The human body is made up largely of water, up to 60% in an adult. Your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your kidneys and even your bones need some quantity of water to fulfill their role optimally. Water supplies cells from your body with nutrients, evacuates waste, bacteria and toxins, regulates your body temperature in particular through perspiration, lubricates your joints, absorbs shock and provides many other services essential to your survival.
When the body lacks water, we are talking about dehydration. Dehydration can be mild and can be quickly remedied by drinking water, or severe and, in this case, it can cause irreparable damage or even death.
Signs that you are not drinking enough water regularly
It is possible that you are not drinking enough water regularly, because you do not feel the sensation of thirst, for example. This commonly occurs in older people. We then talk about dehydration. Here are some signs that should alert you:
- Fatigue and loss of energy: your blood circulation deteriorates when you are dehydrated, and your body no longer has enough oxygen. Drowsiness and fatigue are the effects of lack of oxygen in the blood.
- Excessive thirst: It seems obvious, but it’s easy to get distracted and then find yourself at the end of the day, or the next day, with a feeling of thirst so strong that a dam wouldn’t be enough to quench it. Remember to hydrate yourself regularly and avoid excessive thirst.
- Dry mouth: This is a good way to know that you need to pour yourself a nice glass of water and drink it. If you often have a pasty mouth, you need to think about hydrating yourself better.
- Loss of weight and muscle mass: your muscles are largely made up of water. Deprived of water, your muscle mass decreases, leading to overall weight loss. It is therefore essential for an athlete to hydrate well if he wants to gain strength and muscle mass.
- Less frequent pee breaks: Are your visits to the toilet to urinate rare? It is very possible that you are not drinking enough water. A normal person can go to the toilet up to six times to urinate during the day, and once or twice during the night.
- Dry and rough skin: It shows on your face and on your skin. Dry skin that loses its elasticity is a sign of dehydration. Try pinching yourself and seeing if your skin returns quickly. If not, drinking more water will do you good.
- Constipation : your digestion is also disrupted when you don’t drink enough water. Beware of indigestion and constipation which are also signs of dehydration!
How many glasses of water per day
Every day a human being must absorb a certain amount of water, if he wants to continue to…simply live. Know that you cannot survive more than a few days, or a few weeks in very favorable conditions, without drinking water.
But how much water should you drink each day to stay healthy? The answer to this question is not as simple as you might think because it depends on several factors such as age, gender, physical activity, air conditioning, etc.
Under normal conditions, and knowing that certain foods we consume, such as fruits, also contain water, It is recommended to drink four to six glasses of water per day. Each glass contains between 200 and 250 ml of water, which makes a total of between one liter and 1.5 liters of water per day. These are recommendations from a scientific letter from Harvard University.
In general, adults are therefore recommended to drink approximately 1.5 liters of water per day. This amount can be increased in case of high heat or if you exercise a lot. Pregnant or breastfeeding women need to drink a little more water.
Note that the water contained in the foods and drinks we consume daily represents approximately 20% of our daily water intake. This means you don’t need to drink 1.5 liters of pure water per day to stay hydrated.
How to hydrate well every day
The most obvious solution that comes to mind for staying hydrated is to drink tap water or bottled water. But you can also count the fruits and vegetables you eat each day as a source of hydration.
Citrus fruits, cucumbers and tomatoes, for example, are very rich in water. It’s important to drink regularly throughout the day rather than drinking it all in one go. Your body needs water throughout the day to function properly. If you wait until you’re thirsty to drink, that means you’re already (a little) dehydrated.
There are several ways to make sure you drink enough water every day. For example, you can always have a bottle of water on hand and sip it throughout the day. You can also invest in a water filter or a filter jug to have healthier water within reach! By following these tips, you can easily ensure that you drink enough water every day to stay healthy!
Video: 1 or 2 liters of water per day?
It is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to stay healthy (the equivalent of 1 to 1.5 liters). However, this amount may vary depending on your physical activity, climate and food and drink consumption.
Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in and your body is not able to compensate for the loss. The effects of dehydration can include headaches, fatigue, decreased urine production, and decreased sweating.
Warning signs of dehydration may include excessive thirst, a dry or tingling feeling in the mouth, red or irritated eyes, dry or irritated skin, weakness, dizziness or headache.
Dehydration can be caused by excessive water loss through sweat, sweat, vomit, stools, or urination. It can also be caused by decreased water intake due to insufficient water consumption or prolonged exposure to hot or arid conditions.
To prevent dehydration, it is important to drink enough water throughout the day. It’s also important to limit your intake of foods and drinks that can lead to dehydration, such as strong alcohol, caffeine, and concentrated fruit juices.