First Stages of Dehydration - Part 1: Your Brain

Before I understood what dehydration was like for the common man, I had this idea of dehydration being something unusual. Generally, it conjured up an image of some poor soul stranded in the desert without ANY water as opposed to ENOUGH water. Few of us think that we drink enough water, but beyond that we have no sign posts for distress. Once you learn the symptoms of every-day dehydration and realize how obvious they are, you may be shocked. Over the next few blogs, I am going to share how to know when you need more water. Then, I will start to tie dehydration to the originations of chronic illnesses.

The most important part of understanding dehydration is to understand that it is your brain where your water management starts. Your brain HAS to have water and will take it from anywhere in your body it needs to if you are not drinking enough water. Your brain is over 70%constructed with water-laden tissues and sensors. The water conducts electric impulses. When your brain is low on water, it borrows water randomly from muscles, tissues, organs, and bones. Do you ache? Are you irritable? Are you impatient or restless? Do you have mental fog? Is your body or mind tired?

Guess what! A glass or two of mineral water is going to help you change that immediately! The minerals help transmit messages. Water that is distilled or a product of reverse osmosis (the cheapest bottled waters) does not contain minerals for transmitting. So the type of water you choose can make a big difference too.

Next: Part 2: Dehydration Affects Behavior