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We need to talk.
We have a big problem. (The “we” here being those of us in the developed world, for the most part.)
So many of us live in a constant state of searching for health. We feel overwhelmingly tired and achy. We have brain fog and blotchy skin. We have weight issues. We shell out big cash for supplements and shakes and gyms. All to little (or no) benefit.
We feel so crappy (for lack of a better word) that it’s almost impossible for us to believe that relief could be easy.
Don’t hold the sensational title of this post against me… But let’s talk about water.
Why are we ignoring water?
This is speculation here, but I think we overlook water for a number of reasons:
- We THINK we are getting enough – but we don’t really know what enough is. (That’s probably our biggest mistake. None of us are ignoring our health on purpose, right?)
- We underestimate the benefits of drinking water because we’ve never taken the time to really learn what water means to our bodies.
- It’s so readily available to us that we don’t consider it a miracle drink.
- We don’t like water… because we have programmed our bodies to like tea, coffee, pop, juice and everything BUT water.
- We are a little lazy, we think it’s hard, and we don’t want to bother drinking it.
Are you getting enough water?
If you automatically assume you’re drinking enough water, without being intentional about how much you drink, then you probably aren’t.
Counting coffee (or tea or juice) as a good water replacement, because it’s made with water, is also a huge mistake! Yes, our bodies will extract the water from those things – if you were stranded on a dessert island, those things would keep you alive.
But your goal shouldn’t be “stay alive” while surrounded by accessible water. Your goal should be “feel great”. The extra burden we put on or bodies, of processing coffee, tea, juice and especially pop, takes away from some of the amazing benefits you could be seeing if you drank plain water instead.
If you feel great all the time, have lots of energy, are rarely thirsty, and pee often – very light colored or clear pee – then you might actually be getting enough water.
If you are tired, have headaches, digestive issues, muscle aches and pains, trouble sleeping, or dull / dry skin, you probably aren’t getting enough. Water should be the first thing you turn to for health improvement.
Find your bare minimum water intake by dividing your weight (in pounds) in two and THAT is how many ounces of water you should be taking in daily (minimum). So a 160 lb person actually needs 80 ounces of water, which would be TEN 8 oz glasses of water in the day.
If you are very physically active or breastfeeding you will need MORE water.
It really is a miracle drink – the benefits of drinking water
When I was in high school (so…. some years ago, I guess) I read a book – You Are Not Sick, You’re Thirsty, and it really opened my eyes to the benefits of water. It’s a freaking fascinating read!
The author (an MD) claims chronic dehydration – our general state in North America, by the way – can cause asthma, allergies, arthritis, hypertension, depression, headaches, diabetes, obesity, and MS among heaps of other nasty stuff.
So I was really fortunate to get into the water drinking habit young. I can honestly say that I feel good most of the time. I am not generally tired, I have good skin, I don’t battle my weight. (I didn’t really realize how rare of a thing this was!)
(There are other factors to this too; I try to keep my sugar intake down, I do cardio regularly, and I try to eat whole foods and take good quality supplements. But I am still firmly convinced that water is the foundation for the health of my body.)
When I don’t drink water during the day, I feel crappy that evening. My body is addicted to water! (Well, it’s addicted to knowing what our bodies are supposed to feel like.)
Every “water drinking article” out there goes into great depth about the health benefits of water – so I thought rather than hash them all out again, I’d just make a funky infographic.
(FYI, I realize I’m saying some pretty amazing things about water. SO if you are curious as to where I got my information, check out this study – Water, Hydration & Health and this one (mostly about the benefits of PLAIN water for weight loss). For good measure, here’s a nifty infographic from the mayo clinic.)
Should you start drinking more water?
I approached the whole “drinking water thing” with one of my favorite life principles: What have I got to lose? Why not try it? And I think that’s how you should approach it too.
I’m a bad blogger. (It’s supposed to be my “job” to get you to agree with whatever I’m talking about, and maybe even make some money by convincing you to buy into my idea somehow.) But I’m a bad blogger, because I’m not going to try to convince you that water is what you need. You are a super smart cookie, and you can decide for yourself if water is what you need.
I will point out though, that if you are blessed to live in a country where water is free and plentiful, then you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot. If you drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day for a month and you don’t see a single improvement in your health, then quit if you don’t like it.
The body is more than 75% water. (Blood is more than 90% water!) If you can’t see why it would be necessary to make sure your body has enough water to function properly, I can’t imagine what I could possibly say to change your mind.
If you don’t want to drink more water, then don’t.
But if you DO wanna drink more water, just to see if you can reap some of the benefits of drinking water) and just can’t seem to get it done, well, that’s another thing.
Great ways to get yourself to drink more water
Drinking water is a good habit, and like all good habits, you just gotta work on developing it. Do whatever it takes!
I am not a sipper. Never have been. If I relied on sipping water all day to get enough in, it wouldn’t ever happen. But I can stand at the sink and down a glass of water in about 10 seconds. So (when I’m at home), I’ve developed the habit of chugging glasses of water. One first thing in the morning (- that really wakes me up). One as soon as I walk in the door. And about 6 more during the time I get home from work until the time I go to bed. (To where I also take a glass of water, and if I wake up in the night, I have it there with me.) I drink more than the 8 glasses per day, for sure.
Things you can do to help yourself develop a good water drinking habit –
- Take it with you. (I never leave the house without a bottle of water. We have 5 of these freaking awesome water bottles and we both take water with us each day to work.)
- Set a timer on your phone, for every hour. Drink when it goes off. (OR download an app – I know they’re out there!)
- Start a water drinking challenge with some friends (to keep you accountable). Here’s a (free) pretty printable you can use to keep track.
- If you can’t stand the taste of plain water, adding squeezed lemon juice or cucumber slices won’t hurt. Here’s a list of 40 fruit infused water ideas!
- Invest in some sort of filtration system that makes your water taste better – and removes chemicals. (We put in a reverse osmosis system – it cost a lot, but our health is worth it. It ensures that we ACTUALLY drink the water.) I’ve often thought something like this would be just as good and waaayyyyy cheaper. (Or perhaps even better, since the minerals it puts into the water are really good for you, and RO systems take minerals out.)
- Consider installing a whole home water system if you really want to make it easy. This ensures that every tap in your house provides clean, filtered water, making it more convenient to drink water more frequently. With easy access to high-quality water, you’ll find yourself naturally drinking more water throughout the day because you just turn on a tap and fill up a glass. It’s an investment in your overall health and encourages a habit of regular hydration without even thinking about it.
- Remind yourself that you’re doing this for a reason. You want to feel good, to treat your body well. (Read You Are Not Sick, You’re Thirsty if you need a little more encouragement.)
It might sound like the most impossible thing for you to believe right now, but I don’t find anything but water truly thirst quenching anymore. Pop (or anything sugary) actually makes me thirsty. (Side note, if you are a regular pop drinker, that is a whole ‘nother post and there are about 147 reasons you need to stop. But even if you can’t stop right now, try to have at least two glasses of water for every glass of pop you drink.)
So how bout this whole water drinking thing? Try it. What have you got to lose? (Besides headaches, fatigue, fat, and brain fog of course.)
P.S. If you enjoyed this post you might like 10 painless ways get healthier RIGHT NOW.
Oh my, did I need to hear this! I am a regular pop drinker and I have headaches all the time. I never thought my headaches could be because of all the pop I drink. I will give the water a try and see if it helps. I hope it does!
Thanks!
Hi Tracy 🙂 I hope it helps too! I almost never have headaches – the pop must go… you will feel soooo much better.
Good Morning! Just read your blog – Thank you! But I have a question – if I weigh 250 pounds and 1/2 my weight is 125 pounds that’s 4000 ozs a day OR 31 gallons of water a day.
Good heavens no – it means half your weight in ounces, so it’s 125 ounces. I think it would be physically impossible to drink 4000 ozs of water in a day.
I enjoyed reading your article as I drink water I stopped drinking sodas about 4 years ago after reading how many grams of sugar was in them and I am also staying away from Fructose as well and I feel better. I am a label reader these days.
HI Janet!! I love it when someone say “I stay away from sugar and fructose and I feel better”!! Of COURSE! this of how much less stress is on your body 🙂
I don’t drink much water due to Burning Tongue Syndrome. Not sure if you have heard of it. Not many people do. The one thing I find ironic is when I read on remedies to relieve it. They say drink water or suck on ice chips. When I drink water it tends to make it burn more. I have yet to find anyone to help me figure out why it’s going on. So how do I get hydrated when I have a problem with water?
HI Karen! That is so interesting (and awful)! I haven’t heard of it… maybe this is a silly question but have you tried distilled water? Could the burning be aggravated by minerals / chemicals in the water you’re drinking? My mom had toxic chemical overload and it affected her tongue really badly (it made it painful).
Hello, I drink water but not enough. Reading this article really inspired me to drink more as I need it to calm my headaches and fatigue. Sadly, I have to admit I drink a lot of juice/fruit drinks (sugar) thinking it’s better than drinking pop. They are just as unhealthy as pop and starting today my new drink is water. I love water I just didn’t like drinking it all day. Adding fruit to my water for a fruity taste will be part of my challenge.
HI Bertina! YAY on deciding to tackle a healthy new habit!! Yes, I would absolutely cut back on the juice too… sugar is sugar! I wouldn’t be surprised AT ALL if your headaches and fatigue improve with your water drinking 🙂
hello,
great article. Congratulations.
We need to drink more water, but it is really relevant to drink it properly and good living water as well.
I am so happy that we thought my son to drink only water. He does not like juices and sodas. He drinks only water.
Since we else started to drink water, good filtered and then treated water, turned into living water, naturally not with ionizers, but with natural medium we experienced amazing things, We lost weight, our skin turned into baby skin, our energy level increased significantly and I am pretty sure that our longevity as well. How to produce living water at your home naturally : take a look here https://youtu.be/O5pqfRdNYhs
Yes absolutely true. Water therapy is the best for our health. Thank you, Carly you did a great job for sharing this article.
Please allow me to play devil’s advocate. I readily admit I need to drink more water. The title of the article states what water CAN do, but I am MORE interested in what it WILL do provided I drink the calculated amount. I’m a big girl (350 lbs); don’t judge me. If my basic math skills are correct, I should be drinking 175 ounces of water daily. Please tell me you’re joking. I’d never leave the bathroom.
Hey Kim! 🙂 No judgement, but I would guess that with more body, you will need more water. It stands to reason that you will have more blood, and more cells to hydrate. I’m 8 months pregnant right now, and I I find I need FAR more water than I have ever needed before in my life. I even wake up in the night so dry I can’t get back to sleep unless I get up and drink. (So I also 100% hear you on the bathroom thing. For real.) Perhaps ask a doctor what the recommended amount of water would be? I’m guessing not as high as 175 ounces, but probably well over the standard 60 – 80.
Loved your article and the way very simply point out the amazing benefits from drinking water. We gave up soda a long time ago in our house (with the exception of special occasions) and not only do my husband and I feel the difference but our teenagers do too! Thanks for the great share!
Read and to believe every part of you article.
Have a big issue with the site sponsor though.
Walmart is advertising Coca Cola on you article. Maybe talk to them and get GNC or Cullagan to sponsor.
Hi Mitchell! Thanks for your comment! It’s funny that they’re advertising coca cola on the water post – I definitely see the irony there. Right now I am advertising through a network, and a person would really need to understand how they work and why we use them. I run only family friendly ads so I can’t be saying no to Walmart LOL. When the blog is a little bit bigger hopefully I can get private sponsors like GNC!! One can hope and dream right? 😉
Actually, i don’t often drink a lot of water. Only when I begin running, I try to drink plenty of water as possible. Yes, glad to hear what you share. Thanks! I think that i will have to drink lot of water anymore.
Hi Vicky… yes water is especially important for running lol.
This is some great info on the value of drinking water, I’m shocking at this and I can go days and not drink just water. I’ll have a tea or coffee but reading this,it is a mistake to include this in my water intake.
When I do remember to drink water I do chugg it down I dont do lady-like sipping. But then within 10 mins or so I’m desperate for a pee which makes me think my body has had no value of the water I’ve drunk? Is this true or false ???
And are you likely to be up several times a night doing a toilet visit? Whatever the answers I will endeavoured to drink more water. Starting tonight by taking a glass of water with me to bed. Goodnight. ??
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Amen a must READ!!!
You got me! I stRted back on my water this morning. I know better than to drink soda, I’m in kidney failure. So it’s 6 water bottles a day and now it’s time to go buy more spring water for my cooler. Who knoes, maybe this weight I gained will wash away if I stay off soda.
It will definitely help Dianne!
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Two months ago my husband started an unusual diet with 2 hours of exercise daily and 4L of water and a lot of rest. After one month he lost 12 pounds. After this, I believe that water is very important for our wellbeing.
Hey Carly,
Good old H2O. So many of us take it for granted, that’s for sure! I love your info graphic by the way, it’s very handy.
I literally just did a new post on my blog about getting back into health and fitness after having an extended break.
Thanks!
Great work Carly!
After a natural disaster, safe drinking water is a priority. Humans can live longer without food than water, so communication about clean water is essential to help avoid the risk of cholera, dysentery, malnutrition, famine, and death. “Water is The Driving Force of all Nature.”
Your information is really great. It’s the juice which iI would like to link with my blog. I hope you will continue to share this type of content with us.
Thank You Carly…