How Much Water Should I Drink? The More Water You Drink, The Better It Is

Since I was a kid my mother has been telling me the more water you drink, the better it is. Like all good children like you and me, most of the time I simply ignored her advice and moved on with my daily routine. While I would always wonder how much water should I drink, my mind keeps going back to the ‘eight glasses a day’ my mother propagated. But why only that much? It seemed a lot of water for a day’s worth.

Now that I have reached parenthood I have realized the reason why I was always told the more water you drink, the better it is. Lots of research and heaps of advisory sessions later, I am now ready with this hub to tell the world why the more water you drink, the better it is for you and your body. I have also tried to address the oft repeated question of how much water should I drink.

Why Water Rehydration Is So Important

The body is made of cells at the lowest levels, and for each cell water is the major ingredient. The 60-70% water content in the body we talk about is right here, in the cells. With each activity that the body carries out, the cell loses its major ingredient, water.

Drinking lots of water will ensure that the water reaches the lowest levels of your body’s mechanism. If your cells are healthy, the molecules are healthy, the organs like your heart, kidneys and skin are healthy, and your whole body benefits in the bargain. Period. This is the number one reason why the more water you drink, the better it is for you.

As we move along the daily routine of life, we tend to lose lots of water. Remember the human body is made of 60-70% water, and the skin loses water continuously. This the reason why you have heaps of moisturizing lotions, gels and creams, even soaps that claim to retain the water content of the cells of your body.

The water detoxifies the body of harmful chemicals that would have been accumulated all throughout the day. It purges the toxins deposited in the blood.

What Causes The Dehydration?

Some of the most common activities we carry out result in dehydration, or reduction, of the body’s water. Generally people feel that coffee, tea, fizzy drinks and alcohol should also count towards the daily intake of water. Not so.

In fact drinks like coffee, tea, carbonated drinks and alcohol actually have precisely the opposite effect. They act as dehydrators as they absorb the water from the body, and you would have to drink extra water to negate their effect. Take your mind back to the excessively thirsty feeling you have the day after a drinking binge. As a broad rule, add an extra 3oz for each caffeine drink that you intake, and 4 oz for every alcoholic drink.

Excessive exposure to the sun can dehydrate your skin. Sun bathe with care and do not forget the anti-suntan lotions. They act as partial protectors of your body’s water as well.

Similarly even exposure to excessive cold will also have a similar effect on the skin. Remember the way your skin feels stretched out and famished during peak winters?

The best way is to protect yourself by avoiding excessive skin exposure in extreme climates. Cover yourself up well.

Both in hot as well as very cold climate, do not give up drinking the right quantities of water. Never forget that golden line - The more water you drink, the better it is. Even in winters when you don’t feel like it, keep up those water levels.

How much water should I Drink then?

The accepted standard of how much water should I drink is four pints a day, or about two liters. You can even translate this to about eight glasses a day, since an average glass holds about 250 ml. Hail Mom! I finally understand your statistics!

You need to take care, however, that you do not try to drink too much water at a stretch, or you are likely to feel uneasy.

Especially remember that if you are starting drinking water as a therapy for the first time, you must start with smaller quantities of water. Slowly build up your capacity till you are comfortable with the four pints in the entire day. Sip small quantities over the entire day, not large quantities at a go. This will enable better absorption of the water in your body.

I am Pregnant. How much water should I Drink?

Pregnant women in general should drink more water than normal women. The more water you drink, the better it is.

Drinking more water will result in better functioning of all body functions such as absorption, circulation, digestion and the elimination of waste. One of the common complaints of pregnant women is constipation. If you are pregnant, the more water you drink, the better it is for you.

I am planning to go for a weight loss program. How much water should I drink and how does it work?

Drinking lots of water is one of the best ways to reduce weight organically. This works in several ways.

First, drinking lots of water will keep your stomach occupied, so you will end up eating less. Natural water is perhaps the only liquid that is totally fat and calorie free.

Second, the water cleanses the entire processes of the body. It detoxifies your colon, the stomach and intestines, thereby reducing the chances of any kind of acidity and such related problems. What I mentioned for pregnant women works perfectly here as well. Since the absorption of food improves, your body needs less food and you can go ahead with a successful diet plan.

Thirdly, absorption of the right quantities of water is also necessary in the process of burning stored fat. Without the right amount of water stored fat will not release as quickly, so your workout is not as effective either.

Do take care not to drink water immediately after a tough workout as it will not allow the body enough time to utilize the fat in the body. Give a break of 15-20 minutes at least before having water. Even if you are very thirsty as is likely after a punishing workout it is better to control yourself for a little while.

What kind of water works best?

Don’t think of only how much water should I drink. You also need to drink the right kind of water.

Tap water is definitely out, despite all the claims by the authorities on its cleanliness and being potable.

Reverse osmosis plants and commonly available electric carbon filters work well in most homes. The water you get from them is treated and is safe for drinking. Though comparatively expensive, the quality of the water produced in this way makes it absolutely great for all kind of usage.

If you do not have access to the comparatively expensive options outlined above, go for packaged water. Do check out the sodium levels in the packaged water as excessive sodium content can be harmful.

Hopefully you would be now clear about how much water should I drink. Remember the more water you drink, the better it is for you and your body, when done properly as per the recommendations in this hub.

Go ahead and have a drink on me. Water of course!

And kudos to my mom. Finally I understand her.

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