There are plenty of articles on the internet about why you need to drink more water. We don’t think you need to be convinced of this anymore. Drinking enough water allows your body to function at its optimum level and ensures you look after your brain, your muscles, your blood and so much more. Often if there is a small problem in your daily life the solution is to drink more water. However, if you are someone who drinks a lot of water and you are still experiencing these issues perhaps you are experiencing the opposite problem. Perhaps you are drinking too much water! Read on to know the key indicators of drinking too much water.
Check your pee
Your pee is a great indicator of whether you are drinking too much water. If your pee is dark yellow or almost brown then you are not drinking enough water. You need to drink about 2.7 liters of water a day if you are a woman and 3.7 liters of water a day if you are a man. This assumes you are living in a normal climate and not exercising too much. The more you exercise the more water you have to drink. As this is just a guide it is smart to base the decision on your pee color. If it is dark yellow or brown you need to drink more water. Many people think that transparent pee is the real goal but that is not the case.
Transparent pee means you are diluting too much and you need to cut back on the water a little bit. The ideal color of your pee is approaching transparent but with a slight yellow pigment remaining.
How often do you pee
Another good indicator of drinking too much water is if you are peeing too often. The average person should pee around six times per day. If you are peeing around ten times per day then you are peeing too much. If you are waking up during the night to pee that is not a great sign either. If you are waking up once it is likely that you were just drinking too late. Try and stop drinking water a couple of hours before going to sleep. If you are waking up multiple times you either have issues with your bladder or are drinking far too much water.
Headaches
If you don’t drink enough water it is common to get headaches. However, if you drink too much water headaches will also occur. If you drink too much water your brain actually swells and pushes against your skull. The same swelling can take place in other parts of your body so if you notice swollen hands it is another good indicator that you need to cut back a little.
Cramp
Again, cramp is another catch 22. If you don’t drink enough water you will cramp. If you drink too much water you will cramp. If you drink too much water you dilute the electrolytes too much and your body starts to lack in this key ingredient. Coconut water is full of electrolytes and is a great drink after a long run if you have been sweating and replacing with water only.
Feeling tired
Too little or too much water will also make you feel tired and in extreme cases quite nauseous. If you drink too much water your body (and kidneys, in particular,)have to work harder to get through it. This causes you to feel fatigued.
Feeling fatigued, nauseous, having headaches, and getting cramps could all ruin your day and leave you feeling pretty useless. The explanation could be as simple as not drinking enough water. However, it could also easily be that you are drinking too much water. Watch out for the indicators and get your water levels in line with what your body needs.
