So much misinformation on health and nutrition on the internet. Just be careful what you follow and what you choose to believe. I just read a comment from a poster on Facebook who said she was trying to increase her water consumption and that she felt like she was going to the bathroom all the time. So I scroll to the comments because I’m curious to see what everyone was going to tell her. Sure enough! All sorts of nonsense ranging from we only need the straight 64 ounces of water to we don’t need that much to our kidneys can’t handle that much water. So here’s the skinny!
- Water is what our body is mostly made up of… anywhere from 60-75% depending on the source quoted. Our cells need that water to help facilitate change, growth and even death to make room for new cells!
- If you are thirsty, the process of dehydration is already well under way. Get some water. Dehydration can lead to a dry/sticky mouth, lethargy or coma, dark urine or low urine output, sunken eyes, rapid heart rate, shock, low blood pressure, seizures, brain damage or even death.
- Skip the flavored, carbonated waters. They do more damage in the long run because they are usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners (which is a whole other post on its own) and the phosphoric acid used to carbonate the beverage has been linked to bone damage. If you want to add something to your water consider adding cucumbers, lemons or frozen berries. This will add nutrients and flavor without damaging side effects.
- We need to consume about 1/2 of our body weight in ounces on a daily basis. Let’s break this down. Say you weigh 200 pounds. That’s 100 ounces per day. It sounds like an insane amount of water, I know. However, break it down over 10 hours and that is only 10 ounces per hour or about 2/3 of a 1/2 liter water bottle! You CAN do that! (Please note that your precise amount may be greater or less than the example. Please calculate what you need.)
- If it is hot or you are doing physical exercise that makes you sweat, you will need to drink another 20 ounces of water to replace what you have lost.
Drinking water helps your kidneys to function better, which in turn helps your heart to function better. It helps to keep our skin clear and give us a youthful look. Water also helps to fill our bellies and keep us fuller longer so that we can fight the urge to overeat or eat the wrong things. This is only a small part of what water does for our bodies, so now grab the water and take a swig!
