Today I read a couple of pages in a nutrition book and was astonished by how sometimes the simplest of things are the ones that are the hardest to grasp.
We all know that we have to drink plenty of water in order to function properly. But how much is plenty and what happens if we don’t drink enough?
First of all, plenty depends on you, means your body composition, activity level and the climate you life in. If you are an active person in a very humid climate, you need to drink more than a sedentary person in a cold climate. Your body sees water as a nutrition that it needs.
Water helps to maintain your body fluids because it is composed of about 60% water. If you lose a lot of water during exercise, for example, your brain triggers your body’s thirst mechanism. That’s when you should definitely listen to your body and drink some water. If you have a fluid deficit of only 1-2% of your body weight, it can cause a decline in alertness and the ability to concentrate. It also makes you tired and you are likely to get a headache.
Water can also help you control your calories. Most often when you think you are hungry, in reality you are thirsty and after drinking a glass of water, your hunger might be gone.
While you can live maybe weeks without food, you can only survive a few days without water.
How much water should you drink? The saying is between 2-3 liters per day. If you are pregnant, you need to drink 1-2 glasses of water more. If you are exercising, drink 8oz of water every 15 min. Take a bottle of water wherever you go and stay hydrated. Believe me your body and your skin will thank you.
So drink up and keep on sweating with a bit of glitter.
