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch are also very reliant on fluids to stay tuned at high levels of performance.
Some studies have linked proper hydration to improved mood and productivity.
If you've been neglecting your fluid intake, you may start to feel tired as a result of mild dehydration. Feeling tired often leads to a downward mood swing that can result in agitation, frustration and irritability. This tiredness and low mood can also greatly decrease your productivity as well.
If you start to feel moody or unproductive, you may want to reach for a glass of water or a TapouT sports beverage. A sour mood or lack of productivity may also be a sign of a lack of certain vitamins in your system. Not only can TapouT sports beverages help keep you hydrated, they can resupply your body with the vitamins:
- A
- C
- E
- B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12
While our TapouT Citrus Kick has 30g of carbohydrates and 120 calories to help boost athletic performance, those who work in an office or other profession where you maintain low activity levels throughout the day may wish to consider our 10-calorie, zero-sugar Cherry Lemonade Blast. Our Cherry Lemonade Blast has the same vitamins to give your mind and body a boost throughout the day.
As we've stated, dehydration is much more than feeling thirsty. Neglecting your fluid intake can lead to some real health risks. Side effects of mild dehydration include:
- Dizziness
- Labored breathing
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
While these are the less extreme consequences of neglecting fluid intake if we allow dehydration to continue the effects can be quite severe. Extreme dehydration can cause:
- Lack of mental cognition
- Difficulty breathing
- Highly elevated heart rate
- Dangerously high fever
- Unconsciousness
As you can see, dehydration can escalate from a mild inconvenience to an urgent medical situation.
In order to stay properly hydrated, you may wish to start a hydration routine. Begin by drinking two glasses of liquid first thing in the morning, but try to stay away from caffeinated beverages. Coffee and tea can lead to dehydration, especially in the morning when your body needs to replenish fluids that have been used overnight as your body recovers while you sleep. If you need a little extra boost after getting out of bed, consider a TapouT sports drink. TapouT has plenty of vitamins to give your mind and body an extra edge as you begin your day.
As your day continues, consume fluids regularly, roughly a glass of liquid every hour. If you're having a hard time staying hydrated, it's important to note that natural sodium can help your body retain and use the fluids you consume. Both flavors of TapouT sports drinks have 240mg of the natural sodium your body requires for proper hydration.
Lastly, remember that if you're exposed to hot environments, have a physically demanding daily routine or plan on working out during the day, your body will need extra fluids. Consider upping your water intake and including an extra TapouT beverage to help your body perform under duress.
TapouT beverages come in two fantastic flavors; our regular Citrus Kick and low-calorie Cherry Lemonade Blast. Besides the vitamins and sodium already mentioned, both varieties contain all four essential electrolytes that help your body perform and recover from activity. TapouT has plenty of potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride to not only help keep you hydrated but help your mind and body recover from your daily routine, no matter what activities you have planned for the day.