How much Water should I drink?

How much Water should I drink?

How much water should I drink daily? I think this is the most common question and mostly people don't know the exact answer of this question but today we are going to answer it.

Millions of people all over the globe ask themselves these questions and they refer purely to water there are different opinions on the matter some specialists encourage you to drink no fewer than 8 glasses or half a gallon of water a day and others are sure that you need to drink constantly and as much as your body can accommodate. Some people claim that you need to drink only the amount of water that your body demands.That's a bit confusing, isn't it ?

So which path should you follow ?

How much water is there in your body?

The human body is 55% to 75% water. When you are born your body is comprised of 75% water, as you grow older and become an adult this number becomes a bit smaller that is 60% as for seniors their bodies are about 50% water.

Where does all this water hide?

One third of it can be found in your blood and between yourselves and two thirds of it fills your cells. It's interesting that the more muscle a person has, the more water their body contains. Overweight people have a smaller percentage of water because fat tissue contains a smaller amount of water.

On top of that men have a higher percentage of water in their body than women. Some of your organs need more water than others.Many studies have concluded that the human brain and heart are composed of 73% water. The lungs are approximately 83% water. Your skin isn't too dry as it seems either it's composed of 64% water as for your kidneys and muscles they can be as much as 79 percent water. Even your bones are 31% water.

It seems that you have enough water inside you to live without consuming any more for days on end just like camels. So the answer is No. Don't make such a big mistake. You don't have this water to keep forever. You lose impressive volumes of liquid every day, mostly by sweating and urinating. And if you don't replenish your water, this may lead to severe dehydration.

So the next question is, How much water is optimal for you to stay healthy ?

The volume of water you should drink is much more individualized. For example Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to drink more water. Children require less water than adults  So Here we go... We've approached the touchy question of how much water people need to drink The Institute of Medicine recommends that -

• Women should drink no less than 72 ounces of water a day which equals nine cups.

• As for men, they need more water, 104 ounces or 13 cups is ideal for men.  

• A child which is 4 years old needs to drink 40 ounces or 5 cups of water daily. 

• Children from 9 to 13 should have 56 to 64 ounces or 7 to 8 cups of water. 

• 14 to 18 year olds need 64 to 88 ounces or 8 to 11 cups of water every day. 

• Men older than 19 should drink 104 ounces or 13 cups of water every day.

• For women 72 ounces or 9 cups is enough. 

• If a woman is pregnant she needs no less than 80 ounces or 10 cups of water a day.

• Breastfeeding women should drink even more that is around 104 ounces or 13 cups of water.

These numbers don't mean that you have to make yourself gulp down. These amounts refer to your overall daily water intake, this means that anything containing water counts. For example vegetables and fruits, such products as spinach, cucumbers, watermelon, berries, green peppers, radishes, celery and cauliflower have a high water content. At the same time try to avoid soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and beer. Besides containing water they also have an impressive amount of empty calories. There are also some cases where you need to drink more water than other people. For example if you exercise, drink 2 cups of water more than usual. If your workout lasts longer than one hour you should add even more to your daily water intake. The same goes if you live in a hot climate or at an elevation higher than 8000 feet and if you're suffering from diarrhea fever or vomiting you should also drink additional water.

You should also know What will happen if you drink enough water?

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The numerous processes that happen in your body throughout the day can't work well without water.

• Your body's temperature won't stay at normal levels as a result of less water intake.
• Problems related to joint lubrication will start. 
• Proper elimination of waste like urine and sweat would not be possible.
• Even your spine will end up being unprotected. 
• Brain's functionality will also become poor and body's energy levels will also decrease.
• Even if you have mild dehydration you will lose 1 to 3 percent of your body weight, which can be caused by heat or hard exercise. 
• Your body may lose more water than usual. When you sweat too much, suffer from a fever or diarrhea, pee a lot or vomit, well it seems obvious that if you lose water you have to replace it with new water. 

However always remembering to drink water is not so easy when you don't have a habit to drink a lot of water. Sometimes you're just too busy and don't remember to drink enough. In other situations, drinking hurts your throat or stomach and you're unwilling to endure extra pain and from time to time your body just doesn't inform you that you're thirsty and you don't realize it until it's too late. Therefore if you feel thirsty, your mouth is dry and sticky, you are suffering from a headache or muscle cramps, your skin is dry and cool or your pee has a dark yellow color, run and drink that glass of water you've forgotten about !

Why does your body need water ?

As we all know that our body needs water to survive but how many of us know in detail " WHY". So here is the answer.

Your body will simply stop functioning without water. Every single cell needs this liquid to work and live.

1. Water forms saliva in your mouth.
2. Water helps to deliver oxygen throughout your body. 
3. It regulates your body's temperature. 
4. It helps to produce neurotransmitters and hormones.
5. It cushions your spinal cord and brain. 
6. It assists food as it passes through your intestines.
7. It lubricates your joints.
8. It can help you lose weight,isn't it a cool fact  ?  
9. If you drink 2 cups of water you temporarily boost your metabolism by up to 30%.

And if you have 6 to 8 ounces of water daily your energy expenditure becomes 96 calories a day higher. Can you drink too much water ? On the other hand it's important not to get over enthusiastic about the benefits water has. Don't follow the rule of the more the better this can be just as dangerous for your health as dehydration. Too much water in your body dilutes electrolytes in the blood as a result sodium levels go down this condition is called hyponatremia. It can lead to low energy levels, headaches, weakness, irritability, muscle spasms, nausea, confusion and even a coma.

 

How can you drink more water ? 

Most people find it pretty difficult to remember to drink enough water over the course of a day. Here is a tips on how to effortlessly make yourself consume more water employ modern technology.

Nowadays there are different apps that help you keep tabs on how much water you've already consumed. What's even better is that they remind you.to drink more by a cool water bottle and carry it with you everywhere you go.

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