IO – All of us know that water is very essential to our general health. But are you consuming the right amount of water? Have you ever suspected that some of your health issues are linked to dehydration or perhaps over-hydration? Getting the right amount of daily water intake is highly essential, because your body needs this to function properly.
For a long time, we believed our ancestors advised us that we needed to drink eight glasses of water each day. But, this idea does not have any basis in medical evidence. Professionals can only suggest that all of us should drink the right amount of water for his or her body weight, physical activity, and according to the weather. So, how much is a correct amount if it is not eight glasses per day?
The medical answer that most healthcare professionals and specialists agree on comes from the IoM (Institute of Medicine), an independent, non-profit scientific organization, and they recommend 2.7 liters of water per day for grownup women and a figure of 3.7 liters for grownup men. This is generally applicable to adults who have moderately good health and live a sedentary lifestyle in a temperate zone. However, there are instances in which you may want to drink extra water. For instance, if you are in warm weather or participate in demanding physical activity. In line with the American University of Sports Medicine, you have to aim to add 12 oz of water for your daily intake for every 30 minutes of demanding physical activity.
The human body has many essential functions to perform and needs water to do most of them. As an example, your blood needs to carry oxygen to all of the cells in your body but it will be most effective when your body has enough water intake, because if you aren’t consuming the right amount of water, then you are either dehydrated or possibly over-hydrated. You might have experienced signs and symptoms of consuming too little water. Symptoms of dehydration include dry mouth, the colour of your urine is darkish, you experience dizziness or have headaches, or you typically feel tired or lethargic.
But, dehydration is not the only concern you should have because consuming too much water is also not good for your body. However, over-hydration or hyponatremia is generally caused by the over-intake of water in a short amount of time. This could cause water intoxication and early symptoms of water intoxication can seem like the symptoms of exhaustion and heatstroke, such as you feel nausea, you vomit, and you experience diarrhea.
In case you are not consuming a sufficient amount of water, then you can remedy this by ascertaining what your correct daily water intake is and consuming up to that amount. Here are some brief thoughts to get more water into your diet; infuse your water with fruits and herbs to sweeten the flavour in case you like the sweet taste in your mouth, get a water monitoring app to help you maintain your water consumption, and consume hydrating fruits like cucumbers, watermelon and strawberries, which consist of over 90% water.
Now that you have an idea of how much water you have to drink in a day according to scientists, it is time to adjust your water intake accordingly. While reading this article, you will possibly have determined that you need to drink less water of you think that you have always consume too much water. But, if you have discovered that you need to consume more water but do not feel the “taste”, then you could correct that simply with the help of infused water to make you feel “motivated” to drink more. Getting the proper amount of day-by-day hydration in your weight loss plan will not just restore your fitness but also your well-being. (Annissa Munaf)