For years, I would never sweat when I worked out. I always assumed it was because I was thin and cooled down quickly. Even so, my ears would get really, really hot – they almost felt like they would burn up and fall off. Several of my friends said I needed to drink more water and I dismissed it because I did drink some water and ate fruit and vegetables and usually had a bunch of milk every day.
But I decided to read up on dehydration and did a google search; the sheer number of hits was astounding especially on the topic of ‘chronic dehydration’. Several sites suggested that a large percentage of the population were chronically dehydrated. They also suggested that to reset the body’s hydration meter would take a few weeks. I decided to give it a try.
At first it was hard to force myself to drink water often. I often added some lemon to make it more interesting. But as I kept at it, I did notice several changes.
- I started sweating. During my harder workouts (especially Crossfit) I would start to more than glisten – I would actually sweat!
- I started feeling thirsty. I think I reset my thirst reaction and wanted to drink more water
- I think my moods evened out. This of course is subjective but it really does seem to correlate; I find myself much more even tempered (unless I get too hungry of course).
- I think my skin is a little smoother although I am not as sure about that one
So, drink your water. Force yourself to drink several glasses a day. What could be an easier cure for so many ills?