Let me say this right at the beginning. One should not over-drink. That is as problematic as under-drinking. Thus, we are talking about an OPTIMAL quantity of water to drink. In this post, I am going to talk about drinking water and other fluids in the right amount.
It is obvious that we cannot survive indefinitely without water. What is not obvious, however, is that one should drink an optimal quantity of water. What constitutes an optimal quantity is a matter of debate, but it seems that we have arrived at a consensus. We should all drink at least 6-8 8-ounce glasses of water or other acceptable fluids every day.
This simple 8X8 rule is quite useful and makes it easy to remember. What are the other fluids we can drink instead of water? Well, we can have one glass of a fruit juice or smoothie, one or two glasses of tea or coffee or low-fat milk, and the rest as plain water. Sparkling water is acceptable if you don't enjoy the taste of plain water. Drinking more than one helping of fruit juice or smoothie is not advisable as these often contain a lot more sugar than is healthy for us to have, and also lack in fibre - something we should try and get from fresh fruit and vegetables.
To reach the optimum of 5 helpings of fruit or vegetable, we should count our juice or smoothie as ONE helping, regardless of how much we actually drink; the remaining 4 helpings should be in the form of fresh and raw fruit and vegetables. In fact, there is new thinking on this issue and the newest recommendations in the U.K. suggest that we should be having TEN, not five, helpings of fruit and vegetables.
I have come across some articles that say men should have MORE water than females. I could not understand why, unless we are stereotyping males to be bigger than females. According to those recommendations, females can get by with the usual 6-8 glasses of water. Men, on the other hand, need 10-12 glasses.
We should remember that if we reside in hot, dry regions of the world, it is even more important to keep ourselves properly hydrated with frequent drinks of water or other liquids.
What drinks are not advisable: Carbonated beverages - because they are very rich in sugar; sweetened juices - for the same reason; full fat milk - because they are rich in calories; excess of tea or coffee - as they are rich in caffeine; and energy drinks and sports drinks - again, because they contain a lot of sugar, and the energy drinks are rich in caffeine as well.
Why not drink an excess of water? This is because an excess is not physiological, and may lead to what is called water intoxication, a potentially lethal condition of dilution of blood and all our body fluids, causing electrolyte imbalances and irreversible brain damage that can kill us.
To summarise:
It is obvious that we cannot survive indefinitely without water. What is not obvious, however, is that one should drink an optimal quantity of water. What constitutes an optimal quantity is a matter of debate, but it seems that we have arrived at a consensus. We should all drink at least 6-8 8-ounce glasses of water or other acceptable fluids every day.
This simple 8X8 rule is quite useful and makes it easy to remember. What are the other fluids we can drink instead of water? Well, we can have one glass of a fruit juice or smoothie, one or two glasses of tea or coffee or low-fat milk, and the rest as plain water. Sparkling water is acceptable if you don't enjoy the taste of plain water. Drinking more than one helping of fruit juice or smoothie is not advisable as these often contain a lot more sugar than is healthy for us to have, and also lack in fibre - something we should try and get from fresh fruit and vegetables.
To reach the optimum of 5 helpings of fruit or vegetable, we should count our juice or smoothie as ONE helping, regardless of how much we actually drink; the remaining 4 helpings should be in the form of fresh and raw fruit and vegetables. In fact, there is new thinking on this issue and the newest recommendations in the U.K. suggest that we should be having TEN, not five, helpings of fruit and vegetables.
I have come across some articles that say men should have MORE water than females. I could not understand why, unless we are stereotyping males to be bigger than females. According to those recommendations, females can get by with the usual 6-8 glasses of water. Men, on the other hand, need 10-12 glasses.
We should remember that if we reside in hot, dry regions of the world, it is even more important to keep ourselves properly hydrated with frequent drinks of water or other liquids.
What drinks are not advisable: Carbonated beverages - because they are very rich in sugar; sweetened juices - for the same reason; full fat milk - because they are rich in calories; excess of tea or coffee - as they are rich in caffeine; and energy drinks and sports drinks - again, because they contain a lot of sugar, and the energy drinks are rich in caffeine as well.
Why not drink an excess of water? This is because an excess is not physiological, and may lead to what is called water intoxication, a potentially lethal condition of dilution of blood and all our body fluids, causing electrolyte imbalances and irreversible brain damage that can kill us.
To summarise:
- Drink at least 6-8 glasses of fluids, water being the best.
- Restrict the intake of fresh fruit juices to about 1 glass of 150 ml per day.
- Drink more if you are thirsty.
- Drink more if you sweat a lot, e.g. in a hot environment.
- Substitutes like tea, coffee, low-calorie milk, dilute yogurt, smoothie, fruit juice or sparkling water are acceptable within limits.
- A well-hydrated body means more energy, a younger-looking skin and radiance that will stand by you all the time.
Thanks for reading. Do write your comments below.
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