60% of adult human body consists of water. And nearly all our body systems depend on water to properly function. Water is essential component for staying healthy.
Here are just some of the functions and benefits of water:
Improvement of the functioning of the brain
Prevention of diseases of the kidneys, and cardiovascular systems
Better intestinal peristalsis
Prevention and treatment of headaches
Improvement of skin tone
Regulates body temperature
Protects body organs and tissues
Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
Dissolves minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body
So how much of water do we actually need?
Our bodies need about 2-2.5 liters of water daily. This includes the water we receive through food. Keep reading to learn how to calculate your ideal water intake!
The average recommended daily minimum of just water is 1 liter or 4 cups for women and 1.5 liters or 6 cups for men. However, we are all unique individuals with uniques bodies, so it's better to listen to your body and to check your urine!
Below is the visual representation of urine color:
From left to right: 1,2- good; 3-normal; 4,5-dehydrated; 6,7- severally dehydrated.
Best time to check is when using the bathroom first thing in the morning.
Keep in mind, that vegetables, fruits, berries, greens contain a lot of water. For example, grapefruit and broccoli have 91% water in them, watermelon and belle peppers have 92%, tomatoes- 94%, and celery has 95% water. If you eat a lot of these foods, you don't need to drink a lot.
The ideal liquid intake (including water we receive through food) is 30-50ml per every kilogram of weight.
Who and when needs more water:
kids,
elderly people,
althetes,
in sauna,
during exercising,
in hot summer heat
So now that we are clear on why and much water we need, time to get to the most important part. The kind of water we drink also matter!
The best kind of water is filtered water.
If you still drinking tap water, please take a look at this website, search by your zip code and check what kind of poison is in your tap water. There are millions of great filtration systems out there. I personally prefer AquaTru - Countertop Water Filtration Purification System with Exclusive 4-Stage Ultra Reverse Osmosis Technology and have been using it for years now and would recommend 10 out of 5.
During prolonged exercising, you want to replenish your electrolytes. There is a very simple hack to add some electrolytes to your water- a splash sea salt, or citrus, like lemon or lime juice.
I am not a big fan of sports drinks mainly because of their high sugar content, and I personally stay away from all the newest craze of sparkling waters, especially the flavored kind. Natural flavors is just another term for MSG, and there is nothing natural about them.
If you want to enjoy a fun beverage, make a fruit-infused water!
My favorite is basil+strawberry+lime combination. Just add few cut up strawberries, few leaves of basil, and a splash of lime to your water pitcher and let sit for 3 hours to infuse. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Another fun combo is cucumber+mint, or raspberry+rosemary! Make sure to crush the herbs to release the flavor before adding them to the water!
And my favorite way to stay hydrated in the summer is Watermelon Crush. Blend watermelon (save the green rinds to juice later- they are full of nutrients!), juice of 1 lime, few mint leaves, and a pinch of sea salt. Optionally add some strawberries or ginger! Strain and enjoy! Take it even a step further and freeze in ice pop molds (or paper cups) and enjoy a healthy and delish popsicle!
