Watering Manual - The Wilt, The Bloom, & The Flood

It’s easy to spot when a plant needs water—it wilts. As it turns out, humans 'wilt' just as dramatically as a Peace Lily; we just call it a midday crash, the munchies, brain fog, the zoomies, or a mood swing. If this sounds familiar, I must ask how’s your water intake? 

The Champ Is Here

Water is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of biological function—the ultimate MVP for both humans and plants alike. Humans use blood plasma (which is about 90% water) to carry oxygen and nutrients to organs. Similarly, plants use water to transport minerals from the soil to their leaves and sugars back down to their roots. As for food, humans use water to process the food they have already eaten and plants use water to create their own food (sugar). Water is even integral in protective measures as well. Humans sweat to cool down; plants perform transpiration, evaporating water through leaf pores to prevent overheating. Ultimately, both humans and plants face systemic failure without water. Since we share so much biological DNA with our leafy friends, we can categorize our hydration levels into three distinct stages of our Hydration Weather Forecast.

Stage 1: The Wilt (Hypohydration - Dehydrated/Deficit)

This is a state of emergency. This is often when you start to show the usual signs of dehydration - dark urine, headaches, and dry skin. In this state, misfires are common like the brain fog and zoomies we mentioned earlier. Other symptoms include bad breath, chapped lips, muscle cramps. If you fail to address the mild symptoms, you run the risk of exacerbating the problem into seizures, hypovolemic shock, or even hallucinations.

The Goal For This Stage: Stop "wilting" and start refilling before your system stalls.

Stage 2: The Bloom (Euhydration - Optimal/Thriving)

This is the G.O.A.T. zone—the "Goldilocks" of hydration (jusssst right). You have single-handedly cracked the code to giving your body what it needs when it needs it. You are tuned into your body’s signals and use a consistent schedule to stay ahead of the thirst. Energy levels remain level, your skin is elastic, and you are able to focus. If you have trouble with any of these areas, low water intake is not the culprit. 

The Goal For This Stage: Maintain this with small, consistent sips throughout the day.

Stage 3: The Flood (Hyperhydration - Oversaturation/Drowning)

Not you out here water wasted. And, yes. Before you ask, you can indeed have too much of a good thing. Just like plants can have water logged soil, you can overwhelm your body with water. Too much water in the tank can cause the dilution of sodium (hyponatremia) which causes your cells to swell. Symptoms can go from bloating (mild) to headache or nausea (moderate), and grow to confusion or muscle spasms (severe), as well as seizure or unconsciousness (emergency state).

The Goal: Respect the limits. Hydration is about balance, not intoxication. Chill.

Now that you know, is it time to Refill, Maintain, or Chill?