What You Drink Impacts Your Diet, Part Two: Water

Are you thirsty?
If you’re thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated. Thirst cannot always be relied on as the best indicator of water requirements. While most people won’t experience severe dehydration, which requires medical attention, many of you may be running on empty. Mild dehydration signs and symptoms include excessive thirst, fatigue, headache, dry mouth, muscle weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness as well as little or no urination.

What color is your urine?
One of the ways you can tell whether or not you are dehydrated is to monitor the frequency and take a "peek" at the color of your urine. In fact, changes in urine –– its color, odor, and consistency –– can provide important clues about the health status of your body. Web MD states, "urine color normally varies from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on its concentration." Reduced urine output with a dark yellow color could mean you are dehydrated. Not the "bright neon yellow" color you'll see if you take supplements and observe your body excreting excess water-soluble vitamins (the Vitamin B family in particular).

Health and Water
Water, the "fountain of life and wellness," is our first STOP on this "beverage expedition,” –– covering nine liquid categories –– and should be your number one liquid choice each day, all day. As I mentioned in Part One, water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Water is critical to good health and according to the Mayo Clinic, "nearly all of your major systems in your body depend on water." Water...

• Regulates body temperature
• Moistens tissues
• Lubricates joints
• Protects body organs and tissues
• Lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
• Helps prevent constipation
• Helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients
• Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

Water Retention and Weight Gain
Water retention, aka edema, can be the result of high salt intake, medications, hormones, serious medical conditions, and more. Most of the time, lack of water intake, electrolyte imbalances (sodium, potassium, calcium), or an increase in glycogen storage are the culprits and the reason you may feel and look bloated.

You may be aware that there is a huge difference between weight loss and fat loss, and understanding how water retention plays into the overall picture is important, especially for those of you who are monitoring how much you weigh. In a given day as well as day to day, your weight can fluctuate anywhere between two and five-plus pounds. Don't despair; it may just be water weight. Fat pounds –– losing and gaining –– take much longer than a day or two.

Article Author: Christine Lakatos

Mother of two awesome daughters, diet book author, ACE Certified fitness expert, and post at  Fitness Flash. My new venture –– ferocious researcher and "Green Corruption" blogger. I'm also a retired athlete, fitness competitor and American Gladiator's contestant, plus more.  
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