Quench Your Thirst: Why Water is the Ultimate Elixir

When it comes to healing the body, water is the ultimate recommendation. Water, the elixir of life, is essential for maintaining proper functioning in vital organs, regulating your body temperature, flushing toxins from the body, and ensuring an overall well-being. Depending on the health tips you follow, the question remains: How much water should a person drink in a day and why is this so crucial for survival?

How Much Water Do We Really Need?

You have probably heard of the standard advice of drinking eight glasses of water per day. However, it is important to note that this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) provides general guidelines which state that men should aim for about 3 liters of water where the average woman should aim for about 2 liters of water per day. However, it is important to note that your water intake comes in more forms than just water. This includes water in any other fluids that you are drinking and foods that you eat.

Keep in mind that children do not require as much water as an adult does. For more information on recommended drinking amounts, please visit How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day? - WebMD

Listen to Your Body: Avoid Dehydration

Even more importantly than tracking your water, it is vital to listen to your body. Your body will let you know in different ways when it is thirsty and needs a fill up. There are multiple signs that you can look for to avoid dehydration.

·         Dark colored urine. May be either dark yellow or an amber color.

·         Dry mouth and lips.

·         Difficulty passing stool or having dark and solid stool

·         Fatigue and dizziness

·         Headaches

·         Urinating less than normal.

·         Dry skin and dry mouth- feeling very thirsty

·         Higher heart rate than normal

·         Cramps, especially when trying to exercise

If you experience these symptoms, fill up on some fluids and see how you feel after. Although your body can get fluids from any beverage that you drink, it is important to ensure that you are drinking plain water as much as possible.

Add Hydration to Your Daily Lifestyle

While IOM was able to provide a healthy starting point for water intake, it is important to note that individual body factors can also be considered when determining how much water you should drink. Here are some of those factors that may influence an adjustment in your water intake:

·         Working Out: We lose fluids in our body when we sweat so it is important that you increase your water intake to match your workout routine.

·         Climate: When climate changes increase temperatures, we again, tend to sweat. On those hot days, you might want to increase your fluid intake to avoid dehydration.

·         Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions may require that you increase your water intake as part of adequate treatment. Some of these conditions include Kidney issues- drinking too much or too little water can be dangerous. As always, if you are concerned about your water intake, talk to your medical team to help you determine what a healthy amount of water intake is for you and your specific situation.

·         Diet: Depending on your diet, you may want to increase your water intake. For example, if you went out drinking alcohol one weekend, you would need to increase your water intake to replenish your body’s water. Same with caffeine as alcohol and caffeine are considered diuretics. Any diuretics require more water intake as it helps your body lose its water faster.

·         Pregnancy: Mothers that are expecting or nursing children have a higher obligation to increase their liquid intake. Adequate water intake is vital to support their bodies and the changes that they go through for babies. Consult with your birthing team to determine a healthy amount for your body. Mama bears are drinking for 2, so increase that water intake!

The Benefits of Drinking Water:

Although water is a great tool for quenching your thirst, that is not the only benefit of water. Look at some of the other benefits from increasing your water intake:

·         Improved Physicality: Staying hydrated is vital for maintaining good physical performance during various types of physical activity.

·         Brain: If you do not drink enough water, dehydration can impair your cognitive function, concentration, and even your mood. Drinking enough water can help your mental clarity and provide an increase in focus.

·         Digestion: Water is vital for keeping your digestive system moving smoothly. If you do not drink enough water, you may experience things such as constipation and dark stools that are very solid.

·         Healthy Skin: Staying hydrated helps to keep your skin healthy and glowing. It does this by the water flushing toxins from your body and keeping your skin hydrated. We may not be water creatures, but we still need water to keep our flesh vessel hydrated!

Tips for Drinking More Water:

Many times, people struggle to meet their daily water intake goal. Below are some tips that you can follow to help you increase your water intake:

·         Reminders: Luckily, we live in a day of technology and there are multiple apps to help you track your water intake. Plant Nanny - Water Tracker - Apps on Google Play is a great app that keeps track of your water intake by also keeping your plant alive. You could also select a simple option and put alarms or reminders in your phone to remind you to drink water every hour, or whatever time limit you choose.

·         Reusable Water Bottle: Get in the habit of carrying a water bottle around with you and get yourself a fun one that makes you excited about drinking water. By carrying this with you, it is your personal reminder to continue to drink your water throughout the day. They even make water bottles with time slots on it to help you keep on a time schedule of drinking water.

·         Infuse Your Water: Oftentimes, water can be quite boring after a while to drink all day, every day. Try infusing your water with a lemon slice or different kinds of fruits to give your water some delicious flavoring.

·         Foods: Do not forget that we also get water from the foods that we eat. Eating foods like watermelon and cucumbers will allow you to fill your belly with something light and add to your water intake. Increase your fruit intake!

Whatever your reason for reading this post, remember that water is a cornerstone of maintaining good health and vitality. Begin by understanding your body’s need for water and develop healthy water-drinking habits to stay well hydrated. Drink up and make water your go-to option. Cheers to hydration!