5 obvious signs you aren’t drinking enough water

It’s the first month of the year and people tend to be extremely busy getting back to work and trying to recoup all the money spent during the holidays.

A healthy intake of water is very important at this point to flush toxins accumulated from all that has been taken in during the past month. Water is also needed for regular bowel movements and also produce bodily fluids like saliva amongst others.

Here are other ways you can tell that you are dehydrated.

1) Dry skin

The benefits of taking a lot of water is healthy, vibrant, glowing, and a very youthful skin because taking enough water flushes out toxins from the body. Lack of water leads to dryness, wrinkles, saggy skin due to the skin losing its elasticity and plumpness.

2) Bad Breath

Once you notice you’re getting recurrent bad breath even when you are practising good oral hygiene, then you need to consider checking your water intake and level. The bad breath might be due to lack of enough water which is needed for saliva production and when there’s less water intake, bacterias build up on the tongue, teeth and gums.

3) Constipation

One of the most important functions of water is that it aids good digestion and regular bowel movements, which is why it is necessary to take a glass of water before, during and after a meal. It helps keep the stool soft and allows it to glide easily through the digestive tract. Dehydration can cause your body to pull water from stool to compensate for fluid loss, leading to harder and firmer stool that is more difficult to pass.

4) Headache and fatigue

Mild dehydration can make you feel tired, give you a headache, and affect your mood and focus. If you’re experiencing this, your first point of call should be filling up on water.

5) Urine colour and volume

If your urine is coming more infrequently, in a darker colour and less than it usually does, then you are definitely suffering from dehydration. When your body is dehydrated, the kidneys retain as much fluid as possible to maintain their function. This causes the urine to come less frequently. Lack of water can cause your urine to become darker in color, stronger in odor, and cloudier in appearance.