I
am guilty of not drinking enough water daily - I have been thinking a
lot about that lately, trying to be as healthy as I can during my
pregnancy. Water makes up about 60% of your body weight, which is hard
to imagine, isn´t it? Every cell in your body depends on water, which
flushes toxins out of your vital organs, carries nutrients and much
more. You cannot go without water, you now that and as an adult you
should try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Maybe even more,
depending on different factors. Lets all enjoy the healthy benefits of
sufficient water intake, which will make us feel and look healthy.
How much water should you drink a day?
I have a hard time
forcing myself to drink, because I am just not thirsty. That doesn´t
mean I don't try to drink as much as I can. Just to be sure on how much
is enough, here is the daily water requirement, which I am sure you all
know very well by now. Every person does not need the same amount of
water a day. It all depends on your body weight and your lifestyle. Here
is the easiest formula for daily water requirements:
Drink
50% of your body weight in ounces, if you are a sedentary person and 75% if you
are an active person. You can also follow the 8x8 rule, which stands for
8 8-ounce glasses which equals 2 litres.
Or follow the simplest formula in the world:
- When thirsty, drink.
- When not thirsty anymore, stop.
- During high heat and exercise, drink enough to compensate for the lost fluids.
Do other fluids count toward you total?
Here
is the other thing - I love coffee! And fruits and yogurts, so I wonder
- how do they count toward my total daily intake of water? They should
count for something, right? Yes, they do - most foods are also loaded
with water, which means that maybe that is the reason I am not thirsty
as much. I read that drinking coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks
do count for something, because their diuretic effect is very wear. So
if you are not thirsty during the day, you may be getting lots of water from
your daily diet. But still remember to drink water.
Signs of not drinking enough water
- Dry mouth - chances are, you are mildly dehydrated and it is time for a drink!
- Headache -a lot of headaches are caused by dehydration and people could often avoid them by just drinking enough.
- Darker-coloured urine - this one is kind of yucky, but it is a very easy way to know that you are not drinking enough. Be aware of that sign.
- Dizziness
- Hunger - sometimes hunger means thirst..
- Feeling tired and sleepy
- Dry skin
- Increased heart rate
- Constipation and Digestive Problems
Drinking too much water
Do
not drink extreme amounts of water - that can be dangerous for you.
Drinking high amounts of water in short time can cause the level of
salt, or sodium, in your blood to drop too low which is
called hyponatremia. Water intoxication can be fatal. But that must be a
real enormous amount of water and this is extremely rare. The warning
signs of hyponatremia look a lot like the symptoms of heatstroke and
exhaustion - feeling hot, have a headache, and just feel crummy.
Symptoms can also include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. But as i said, this is extremely rare, so do not worry if you drink an extra glass of water or two.
We
are designed to drink pure, natural water, but we are also human and we
should enjoy life. So drink soda, coffee, tea, beer, whatever if you
love them - but in moderation and be sure to drink water as well. It
will make your skin look firm and glowing, you will feel great and you
will be able to enjoy your life. If you are dehydrated and not healthy,
you cannot enjoy your life to the fullest anyway.
M.
