HYDRATION: WATER

Today’s post is all about water!

We all know that water is very important for our bodies - but we don’t all know why it’s important or what happens when we don’t have enough. Everyone is different which also means everyone needs different amounts of water. You would be surprised that a lot of people don’t drink enough water - so read on to learn all about H2O!

Why is water important?

While water is obviously necessary for our survival, it also helps with the following in the body:

• Regulates body temperature

• Moistens Tissues

• Prevents constipation

• Helps dissolve minerals and nutrients into the body for absorption

• Lubricates joints

• Protects body organs and tissues

• Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

• Reduces the burden on your kidneys and liver

• Helps clear your skin

Water also has various long-term effects of staying hydrated, such as:

• Lowering your chance of stroke

• Managing diabetes

• Lowering your risk of certain types of cancer

These are just some of the benefits of being hydrated, there are also a lot more.

Our bodies also consist of large quantities of water:

• Brain - 75% water

• Blood - 83% water

• Muscles - 75% water

Signs of dehydration

So what are some signs you are not drinking enough water?

• Dry mouth

• Dry skin

• Thirsty

• Dry eyes

• Joint pain

• Decreased muscle mass

• Stay sick longer

• Lethargic/Fatigued

• Digestive problems

• Premature aging

• Dizziness

• Bad breath

• Urine is yellow

• Headaches

• Muscle cramps

Each day we lose 2-3 litres of water just through urine, bowel movements, sweat and breathing - and we need to compensate for this loss. So essentially, there are so many benefits and advantages to staying hydrated, and so many disadvantages to being dehydrated.

How much water should I drink?

So how much water do you actually need in a day? It really depends on your activity levels, how old you are, how much you weigh, etc. If you want to determine an exact amount, this is what you need to do:

Take your weight in pounds, and divide it by 2.2

Multiply that number depending on your age:

• If you’re younger than 30, multiply by 40

• If you’re between 30 and 55, multiply by 35

• If you’re over 55, multiply by 30

Then divide that sum by 28.3 and that will equal how many ounces of water you need in a day! You can divide that number by 8 to see your results in cups.

So to give an example, I will tell you guys my calculation:

• I weigh about 140 pounds, so 140/2.2 = 63.64

• I just turned 30 so I will multiply 63.64 by 35 = 2,227.40

• 2,227.40 divided by 28.3 = 78.71

• So 78.71 is how many ounces of water I should drink in a day (or 9.84 cups).

• Rounding that number up, I should drink about 10 cups of water per day, or 2 litres :)

Keep in mind too that if you exercise a lot and/or sweat a lot, or if you are in a hotter/more humid climate, I would increase the amount of water you drink too.

How can I drink more water?

A recent study suggests that nearly 80% of working Americans don’t drink enough water. I also used to be one of those people. I struggled pretty much my entire life being dehydrated as I never drank enough water during the day. My skin and eyes were always very dry and I was very tired. I went to a dermatologist a few years ago, and she told me that my skin was also very dry - not because that was my skin type, but because I was dehydrated.

It was also very hard for me to get the hydration that I needed because often I thought that I was hungry instead of thirsty, so instead of drinking water, I ate food, which also made me gain a lot of weight.

I also used to drink a lot of liquids other than water - sugary drinks like coke and root beer, juice and other things like that. I never really gravitated to just water, and I’ve since curbed that habit and now primarily drink water (other than weekends).

It did take awhile for me to get used to it because I was essentially addicted to sugary drinks, but these are some things I did (and still do) to make sure I get enough water during the day:

• I drink water first thing in the morning before anything else

• Sometimes I drink water with fresh fruit and vegetables infused to give it a little bit of flavor

• I drink water before each meal so that I don’t forget to drink it later on

• It also really helps me when I can drink from something really cute! Check out some of the water bottles I love below:

Let me know what you guys do to drink more water! I’m always interested in learning about other people’s habits and how people better themselves and their health and lifestyle.