Every week, I set a goal of making Wednesday the day for self-care for wellness reminders. Even though I promote self-care practices everyday, it is easy to forget and neglect aspects of our wellness. Making it a point to “celebrate” it at least one day a week, ensures you get a minimal amount of wellness therapy.
This week, the wellness reminder is to drink water!
As you may know, nearly all of our body’s major systems depend on water to function and survive. No wonder! Water makes up about 60% of our body weight, so of course, staying hydrated is very important.
Here are just some of the ways water works for your body:
- Regulates body temperature
- Dissolves minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body
- Lessens burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
- Lubricates joints
- Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
- Moistens tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth
- Protects body organs and tissues
How much water should we drink?
Adequate hydration varies from person to person. Every day, we lose 8 to 12 cups of water through breathing, perspiring, and urine and bowel movements. In general, men need at least 12 cups of fluid daily, while women require a minimum of 9 cups.
Factors that increase our fluid needs include exercise, hot weather, high altitude, a high-fiber diet, and increased losses from caffeine and alcohol intake.
That’s why it’s important to replenish our water supply with beverages and food that contain water all day – even on the go. While most of your fluid needs can be met simply by drinking water, beverages such as soups, milk, 100% fruit juice and decaffeinated teas are an option.
What makes a good water bottle?
The amount of water we should drink varies depending on our activity level, health conditions, height and weight, gender, and other factors. As a general guideline;
- It’s recommended that men drink 13 cups (about 3 liters) of water each day.
- Women are recommended to drink 9 cups (just over 2 liters) of water each day. (Pregnant women should drink 10 cups of water daily, and breastfeeding women should drink 12 cups.)
- Kids and teens should drink 6 to 8 cups of water a day. Again, this all depends on activity level, age, weight, etc.
Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.
W. H. Aude
