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14 Surprising Reasons for Dehydration
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Almost 60 percent of your body is made up of water. If you were to lose even less than 2 percent of that water (that is the tipping point for mild dehydration) your mood, cognitive function, even energy levels drop. Most people are aware of the obvious things that can cause you to become dehydrated such as extremely hot days, excessive exercising or working, not drinking enough water in general, but there are numerous other triggers that are much less obvious. Check out this list of 14 surprising things that can make you dehydrated and ways you can prevent them.
1. Not Eating Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Be sure at least half of your plate at each meal is full of produce. This means you could be getting at least an extra 2 cups of water every day. So, think of it this way, if you don’t eat your five servings a day of fresh fruits and veggies and don’t drink extra water to make up for it, it’s easy for you to become dehydrated.
2. Breastfeeding
Think of breastfeeding as all about moving water (among other things) from your body to baby’s body. Naturally, that can lower your body’s hydration levels. If you are having any troubles producing milk, be sure to increase your own fluid levels and see your doctor. Not making enough milk is sometimes a sign of serious dehydration.
3. Diabetes
Those who suffer from diabetes, especially those who are unaware of it yet, are at risk for dehydration (read more how to fight with diabetes). When blood sugar levels are too high, the body attempts to get rid of excess glucose through an increase in urine production. All that excess urination can leave you dehydrated. If you have diabetes and find that you are frequently thirsty or make endless trips to the bathroom, then speak to your doctor about how to better control your blood sugar levels.
4. Alcohol Consumption
Even those who enjoy a reasonable happy hour find that even small levels of alcohol can deplete your hydration levels. Why is that? Have you ever noticed that when you start drinking you tend to pee more than normal? This is because alcohol keeps an antidiuretic hormone that would normally send some of those fluids you are drinking back into your body, but instead, sends it to your bladder. Also, alcohol impairs your ability to sense when you need to drink more water.
5. Your Period
During your menstrual cycle you should drink an extra glass of water every day. Estrogen and progesterone affect your hydration levels and they can fluctuate greatly during your period so you should be extra diligent in drinking more water during that time of the month.
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