Here’s something we hear all the time:
“Drink More Water!”
But how much? 8 glasses a day? More?
Well, here’s my answer. Everyone is different and your water requirements vary daily. It depends on:
*the weather (hot vs. cold, humid vs. dry, altitude)
*how much you exercise, how hard, and how much you sweat
*what you eat (salty foods vs. foods with high water content)
*how you feel
There really is no set amount for how much every person should drink. And if there was, we’d know what it is by now.
The best rule of thumb is to check your pee.
When your pee is bright yellow, that’s the best indicator that you need to drink more water. Once your pee is clear, you’re in the clear.
Now, it’s important to stay hydrated for a number of reasons:
- Your body needs water to function properly
- Water keeps you from getting sick or feeling lousy (when you’re dehydrated you can suffer from headaches, fatigue, and dizziness)
- Water aids in weight loss because it keeps you full and because what feels like hunger or a craving might actually be your body telling you it’s dehydrated
- It helps your skin look glowy (who doesn’t love glowy skin?!?)
Cue the whines (not the wines, because alcohol dehydrates you)…
“What if I don’t like water? Does anything else count?”
Here’s the deal. Listen to your body. Some people find that caffeine-free tea or sparkling water quenches their thirst. For me, only plain water really does the trick and anything else makes me even thirstier. That’s just me. It’s up to you to know what works best for you. If your pee is clear and you’re feeling hydrated, then I think that sparkling water you just drank worked great.
And if you don’t like plain water, I have some good news for you. Lemon in your water can have a lot of great benefits. It promotes digestion, works as a detoxifier, and can help stabilize blood sugar. Click here to learn more about the benefits of drinking lemon water.
And as you saw in my previous post about the evils of soda, any version of water is better than soda. So add in fruit, mint, or cucumbers.
Now, I am an anti-bpa crusader. You’ll hear more about that soon. But in the context of water, the bpa issue means that I avoid plastic bottles whenever possible because of the chemicals that leach from the plastic into the water. I know sometimes it’s unavoidable, but for the home, instead of stocking up on plastic bottles, which are bad for you AND the environment, invest in a purifier or filtration system like Brita, Everpure, reverse osmosis, or an alkalizing system like Kangen. I’m not going to get into the ph of water right now but that’s a hot topic at the moment and I’m sure I’ll revisit that in another post. 😉
Glass bottles are great – think Voss and Perrier. And you can purchase this fave of mine, fill it, and take it to go (it’ll also give you a little workout because it’s heavy!)
So, in summary, find what works best for you. We’re all different and that means we all have different needs.
Question of the Day:
What do you need today? A massage, a nap, a vacation, a big belly laugh, a piping hot mug of Barefoot Coffee? Something else? Let’s hear it!
Health Coach Jillian 