HEALTH : staying hydrated | do you drink enough ?

me and david drink a lot. at least i think we do.

i panic a bit whenever i see people on the tube, in the cinema, or at dinner parties and picnics, eating tons of salty food without washing it down with water.

i’ve always been a thirsty person. it’s been my habit to drink a lot throughout the day since i was a kid. i hate that dry, uncomfortable feeling in my mouth, the headaches and loss of energy… nope dehydration is not for me.

so since i’m so convinced of the health benefits of staying hydrated, and i believe myself to always have been a heavy water drinker, i decided to put myself to the test – how much do i drink in a day, and how much water do we really need ?

here’s my drink journal for a day
morning when i wake up : 1 glass of water
breakfast : 1 glass of water
late morning : 1 cup of black tea
lunch : 1 glass of water
after lunch : 1 cup of green tea + a glass of water next to me as i work
late afternoon : 1 cup of green tea
dinner : 2 glasses of water
evening : 1 cup of green tea
beditime : a glass of water on the bedside table in case i get thirsty during the night, which i will finish as i wake the next morning

i believe this is a fairly common day for me. all in all it’s about 5-6 glasses of water + 3-4 cups of tea daily. if we roughly estimate each glass / cup to be about 250-300 ml / 1-1.25 cups, that makes it somewhere in between 2 – 3 litres / 0.5 – 0.8 gallons of water daily.

then of course i add plant milk to my porridge and water to my smoothie bowls etc, but let’s not count that as drinks.
so how does this measure up with the guidelines ? is the usual 8 glasses a day recommendation still standing ?

i don’t know yet, hang on a second while i look it up.

ok so unsurprisingly everyone is saying different things. but seems like most guidelines agree that adults should consume at least 30 ml / kg per day, or about 1.5-2 litres per day ( but up to twice as much in hot climates or if working out ).
so seems like i’m on the safe side, how about you ?

since the amount of water you need varies a lot with your environment and activity, one good way to check if you drink enough is to have a look at your pee. if your pee is pale yellow and you go to the toilet quite a few times in the day, then you should be fine. if it’s dark yellow and a bit smelly, go get a drink.

however, just want to add something here – i don’t believe it’s healthy to force yourself to drink more. it can be damaging to your bladder and kidneys to drink to much at once. go slow, and drink continuously throughout the day, rather than gulping it down in one sitting.

we should always create healthy habits in an unforceful, pleasant way. if you feel like you should drink more, than why not just make sure to always have water by your side to sip on ? instead of changing too fast, listen to your body and only drink as much as your body is comfortable with. and all of a sudden you’ve smoothly made it into a habit, being able to enjoy the many benefits of not walking around constantly being slightly dehydrated.

some of those benefits are beeing more focussed, less tired, more regular ( yes i mean pooping more ), helping your body to get rid of toxins, optimising nutrient-absorption, oxygen transportation and temperature regulation, helping the immune system, and having gorgeous skin and hair. not too bad just from sipping some water right ?

love // jenny

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and check out my what i eat in a day videos for more nutrition diaries.