How Much Water Should I Drink?

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Summer is here. Temperatures are rising. And our favorite beverage is water. How much water should you drink?

The human body is roughly 70% water, so naturally ensuring adequate hydration is the key to maintaining good health. While you can easily buy water purifier online at the click of a button, unless you drink enough, you won’t get the health benefits. Before looking at how much water to drink, let’s see its health benefits.

Health benefits of water

We depend on water to survive. Our cells, tissues and organs need water to function properly. When we don’t drink enough, it leads to dehydration, a condition where there isn’t enough water in the body to help it carry out its normal functions. It also makes you feel tired and drains your energy. Some of the health benefits of water are:

• It helps eliminate waste via breathing, urination, sweating and bowel movements
• Maintains normal temperature in the body
• Keeps the joins lubricated and cushioned
• Protects sensitive tissues

Did you know that drinking water also benefits your eyes because your eyes are surrounded by fluid? This protects your eye and is essential because it will wash away debris keeping your eyes clean and clear. This happens each time you blink. If you don’t drink enough water, your eyes will feel dry and sting. Of course, if you are already drinking plenty of water and have an issue with your eyes, then you might need glasses from a reputable store like Eyeglasses.com

So how much water should you drink?

There is no perfect number when it comes to drinking water. Each person has a different body composition and needs and therefore, water requirements vary. A normal healthy person can ensure staying hydrated by drinking water and other fluids when they are thirsty. While some people need less than eight glasses a day, others may need more depending on their health, body weight, activity level.

The amount of water required in the body is also heavily dependent upon the height and weight of a person as well as activity levels. Doctors recommend an ounce of water per pound of your weight. While this measure acts as the baseline, you can increase or decrease your water intake based on the following factors.

Environment

How much water you need depends on where you live. If the weather is hot and humid, you would naturally require more water as you would sweat more. On the contrary, you will require less water if you live in areas with a cold climate as you would sweat less. What about those living in high altitude areas? They experience increased water loss due to rapid breathing and increased urination and are at risk for dehydration.

Activity Levels

Physical activity causes excessive sweating which ultimately leads to water loss. Hence, you should raise your fluid intake accordingly to make up for fluid loss. If you exercise regularly, it is important to ensure that you drink adequate water before, during and after your workout. In fact, those who have an intense exercise regimen should replace minerals lost through sweat with a sports drink.

Illness

If you have an illness which causes fever, diarrhea or vomiting, you must increase your fluid intake drastically in order to prevent dehydration. Other health conditions such as urinary tract infection, bladder stones and gout also call for a high amount of water intake.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding mothers may need an additional 2-4 liters of water apart from the regular intake. This is because lactation results in increased water loss from the body, which has to be replaced regularly.

By the way, it is also important to remember that besides water and other liquids, we meet our fluid needs also via what we eat. Fruits and vegetables contribute to our water requirements. Then there are beverages such as milk, juice, tea, coffee, soda, etc. However, water is the best as it has zero calories and easily available. Sports drinks are best used only with intense workouts that exceed an hour as they replenish electrolytes lost from sweating and provides energy.

How can you tell you are properly hydrated?

You are drinking enough fluids when:

• You don’t feel thirsty often
• Your urine is a pale yellow or colorless

Prevent dehydration by drinking water:

• Between meals
• Before, during and after exercise
• When you feel hungry as we tend to mistake thirst for hunger

Now that you have an idea of much water to drink, make sure that the water you consume is adequately purified. Even if the water contains only a little amount of contaminants, it will eventually reach higher concentrations in your body as you drink more water over time. So make sure you have a RO water purifier as it gives you the best quality drinking water without disturbing its mineral composition. It is a great idea to shop for the best water purifier online, there is plenty of choice and you can compare features and costs before you decide to buy.

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