Why is water intake important?
Well, we can’t survive without it! Our body is around 45-60% water (depends from the sex and age) and it needs the water so it can function normally.
Water has many roles and I’m going to list some of them.
- Regulates body temperature
- Transports oxygen and nutrient to the cells, tissues and organs
- Dissolves nutrients and helps the digestion
- Improves brain function
- Removes waste from the body
Except for thirst, what are the signs of dehydration?
- Tiredness and exhaustion
- Low energy
- Dark urine
- Dry lips, mouth and skin
- Headache
- Nausea
- Bad digestion
- Slowed weight loss
- Sometimes even hunger
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Kidney failure
Keep in mind that you lose water through urine, stool, breathing, sweat, tears. If it’s summer and really hot, you lose it more, or during exercise. Also, if you are ill and vomiting a lot or if you have a diarrhoea.
The next important thing you should remember is that it is possible to drink way too much water. To prevent this from happening, remember to check the colour of your urine. It isn’t supposed to be completely clear! It should be pale yellow.
You get bored of drinking just plain water throughout the day. What to do?
You could drink a few glasses of water just as it is, but the rest could be through tea, milk, fresh juices, solid foods, soups.
You could always add a bit of lemon to your water, also, some other fresh or frozen fruits and veggies (cucumber, strawberries, pineapple...), ginger, cinnamon, mint, basil, rosemary, etc.
How much water should you drink during the day?
It depends from your daily activities, age, sex, health. You could use this formula: your weight in kilos multiplied with 0.033, equals the number of litres you should drink, though I recommend that you listen to your body and track your urine colour.