Coursework season is among me hence my lack of posts but once these next few weeks are done, there will be blog posts a plenty. Water. I have to admit my daily water intake is very low. I just struggle to drink during the day as I'm a slow enough drinker as it is and I kinda sometimes forget to drink which is really bad! It's not just water I don't drink, its fluids in general. I buy fizzy pop very rarely and even when I'm on a night out drinking alcohol, I hardly drink any water before going out or after meaning I wake up with a sore head, a dry mouth and feeling very dehydrated in the morning which is horrific! I thought I would've learned by now but I haven't - bad habits are hard to break but I'm determined to break this one!
As a Yorkshire girl at heart, I'm a huge tea drinker which is probably where I get most of my water intake from but sometimes I only manage 2 cups a day depending on how busy I am which is around a third of what I should be drinking. Women should be drinking around 1.6L a day which equates to around 6 glasses of water per day using a 250ml glass. Men should be drinking around 2L which is around 8 glasses of water a day using a 250ml glass. Of course this varies from person to person depending on height, weight, temperature, health and activity that individual does.
I think my main problem is that the tap water up here in Newcastle tastes different to the water I have back home in Sheffield so I have to mask the taste - it is very rare for me to have water on its own up here. This is because the water in Sheffield is harder compared to that in Newcastle meaning the taste is slightly different just due to the water in Sheffield passing through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone making it harder.
When I do have water in another form to tea, I usually add a slice of lemon or lime or I use a fruit cordial with Ribena being my favourite. Of course you can have water in the form of hot chocolate and coffee too but I have these on a rare occasion. However water on its own is the healthiest way of intaking water as it of course doesn't contain any sugars or caffeine.
So what is so important about water? Water makes up around 66% of a healthy body. Most of the chemical reactions that take place in our cells need water in order to happen and our blood also needs water to help carry nutrients around the body and get rid of any waste. It helps lubricate the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out any toxins and keeps skin looking healthy. It helps purify the colon making it easier to absorb nutrients, increases the production of new blood and muscle cells and helps with weight loss.
The main problem that arises from not drinking enough water is dehydration which I have to admit I feel quite a lot especially when I wake up in the morning which means I haven't drank enough water during the previous day. Dehydration is when the normal level of water in the body is reduced which upsets the balance of minerals in the body and therefore the way the body functions. Symptoms include a lack of energy, feeling lightheaded as well as having dark coloured, strong smelling urine. I blame my lack of energy on my lack of water so this needs to change!
After research, it actually seems pretty easy to drink the recommended amount of water and there should be no excuse to not reach this target (me included). 2 glasses of water as soon as you wake up can help activate internal organs and wake you up and also increase your metabolic rate by 24% meaning it can help in weight loss. This should be easy for me to do as it takes me a good hour and a half to get ready and drinking 500ml of water in this time is definitely achievable. Also, 1 glass of water before a meal can help aid digestion and make you feel fuller quicker which is good for anyone trying to lose weight. Also having a glass of water before a shower or bath can help lower blood pressure and a glass before going to bed can help with avoiding strokes and heart attacks as well as preventing dehydration first thing in a morning. All the health benefits should be motivation enough.
This can easily be done in a regular day meaning that 6 glasses of water will be consumed per day just by sticking to these rules. 2 glasses in a morning, a glass before lunch, a glass before dinner, a glass before a shower and a glass before bed - ladies you have already reached your recommended target! I'm sure it will be easy enough for you men to sneak in another 2 extra glasses in there somewhere. And of course warm weather and any exercise will increase the number of glasses you drink.
However too much water can be just as bad as a lack of water. Too much water can lead to health problems and also death. However a huge amount of water would have to be drunk in a short space of time so don't worry about this! When a large amount of water is consumed in a small amount of time, the kidneys can't flush it out fast enough making the blood waterlogged. Due to osmosis (water moving from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration), the water moves from the blood to the cells which causes the cells to swell. Most cells do have the room to swell slightly but neurons don't. These can be found in the brain and because there is no room for swelling, brain edemas can be caused which causes water to enter the brain. This can cause seizures, coma, respiratory arrest and death but this is a very rare thing but I thought it would be a good thing to mention.
A more common condition associated with drinking too much water in a short space of time is Hyponatremia which means a low blood sodium concentration which can lead to water intoxication, vomiting, mental disorientation, diarrhoea and headache.
Its all about finding the right balance. Spacing your recommended amount of water throughout the day will keep you perfectly hydrated and will not lead to any of the conditions mentioned above.
I'm determined to drink my recommended 6 glasses of water per day using tea, lemon, lime, cordial, green tea and flavoured tea. Hopefully this will keep me hydrated and will make me feel more energetic. Of course fruit and vegetables contain some water so consuming these can contribute too.
Do you drink enough water? Do you feel dehydrated often? Do you struggle to drink your recommended amount due to a hectic lifestyle?