How much water should you really drink in a day?
You often hear that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but is it really an accurate measure of how much water you need daily?
Why is it important to drink water?
Obviously, people need to drink water to survive. But have you asked yourself why we really need to drink water? What does it do for our body? And why is it so important?
Water comprises about 60-65% of your body. So it's important to keep hydrated since more than half of your body is water. Water also helps regulate your body flush wastes, regulate your body temperature to keep you cool, and helps prevent kidney stones and constipation.
On the other hand, dehydration, or lack of water in your body can be very dangerous, as dehydration can cause blood to stop flowing to your major organs. Which is why water is necessary for our survival.
Should you really drink 8 glasses of water a day?
There's a common notion that in order to keep yourself hydrated and healthy, you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. However, that's not always accurate since the amount of water you need to drink daily depends on your age, size, the current climate and the amount of physical activity that you're doing everyday.
So it's important to make sure that you and your family are drinking enough water, especially your kids, since they can sometimes forget to drink water when they're playing outside, or when they're at school.
How do you know if you need to drink more water?
The first indicator that you have enough water in your system is the color of your urine. Ideally, your urine should be clear, or a very pale yellow. If it's a darker color, then you'll need to have more water in your system.
Too much water can also be dangerous, as it can cause an imbalance in the sodium in your body. However, it's pretty rare for someone to drink so much water that it becomes toxic. The highest risk for this however are for marathon runners or those who engage in endurance sports.
Alternately, if you're engaging in intense physical activity, then it's okay to drink sports drinks as these have electrolytes that keep the balance of sodium and water in your body normal.
How can your family get enough water during the day?
In order to make sure your family gets enough water during the day, follow these simple tips:
- Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. It helps hydrate your body, and it's a good way to start your day.
- Make sure that your kids have a bottle of water with them at all times. They should take several sips of water every hour to help keep them hydrated.
- If you don't like drinking water, then you can mix it up by adding a slice of lemon to make it taste different. Some people also add cucumber to their drinking water for nutrition.
- During exercise, or intense physical activity, always keep yourself hydrated to replace the water you're losing.
Sources: webmd.com, mayoclinic.org
READ: 10 Healthy diet foods that are actually making you gain weight
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