Do you ever notice that even after eating a good sized meal you are still hungry?  Well, believe it or not the hunger that you may be feeling could be a sign of dehydration.  So many people misinterpret dehydration as hunger and it’s an easy mistake to make considering that even though your body is thirsty the signal it gives off is hunger.

If you find yourself hungry shortly after you have just finished eating, a good habit to get into is to check in with yourself and see where you are at with your daily water intake.  Notice I have written water.  Water is the best beverage for managing dehydration.  Beverages such as sodas, ice teas and coffee are dehydrating agents and no, the water that is in ice teas or herbal teas does not count towards your daily intake.  So, how does one know if they have drunk enough water throughout their day?  Well, the general guideline that we use here at Replenishing Soul is…whatever you weigh; take ½ of your weight and that is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking on a daily basis.  Another good  indicator that you are getting enough of water is that your urine should be clear with the exception of first thing in the morning.

Water is an essential agent to your health; it makes up more than two thirds of the weight of the human body.  Water helps your cells function on a daily basis, flushes toxins out of the body, contributes to brain function, makes up the fluid that surrounds your joints and regulates body metabolism just to name a few.  Below you will see other signs of possible dehydration.  If you notice these signs for yourself or some else considering drinking more water and pay attention to the changes that happen within your body.  Also, if you are someone who is struggling to loose weight and can’t because of hunger, I would strongly recommend re-evaluating the status of your daily water intake.  All those feelings of hunger could be signs of dehydration and when you begin to drink more water not only does the hunger go away but you begin to consume less calories.  In addition, typically by the time you feel thirst you are well into the state of dehydration.

Here are some other signs that you may be dehydrated:

• - Hunger
• - Pain (achy low back muscles)
• - Cramps
• - Feeling dizzy (vertigo)
• - Tired
• Headaches

Lori Metroka

Nutrition & Wellness Specialist