Water is life. That seems like a bold statement, but water is the key to being alert and energised. Every organ, tissue and cell needs water to function, as our bodies are made up of about 70 % water.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will offer many benefits including:
- Regulating your temperature,
- assisting the kidneys and preventing kidney stones,
- removing toxins and improving function, keeping your skin supple,
- keeping you full for longer,
- replacing the need for consuming sugary drinks, which in turn should lead to weight loss,
- keeping joints and muscles lubricated and enhancing your mood and getting rid of headaches.
How much water do you need?
Drinking eight cups of water a day, approximately two litres is the goal. Most doctors will advise trying to go a little bit further. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences reports that we actually need between 11 cups / 2.7 litres for women and men 16 cups / 3.7 litres a day.
However, those amounts include all liquids you consume in a day, whether it is plain water, coffee, tea, herbal teas, fruit-infused water, milk and the water content of food such as fruit and veg. The last-mentioned accounts for about a fifth of your daily fluid intake. Diuretic foods, alcohol and coffee will cause you to urinate more so you have to stay topped up with plain water as well.
Signs of dehydration
When dehydration sets in, you lose more water than you’re taking in, so you should watch out for:
- If you are thirsty and have dryness in your mouth; or you have a lack of sweat and tears and you feel light-headed or have headaches, then you should drink water
- Cramps, muscle weakness and spasms and general fatigue
- Bad breath, which means the saliva levels are down
- Confusion and delirium are all signs of severe dehydration
- Dark yellow to orange urine or less of it
- Constipation
Summer
As summer heats up and you become more active outdoors, you naturally drink more fluids because you are sweating all the time. Thirst sets in, so you know you need to drink water.
With sun exposure, you run the risk of getting stones. This is owing to dehydration and changes in calcium metabolism through vitamin D absorption. That is why staying hydrated is so important in summer because it lowers the risk of developing stones by 50%, USC Institute of Urology reports.
Without enough water, the body can’t function at its peak, especially not the 2.6 million sweat glands pumping out fluid through your pores to keep you cool. Under those conditions, how much water does the working body really need in summer? Apparently, a way to measure this requirement is to divide your weight in pounds in half. That would be your weight in kilograms. Drink that amount in ounces. For a 60 kilogram person that would be about eight cups, which is the recommended amount for women.
A way to beat dehydration in summer is to fill a two-litre water bottle and take it with you wherever you go. Drink water first thing in the morning, with every meal and the last thing at night.
Water in winter
In winter, we urinate more because of the cold but that doesn’t mean that you should stop drinking the eight to 11 cups for women and 16 cups for men. Environmental humidity defines water loss in winter because with increased heating comes drier indoor environments leading to you losing fluid through just exhaling.
If you drink too little water, you risk being prone to difficulties in concentrating, poor memory and bad moods while chronic low water consumers run the risk of getting diabetes, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones and urinary tract infections. The American Heart Association reports that more urinating serves as greater protection for the kidneys with adults needing to run to the toilet at least seven to eight times a day.
They suggest that in order to meet your daily water intake, you should go everywhere with a filled water bottle to sip from throughout the day. Sipping rather than gulping assists the body to process fluids better and excreting them via urine.
In winter and summer, increased fluid intake can be enhanced through eating fruit and veg, which consist of up to 95% water, as well as soups, provided that it is not laden with fluid-retaining sodium.
Always keep in mind that health and well-being depend on adequate hydration throughout the day.
Is lemon water better than plain old H20?
The Medical Society reports that perhaps one of the most popular reasons why people consume lemon water is to aid their digestion and keep their tummies regular! As mentioned before, lemons help the kidneys to flush toxins from the blood, and they also assist in washing waste from the gut!
Drinking lemon water in the morning will help soothe your digestive tract and make it easier to eliminate waste from the day before, says Wide Open Eats.
The minerals found in lemons have been proven to promote digestion and reduce heartburn and bloating. Although scientists say that there are no conclusive studies to show that lemon juice is responsible for the relief of these ailments, research does indicate a correlation, bearing in mind several variables; the patient/test subjects’ general health and overall diet.
However, the above is apparently achieved as the lemons loosen up trapped toxins. Start your day off with some lemon water and then again later if you feel your digestive issues are beginning to creep up on you, advises Belmarra Health. Lemon water also keeps you fuller for longer. As an added bonus, consuming lemon water also counts towards your hydration quota for the day. So you aren’t just taking in nutrients, you are staying hydrated too!
