How much water should I drink on the daily?
/Water is life. You can only survive a few days without it. In fact, my 4 year old asked me the other day if I knew how long we could go without water? That was a shocking question, but he told me that it’s 3 days, wow, how does he know that??? Well, he’s right, being hydrated is essential for health and life. I could argue that water is the most essential nutrient of them all. Water is needed for every cell and function in your body.
Water is a huge part of your blood; it cushions your joints and aids digestion. It helps stabilize your blood pressure and heart beat. It helps to regulate your body temperature and helps maintain electrolyte (mineral) balance. And that's just a few of its roles. Not to mention that it keeps us regular, clears up acne, and flushes out toxins that hide in our fat and keep us sick.
Dehydration can impair mood and concentration, and contribute to headaches and dizziness. It can reduce your physical endurance, and increase the risk for kidney stones and constipation. Extreme dehydration can cause heat stroke.
So, water is critical for life and health. But, just as way too little water is life-threatening, so is way too much. As with most things in health and wellness, there is a healthy balance to be reached.
But, there are conflicting opinions as to how much water to drink. Is there a magic number for everyone? What counts toward water intake?
Let’s dive right in.
How much water do I need?
Once upon a time, there was a magic number called "8x8." This was the recommendation to drink eight-8 oz glasses of water every day; that's about 2 liters of water.
Over time, we've realized that imposing this external "one size fits all" rule may not be the best approach. Now, many health professionals recommend drinking according to thirst. You don’t need to go overboard forcing down glasses of water when you’re not thirsty. Just pay attention to your thirst mechanism. We have complex hormonal and neurological processes that are constantly monitoring how hydrated we are. And for healthy adults, this system is very reliable.
Besides thirst, pay attention to how dark and concentrated your urine is. The darker your urine, the more effort your body is making to hold on to the water it has. Urine is still getting rid of the waste, but in a smaller volume of water, so it looks darker.
There are a few other things to consider when evaluating your hydration status. If you’re sweating a lot, or are in a hot/humid climate drink more. Breastfeeding moms, elderly people, and people at risk of kidney stones need to drink more water too. So do people who experience vomiting and/or diarrhea, as both can quickly dehydrate our bodies.
So, ditch the “one size fits all” external rule, and pay more attention to your body’s subtle cues for water.
What counts toward my water intake?
All fluids and foods containing water contribute to your daily needs. Water is usually the best choice. If you're not drinking pure water, consider the effects that the other ingredients have on your body. Drinks containing sugar, alcohol, and caffeine will have effects besides hydration. Sugar can mess with your blood sugar balance. Alcohol can make you feel "buzzed." And caffeine can keep you awake. Let's talk a bit more about caffeine for a second.
Caffeine is the infamous "dehydrator," right? Well, not so much. If you take high dose caffeine pills, then sure, they cause fluid loss. But the idea that coffee and tea don't count toward your water intake is an old myth. While caffeine may make you have to go to the bathroom more, that effect isn't strong enough to negate the hydrating effects of its water. Plus, if you're tolerant to it (i.e., regularly drink it) then the effect is even smaller. So, you don’t need to counteract your daily cup(s) of coffee and/or tea.
Also, many foods contain significant amounts of water. Especially fruits and vegetables like cabbage, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, celery, spinach, lettuce, apples, pears, oranges, grapes, carrots, and pineapple. These foods are over 80% water, so they are good sources of hydration.
So, you don’t need to count your plain water intake as your only source of hydration. All fluids and foods with water count.
And here’s an amazing tip I give to all who ask me about hydration; I call it smart hydration, and what that means is adding some Himalayan or Celtic sea salt to your water, a pinch is enough. I don't like drinking salted water, so I just put the salt in mouth first, then I drink. Adding salt power-charges your water with electrolytes otherwise peed out throughout the day.
Did you know that the most dehydrated people are the ones who drink way too much water?? I was shocked when I first learned that too. It’s because when we pee too much, we are actually depleting our bodies of magnesium, calcium and potassium, for example, and in return we feel lethargic and run down. So by adding good salt like Himalayan or sea salt, we are putting back all those minerals into our body.
Also, I fill up a gigantic 24oz mason jar first thing in the morning and make it a goal to drink 3 of those a day; it happens most days, but not all the time, let’s be real!
In a nutshell,
There is no magic number of the amount of water you need. Everyone is different. Children, pregnant women, elderly people need more. Episodes of vomiting or diarrhea will also increase your short-term need for more water. The most important thing is to pay attention to your thirst. Other signs you need more water are dark urine, sweating, constipation, and kidney stones.
Water is your best source of fluids. But other liquids, including caffeinated ones, help too. Just consider the effects the other ingredients have on your health as well. And many fruits and vegetables are over 80% water so don't forget about them. Try adding a bit of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt to charge your water with powerful electrolytes that allow you to function better.
Let me know in the comments: What’s your favourite way to hydrate?
Tasty hydrating teas
You may not love the taste (or lack thereof) of plain water. One thing you can do is add some sliced or frozen fruit to your water. Since we learned that you could hydrate just as well with other water-containing beverages, here are some of my favorite herbal teas you can drink hot or cold. You can also check out my post about making your water more tasty :)
● Hibiscus
● Lemon
● Peppermint
● Rooibos
● Chamomile
● Lavender
● Ginger
● Lemon Balm
● Rose Hips
● Lemon Verbena
Instructions
Hot tea - Place tea bags in a pot (1 per cup) and add boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes and add a touch of honey and slice of lemon, if desired. Serve.
Iced tea - Place tea bags in a pot (2 per cup) and add boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes and add a touch of honey, if desired. Chill. Add ice to a glass and fill with cold tea.
Tip: Freeze berries in your ice cubes to make your iced tea more beautiful and nutritious.
Serve & enjoy!
‘til next time!
Mirna
Every thousands of women go on some sort of a detox program with the hope of eliminating pesky symptoms like bloating, gas and all that comes with bad digestion.
They go on juice cleanses, detox pill cleanses, drink only lemon juice with maple syrup and cayenne pepper juice for days on end (seriously, the worst thing you can do, I know because I did it and only became more toxic!)
In the end, they often feel worse, regain the weight lost (if any), and are more toxic than ever only to repeat the cycle again and again with the next quick-fix cleanse. And they question why nothing ever works…
I’m here to put a stop to the madness!