The Most Important Beverage
It is the month of July and with that comes the peak of summer. Yes, beautiful sunny summer with hot weather, warm beaches and longer days spent outside. At BeYouPromise.org, we hope you are all enjoying this beautiful time of year and are able to soak up as much sun as possible. However, because our goal at BeYouPromise.org is to keep you safe and healthy while having fun, we want to remind all of you about the MOST important beverage of the summer: water.
Roughly 70% of our bodies are made up of water, meaning water is vital to our survival. While many of us may forget the importance of water, as there may be other appealing options offered on the patio, we thought we should share some information about the impact of water on our bodies. Did you know that by the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has already lost over 1% of its total water amount, which means they are already dehydrated. Furthermore, a loss of 1-2% of total water amount results in a reduction of energy up to 25%. This means that by the time you are feeling thirsty, your body is already running on 25% less energy than when you are fully hydrated – and guess what? It is not just our energy level that takes such a big hit when we forget to drink water. A recent research study found that even mild dehydration (approximately a 1.5% loss of total water amount) could alter a person’s mood, ability to think or concentrate, and cause headaches, fatigue, and tension. Just in case you were wondering how long it takes for our bodies to reach a state of mild dehydration, it only takes about 30-60 minutes of mild activity (i.e. walking).
Now, we know the sunny weather goes hand in hand with BBQs, camping, and patios, which are often accompanied by the enjoyment of a few beers or cocktails. One might think that the water found in these alcoholic beverages are enough to keep our bodies hydrated, but did you know that for every 1 alcoholic drink you have, your body can expel up to 4 times as much liquid? This means that for every 1 alcoholic drink you are consuming, you are losing water in your body 4 times faster. Just imagine how quickly you would reach a state of dehydration and the effects that would have on your mind and body! So, BeYouPromise.org wants to wish all of you a great summer and we hope you have the chance to enjoy this beautiful country we live in. However, we also want you to have a safe and healthy summer so you can continue to enjoy many summers to come. So whether you are enjoying a backyard BBQ, an outdoor camping trip, or a social gathering on a patio, remember the importance of water and staying hydrated. Make a BE YOU commitment and choose water so that you can be the best, and most energetic you that you can be.