Question:
What one thing in your diet will keep your skin glowing, your organs functioning properly, your energy levels high and brain function strong?
You guessed it:
Water.
(Did the title of the article give it away?)
A few more things that water helps with:
From Visual.ly
How much water should I drink a day?
That’s a complicated question and despite what you may have heard, drinking 8 8oz glasses of water a day doesn’t have any science behind it.
But it is a nice round number, easy to remember and a great place to start.
The water we get from foods and other drinks all counts as well, so if you’re getting a lot of water from foods (like watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini or eggs) you may not need to drink as much.
So what is the answer?
Trust your body and when you feel thirsty, drink water.
Then, check your urine: if it’s clear or very lightly colored, you’re doing ok.
If it’s dark, drink some more.
There are circumstances where you may have to remind yourself to drink a little more:
- When it’s really hot outside or you find yourself sweating a lot.
- If you’re at a higher altitude or in a very dry climate.
- Elderly people tend to lose their thirst mechanism to varying degrees, so they need to be more conscious about water intake.
- If you are sick- especially if you find yourself vomiting or having diarrhea- you run the risk of becoming dehydrated.
- Women who are breastfeeding need to drink more.