Clearish pee is the epitome of pee. Honestly, when I see that I have achieved nearly clear pee, I feel a rush of endorphins. I get super excited. Why? Because I live in New Orleans and it is hot as hell.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, when I was younger, I experienced a handful of heat strokes and, more commonly, dehydration. New Orleans is a tricky place to live. It is hot, humid, and very energetic. What do I mean by energetic? There is always something going on – and 99.9% of the time, the events are held outside. Being dehydrated in NOLA during the summer is a messy, messy thing. The high humidity doesn’t allow humans to sweat properly, meaning that we cannot cool off efficiently – therefore, it is easy to get overheated.

Clearish pee means that you are well-hydrated! Clear pee, without a slight yellow tinge, means that you are overhydrated (Yes, that is a thing! Remember – the devil is in the dose). Dark yellow pee is BAD pee! You should not have dark yellow pee – ever – but especially in the New Orleans summertime. It means you are severely dehydrated.

Before I go on to explain how to achieve the marvelousness of clearish pee, I want to outline how to know you are dehydrated before you go pee. Rule of thumb: if you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. If you have stopped sweating – you are not adapting to the heat, you are dehydrated. If you don’t pee frequently – you are dehydrated. Of course, there are other symptoms that are a more serious, such as: weakness, dizziness, sluggishness, and confusion. My advice to you, if you experience these things, is that you should drink water and go into a place that is air conditioned. If that isn’t possible, find a shady spot and take off unnecessary clothing. Fashion is to be put aside in the face of dehydration.

How to defeat dehydration is simple – hydrate! Hydrate with water. I don’t care what you have to put in it – fruit, flavoring, have at it. Just drink it. The most commonly given advice is to drink eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated – this is known as the 8*8 rule. Remember it! This should be used as a minimum, not a maximum. If you are a bigger person, you will, most likely, need to have a higher water intake.

Check yourself. The next time you pee, look at it. Is it dark? Grab a water. Drink a water in a cup, through a straw, in a bottle – whatever you need to do. Just drink it. We live in a place that we have water at the ready – always. That is a blessing and a privilege – take advantage of it. It is healthy for you, and the alternative is dreadful. If you have to go to the hospital for dehydration – it gets a bit nightmarish. Either you will be given fluid up the nose through a nasogastric tube, or you will receive a saline treatment via IV. Now, let me ask you – is it worth it? You have water in your house. Whether it is bottled or from the sink. It is there. Drink it and check your pee!