Why Is It So Important To Drink Water?

If you are like most people, you drink water when you think of it, but there are probably several days each week when you are busy at work, and your mind doesn’t register the fact that you’ve gone most of the day without having more than a few sips. 

Water is super important for good health and, really, it helps with everything. Since about 60% of the human body is actually water, it needs to maintain hydration levels to fuel cells and keep the brain and body organs functioning properly.

A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report indicates that water has many important jobs, such as:

• Carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
• Flushing bacteria from your bladder
• Aiding digestion
• Preventing constipation
• Normalizing blood pressure
• Cushioning joints
• Protecting organs and tissues
• Regulating body temperature
• Maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance

Giving your body enough fluids to carry out those tasks means that you’re staying hydrated. If you don’t drink enough water each day, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, confusion, or urine that’s dark in color.

A study conducted by the Journal of Human Nutrition documented that participants who drank the most plain water in their daily diet consumed fewer total calories, drank fewer sweetened beverages, and took in less total fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol. In fact, they discovered that increasing plain water consumption by one to three cups a day could decrease calorie intake by 68 to 205 calories a day. That could add up to a lot fewer calories over time and result in significant weight loss.

These results support prior research on this topic, which have shown that drinking water before meals, and that substituting water for sweetened beverages, can cut down on calorie intake and improve weight control. That means people interested in losing weight and improving their overall health could benefit from incorporating more plain water into their daily routine.

How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?

Depending on your unique body size, the amount of water your body requires will vary greatly.  A good rule of thumb to follow is to drink half of your body weight in fluid ounces/liters.

• For example, if your body weight is 150 pounds / 68 kilograms, then you need to drink approximately 75 ounces / 2.2 liters of water per day.

The Amount of Water You’ll Drink Depends On:

• Your level of activity (how much you sweat)

• How much caffeine or alcohol you drink daily

Both caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating, so be sure you go “1-for-1”

• The temperature where you live. 

If you live in a region that typically gets super high temperatures you might even need more water!

You Can Tell That You’re Drinking Enough Water When:

• Urine is on the light side and is abundant

However, if the urine is dark and there’s not much of it, then you’re likely not drinking enough water

• You have to empty your bladder about every two or three hours

When you first start to increase water consumption, you WILL need to go to the bathroom more often than you’re used to, but after a few days your body will adjust. If you’re going constantly, you could be drinking too much water

How To Drink Water When You Don’t Like the Taste of Water:

• Add mint leaves or slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, or orange to water

• Heat water and drink with lemon

Bonus “How-To” Tips For Water:

• Drink 20 ounces / 0.5 liters (1-2 glasses) of water first thing in the morning

You’ve been asleep for 6 to 10 hours, so it’s time to hydrate!

Rehydrating the body and brain will lead to clearer thinking and better energy

• Keep a lovely pitcher of filtered water in your fridge at home or near your workspace containing the amount of water you want to drink each day. This makes it easy to remember to drink water and to track your intake.

• Drink 8 ounces / 0.2 liters of water before exercise

• Sip water slowly and at intervals during exercise

• Bottles, bottles everywhere! Keep glass bottles of water in your car, at the office, or around your work

areas…convenience is key!