Welcome back to Ask a Nutritionist, our weekly mini episode of Dishing Up Nutrition.

I'm Amy Kram, a registered dietitian, and today we're talking about something simple that has a big impact on how you feel every single day.

Hydration. This might be more tough of mind with the weather warming up as we head into the summer

months. We have finally had some warm days here in Minnesota after a long winter. So this topic is

feeling very timely for me today. Hydration is something I check in with my clients

almost every time I meet with them because it's so important and something simple that can

really improve how you feel. So if you've ever felt tired, dizzy, sluggish, foggy, headaches,

or just off, there's a good chance dehydration was part of the problem.

Today we're answering common questions like, what are the symptoms of dehydration?

How much water do you actually need?

What's the fastest way to hydrate when you feel depleted?

How can you make drinking water a more consistent habit?

And what foods and drinks help

or hurt hydration? So let's dive in. First, what are the symptoms of dehydration? A lot of people

think dehydration only happens when you're thirsty, but symptoms often start much earlier than that.

Some of the common signs of dehydration

are more obvious, like dry mouth, lips, or dark yellow urine. But there are also other signs of

dehydration that you might not realize, like headaches, fatigue or low energy, brain fog or

trouble concentrating, dizziness, muscle cramps, and constipation.

A lot of times people might attribute these to other health issues, but when they get hydrated, they notice an improvement in these symptoms or they resolve completely.

Something many people don't realize is that even with mild dehydration, you can significantly affect your mood and energy levels.

Sometimes people reach for caffeine or sugar when their body is really asking for fluids.

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