Water is a key ingredient in my life but always looked too obvious to talk about, even though it comes up in conversations a lot.
It was after i've watched Netflix new documentary 'Down to earth' with zac efron and darin olien, episode 2 that i decided to write about water.
That episode starts at Los Angeles, and they're doing a water tasting with a water sommelier.
Then, they're heading to Paris and learn about the city's amazing way to make its tap water accessible to all residents while maintaining sustainability by encouraging the use of reusable bottles. Amazing.
Well, it’s definitely not the first time i hear about the importance of water and how essential it is for our health.
At first i thought that there's one big problem in it, by showing us a beautiful reality, which, with no doubt is a GOAL but this is not even close to most of the people i know and their drinking habits.
I'm not talking about populations that have no access to clean water, I'm talking about the populations that have it, but still don't drink water. Not enough anyway.
Most of my friends and family are far from drinking the daily recommended amount of water.
WHY?
So i've asked, and the reason is - Because it's boring.
Yes, you've heard it right.
Most of them compare it to other drinks that are full of sugar and other artificial flavors and ingredients.
Of course there are also the people that are busy, so they forget or just don't have time to drink.
But then i asked my followers on Instagram what do they do, and it showed me a whole different reality, a better one, where most try to drink lots of water.
My conclusion?
That my followers and i are like minded people (Succeed on reaching my audience!) and they are probably living a healthier lifestyle or even just very aware of it.
So, what's the deal with water? And why is it so important?
This list can be so long, our bodies are made from approximately 70% water, and in fact every system in the human body counts on water to function! (1)
Check out this organs water content:
Brain - 80% water
Muscles (including your heart) - 75% water
Blood - 83% water
Lungs - 90% water
Skin - 64% water
Bones - 30% water
I'll talk about the two most important areas (to me) that are directly impacted from how much water do we drink.
Brain function: Our brain is about 75%-80% water. Being fully hydrate will help our brain to perform better as we will think faster, be more focused and experience greater clarity and creativity. (2) It will help to balance our mood and emotions, preventing and relieving headaches and so so so important - Reduce stress (That is effects us negatively in so many ways, but i'll save it to another article) (3). Research also indicates that not drinking enough water can negatively impact your alertness and short-term memory (4).
Digestive system function: A major cause of poor digestion is dehydration. Lack of water, along with other minerals like calcium and magnesium (5) (6) can cause problems in producing digestive acids and saliva that are responsible for breaking the food down (as they are full of digestive enzymes). Consuming enough water will also help you digest food more effectively and get the most out of your meals, allowing for the proper absorption of nutrients. Water is also necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. The combination of soluble fiber and good water intake enables your intestines to flush out waste and toxins, help with the bowel movement by softening your stools and helping push the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract and that will keep you from being constipated. (7) Drinking enough water not only benefits your'e inner world healthy, but it also leads to clear skin. *FYI While a plain glass of water is great, adding lemon increases the rate of urination in the body, maximizing enzyme function and stimulating the liver for detoxification. (8)
How much should we drink?
According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, general water intake (from all beverages and foods) that meet most people’s needs are:
about 15.5 cups of water (3.5 liters) each day for men
about 11.5 cups (2.5) daily for women
People get about 20 percent of their daily water intake from food. The rest is dependent on drinking water and water-based beverages. So, ideally men would consume about 3 liters of water from beverages, and women, about 2 liters from beverages.
I've been practicing it for a while now, sometimes it works better and sometimes less, depends on my daily schedule but these are the things that helps me to drink more:
Drink good quality & delicious water. well, if the water doesn't tastes good, i just don't drink it. Not even in a different form like tea or even coffee. That's the BASE.
Temperature is everything - i found out that it's super hard for me to drink cold water only when i really need to cool myself, but i know some can't drink lukewarm water - just cold ones. So just understand what is doing it for you that will make it easier for you to drink.
You think it's boring? Add flavors. There is so much room to play around with it and i've added some of the combinations that i love below, most of the time plain water do the work for me but it's fun to spice it up from time to time.
Set small rules like times you have to drink a glass of water. It's not about living by rules, it's just to set a reminder. My personal rule is that i have to have few glasses of water at the morning before i have anything else and after every meal i have an alarm to wait 30 min and then drink a glass of water.
Keep your water bottle nearby. Having the bottle (preferred reusable one) available will do the work and anytime you drain your bottle, fill it back up.
Eat water-rich foods. Find the foods you love and will help you to be hydrated.(I CAN LIVE ON WATERMELON ON SUMMER DAYS).
Here are some amazing combinations for infused water:
My most common flavored water: Cinnamon, clove and cardamom in boiling water. Let it cool and drink when warm/cold. So good.
Strawberries, basil and lemon.
Cucumber, melon and mint.
Apple and cinnamon stick.
Rosemary and peach.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW - DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER CAN ALSO BE DANGEROUS.
Overhydration is the term of drinking too much and it can lead to water intoxication and many harmful side effects as dehydration.
Basically, too much water dilutes your electrolytes levels and interferes with organ function. When hyponatremia occurs, your body’s important electrolytes like sodium are dangerously out of balance.
Drinking too much water isn’t always connected to thirst and it can sometimes signify other health issues like diabetes.
A perfect example for TOO MUCH of a good thing.
Staying well-hydrated (not too well, obviously) is a vital part of overall good health and it's something you can start putting into practice today.
Xxx