Common signs of dehydration that are often ignored include dark urine

You’ve probably heard of the rule of eights but are eight 8 ounce glasses of water really enough to keep you hydrated and healthy?

According to the Institute of Medicine, you may not be getting quite enough water even if you are drinking your eight glasses a day. They offer a general recommendation of around 3 liters a day for men and 2.2 liters a day for women. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. We can drink water all day but still be dehydrated if we are not consuming the adequate amount.

I challenge you to think about the amount of water we excrete from our bodies on a daily basis. Abundant amounts of water are required to digest food and eliminate waste. Water in the kidneys neutralizes acidic waste and sends them out in the urine. Water is expelled during respiration and is continually being moved through the skin to moderate temperature and flush the tissues of the skin.

Thus, when water is lacking in our cells, organs cannot function properly and toxins are allowed to build up. While some water is available from the food we eat, drinking pure water must provide the majority of the water we need on a regular basis. Between the morning coffee, afternoon energy drinks and happy hour cocktails, your fluid consumption may be significant but chances are your body isn’t getting enough water. Many of these drinks are so acidic that they end up pulling more water from the cells to neutralize the acidity, making dehydration even worse.

Common signs of dehydration that are often ignored include dark urine, afternoon fatigue, heartburn, dry skin, acne, headaches, and constipation. Dehydration has also been linked with angina pain, asthma, colitis, diabetes, peptic ulcer pain, high blood pressure, low back pain, high blood cholesterol and aging. When adequate water is provided, these conditions often subside.

Miesha Wilson is the owner and master trainer at Nu Life Fitness Camp, a lifestyle based weight management and group fitness facility that specializes in providing high impact training in a supportive environment for reasonable prices. Wilson is certified in the state of Ohio for personal training and group fitness by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and as a nutrition advisor by American Fitness Training of Athletics. She is also holds a BBA from Tiffin University and a MBA from Indiana Wesleyan. For more information on Nu Life Fitness Camp visit www.nulifefitnesscamp.com or call (216) 391-4442.