Hydration and Stress

Most people have heard that their body is 70% water, but did you know your brain is 80% water? It should be plainly obvious from these statistics that you should drink lots of water to maintain normal health, but especially so when you are placing your brain and body under stress, which you are doing while you study for the bar exam.

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, even slight dehydration increases the body’s stress hormones. Dr. David Perlmutter, author of The Better Brain Book, says that even the short-term exposure to stress hormones can result in temporary memory problems and lower scores on tests of mental function. Clearly, dehydration is the enemy of peak performance on a test like the bar exam.

So, how much water should you drink? Many authorities state that you should take your weight and cut in half to equal the number of ounces per day of water you should drink. Therefore, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink 90 ounces (2.7 liters) of water per day.

One way to make sure you get enough water is to drink a liter (33 ounces) of water right after you wake up. Do this before you drink coffee or eat breakfast. It may be difficult to drink this much water at first, but you should get used to it after a few days. (It took me about three days to get used to doing this. Now, if I forget to drink a liter of water in the morning, I feel sluggish.)

Then, if you drink a glass of water every couple of hours for the rest of the day, you should easily meet your daily requirement for water to keep you hydrated and eliminate this hidden cause of increased stress and decreased mental performance.

Resource:
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness, by Daniel G. Amen, MD

The Better Brain Book, by David Perlmutter, MD and Carol Colman

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[Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dierkschaefer/2961565820/]