How many times have you been encouraged to drink more water? Some find it easy, while others just don't enjoy it. Is that really it, you don't enjoy water? It is a little hard for me to understand, being a water guzzler and loving the taste, texture and everything about water!
Do I really need 8 glasses of water a day?
There has been a lot of research put into determining the optimal intake of water for health at the NHMRC, so don't think it's all a load of baloney – we really do need 8-10 glasses of water every day! And that's not including the water we get from foods and the 250 mL that our body recycles from our internal filtration systems.
Solid foods contribute approximately 20% of total water intake or about 700-800 mL. The remainder of the dietary intake comes from free water and/or other fluids. An additional 250 mL or so of water is also made available to the body from metabolism (water of oxidation). Excluding perspiration, the normal turnover of water is approximately 4% of total body weight in adults. In a 70 kg adult, this is equivalent to 2,500-3,000 mL/day.
Curated from Water | Nutrient Reference Values
Dehydration has scary consequences
Typically, the consequences of dehydration that I think of include constipation, poor concentration, headaches and urinary tract infections. However, chronic mild dehydration (drinking about half of your daily recommended water intake) may cause other hidden problems.
Dehydration of as little as 2% loss of body weight results in impaired physiological responses and performance. The reported health effects of chronic mild dehydration and poor fluid intake include increased risk of kidney stones, urinary tract cancers, colon cancer and mitral valve prolapse as well as diminished physical and mental performance.
Curated from Water | Nutrient Reference Values
Hang on a sec, I'm just going to grab my water bottle… So, it's pretty clear why, for good health, our bodies require water. Now how do we remember to do it?
4 quick tips for taking in more water
1. Always have water available
Carry a reusable water bottle with you where ever you go, and keep it filled. On your way out the door, grab your bottle. If you're sitting down to work at your desk or to watch some tv, grab your bottle. Maybe to make it a mental habit, you could repeat the mantra “keys, wallet, water!”.
2. Water in water out…
If you're on the way back from the bathroom, grab a glass of water as part of the routine. Stopping off in the lunch room or kitchen while you're already on your feet, makes sense to me! Keeping hydrated is not something you can do once a day, it's a system and requires topping up frequently.
3. Choose water in restaurants
Ask for a jug of water for your table and make it your business to fill your glass and start sipping. It's also terribly thoughtful if you top up your companions glasses also, water drinkers are in good company!
4. Manage your excuses
What's your favourite excuse? Too warm, too cold, tastes boring, I'm not thirsty? Add some fruit or a little flavouring, a mint leaf, chill it, warm it up and count your glasses of water. If you haven't had a glass of water in the last 1.5 hours, you're behind on your quota – you might not feel it, but your cells are thirsty already!
Water is a requirement for digestion, absorption, dissolving nutrients, elimination of waste products and keeping our body temperature stable. It's one of the easiest improvements you can make to how your body functions and one I'm grateful to have readily available to all of us living in countries like Australia with clean drinking water. It's our privilege to be hydrated. Make the most of it.