Sick Day? Pamper Your Body with Water

Dec 28, 2016

We have all been sick a time or two in our life. If you’re anything like most of us, the only thing we want to do when under the weather is to sit at home in our comfiest of clothes, watch movies, and sleep. Sometimes, even the thought of getting up to get something to eat or drink seems like too much effort. Unfortunately, it’s times like these when we will just reach for the comfort food and the easy-to-get drinks. Ginger ale, for one, seems to be a staple in most sick households. However, what most individuals don’t realize, is that drinking water is by far the best choice you can make when you are sick. .

It is vitally important to increase our fluid intake when we are under the weather. Water will provide our body the strength it needs to heal itself. Sure, it may take a bit more effort to get a glass out of the cupboard and fill it up with some ice water, than to just grab a soda, but it is truly the best thing for us. Our bodies are about 60% water, and this water is used to perform everyday tasks in the body, such as maintaining hydration and getting rid of toxins from the body. Hydration is key when you’re sick. If the body doesn’t have enough fluid, it can’t function properly, and whatever is making you sick will hang on longer. So drink up!

A common complication of being is sick is having a fever. This elevation in body temperature causes us to become further dehydrated, leading to an increase in fever, which increases dehydration, and so on. It’s an endless, ruthless cycle. Rehydrating yourself with water is the best thing to do for yourself in this case.

Sometimes, when we are really sick, we may feel nauseous, which discourages us from eating or drinking anything. However, keeping hydrated actually helps keep the nausea at bay. Sucking on ice chips or slowly sipping water would be the best way to combat this. It can help soothe your tummy and keep you hydrated at the same time. Win-win!

If you’re plagued with vomiting, or even diarrhea, you’re losing more fluid than you think. And as you lose fluid, you are losing electrolytes, which are necessary components of bodily function. Increasing your intake of water, or even a Gatorade here and there (which contains electrolytes), is key to staying hydrated and to getting back on your feet sooner.

For those of us who’ve ever had a cold, we know all too well that being congested is miserable. But what some might not know, is that water helps tremendously with congestion. A little gross detail here, but increasing your water intake also helps to thin the secretions that go along with the common cold, and therefore making them easier to expel.

While drinking water is the best choice, an even smarter water choice is drinking filtered water. A drinking water filtration system will eliminate contaminants, odors, and weird tastes, making drinking our water even easier on an already sensitive stomach. So, do your body a favor, and make the effort to drink more water when you’re sick, and get well soon!

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