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How much water we need has been under debate by health professionals and nutritionists every since the “8 glasses per day” adage came out.
Let’s look at how much water you need to stay healthy.
Do you ever find yourself times during the day when you might feel dehydrated – the symptoms for this can include headaches, dry skin, parched mouth or suddenly feeling tired.
What do you drink in a day? Look at all of the liquids/beverages you have in a day and how much of that liquid is just plain or mineral water? If you don’t drink water just what are the quantities of other beverages you have in a day?
Do you drink fluids like coffee, tea or even soft drinks; if you do, are you getting some liquid benefit.
How many calories do you have with those drinks in a day and you might want to rethink your position on drinking water. A 20 ounce can of coke contains 240 calories. Does drinking diet coke really help with 0 calories?
Water is very good for our digestive system and helps prevent constipation. Often we neglect drinking water after exercising so if this is you – make a point of having at least one glass of water after any exercise you do.
One other point that you should be aware of; alcohol has water in it too so enjoy your after work drinks. However remember the caloric value of alcoholic drinks and mixes – you might need a run tomorrow to work it off. Alcohol is also a diuretic and causes an increase in the need to excrete urine which can lead to dehydration, thirst, dizziness, and faintness.
No matter the cause, a lack of fluids and water in particular for just two days can place your body in a life-threatening dehydrating condition. Always find a drink of water when you feel thirsty or if you are feeling tired, sluggish, have a headache or problems going to the toilet regularly.
Dehydration can also cause a change in your skin texture so that pinching the skin together causes the skin to wrinkle up instead of remaining soft and supple.
So, here’s the answer, a healthy adult loses about 2.5 liters of water per day, which is equal to about 8 cups of water. Since a cup of water is 8 ounces that’s how you get to eight 8 once glasses of water per day. If you keep your fluid intake on a par with your outgoings your internal systems will work a lot better and you will feel more energetic – and water will also help you keep your body weight in check.
Now, there are lots of types of water to choose from including specialized versions with added nutrients and minerals to boost the benefits. However, if you choose to consume regular H2O instead of a gourmet version of water such as carbon filtered, spring, deionized, or vitamin enriched, your body will still be appreciative in contrast to you failing to consume enough water at all.
Any activities that increase the amount of water that your body loses will of course raise the water requirement proportionately.
So, while drinking the proper amount of water is easy to overlook, make a conscious effort to get the right amount you need every day! Your body will appreciate it.
