What is water needed for?
About 60% of our body consists of water. It is present in all tissues and organs, fulfills such important functions as the transport of substances in the body, the absorption of nutrients and the excretion of toxic compounds, and it is the environment for numerous biological processes, such as maintaining a constant body temperature. Water shortages, i.e. too little hydration of the body, can have a negative impact on our physical and mental condition, which is why proper management and constant replenishment are so important for our functioning.
Okay, but you probably have one important question – how to start consuming the right amount of water if it was not your habit to hydrate regularly? First of all, it is worth addressing the issue of the recommended daily intake. According to the nutrition standards for the Polish population, sufficient water consumption was determined at 2 liters for women and 2,5 liters for men for the 19-75 age group. This value may change in plus under the influence of factors such as, inter alia, increased physical activity, exercise, body weight and age, air humidity and temperature, or even specific physiological states such as pregnancy, lactation or fever.
Along with these factors, there is also water loss due to sweating. Therefore, pay attention to your fluid balance, especially during the summer, and especially when you train during this time.
| Worth remembering! |
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| Water cannot be drunk on the so-called hill, i.e. supplementing the XNUMX-hour demand of our body at one time. Drinking two liters of water at a time is a bad practice mainly because the body, not being able to use such an amount, will spend it immediately, and may also contribute to the disturbance of the water and electrolyte balance. It is recommended to sip the water in small sips and, if possible, throughout the day. |
You already know what we need water for and what its minimum consumption should be, so now we will focus on how to motivate ourselves to drink it. Below we have prepared a list of 5 ways to break the title water monotony:
1. Try to diversify its taste
If you haven’t consumed water before, be it at the expense of colorful drinks, juices, or tea and coffee, the taste may seem a bit bland, bland. The very thought of pouring a dozen glasses of clear liquid into yourself makes you feel dizzy, but that’s perfectly normal, no panic. Just be creative, that is, combine water with a taste that you associate well and, above all, tastes good. For some, it may be a classic, well-known combination, such as water with lemon or mint, for others, an interesting solution may be the addition of strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, honey, and even cinnamon or ginger. Of course, such supplementation should be reasonable, which should be followed when checking the calorific value and nutritional value of the additional ingredient.
2. Take it as a challenge
As we mentioned at the beginning, the healthy lifestyle proposed by also requires mobilization in the form of taking care of the body’s water management. Therefore, apart from a completely new, balanced menu, another novelty in the diet may be the consumption of larger amounts of water. Treat it like a popular challenge on social media lately – for example, half a glass every hour! Suppose you sleep 8 hours each and you are active 16 hours. By drinking half a glass of liquid every hour, you will ensure a supply of 2 liters a day. It seems easy, you can do it for sure 🙂
Of course, the idea is not to wait with the watch until it strikes 12.00, but the same discipline will allow for the first breakthrough. The watch can be used, for example, by marking the hour on the bottle by which the given amount of liquid should be drunk. The diet can be helpful in counting the glasses drunk in this situation – after going to the menu tab at the bottom of the page, you will find a fluid consumption counter along with the goal recommended by dietitians and progress in its implementation.
3. Go with the flow
The aforementioned counter may help, but there will certainly be forgetful ones who will miss a break for a sip of water, consumed with duties or work. Technology comes with help, specifically dedicated applications for each smartphone. One of the most interesting applications is Fitatu, which in the premium version, based on your individual preferences and set parameters, will not only remind you to drink water, but also make sure that you always drink the right amount.
4. Try it spicy
If you don’t feel thirsty on a daily basis, another way that should make it easier to drink water while losing weight is to add a little spice to your dishes. Try adding chilli peppers or spicier, more expressive spices such as ginger, classic or cayenne pepper, turmeric or hot pepper to your menu. In addition to increased thirst, further benefits may be accelerated calorie burning and a faster metabolic rate.
5. Look for an alternative
During this water crusade, it will definitely be a good supplement to include products consisting mainly of water, such as watermelons, melons, strawberries, lettuce, peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers or even whole dishes, in the form of cocktails, smoothies and soups. . In addition, if you do not have one yet, it would be worth getting a jug that filters tap water – it is not only an economic choice, but also an ecological one.
Does drinking water lose weight?
As you can read in the text, water allows you to maintain the homeostasis of the body, i.e. a state when all the mechanisms of the system are optimal. If this status is maintained, weight reduction will be possible. Of course, in addition to an adequate supply of fluids, regular physical activity and, above all, a balanced reduction diet, which is exactly what we offer on, is also of key importance.
Thanks to the excretion of toxic substances and the strengthening (along with fiber!) Of intestinal peristalsis, drinking water leads to the optimal course of metabolic processes. To sum up, the effect of drinking water, of course, in addition to a balanced diet and exercise, will be weight loss.
What is the risk of dehydration?
We do not want to scare anyone, but it is worth remembering the key role of water in our daily functioning. Its deficiencies can cause many health complications, such as insomnia, irritability, lack of appetite, breathing disorders and weakened physical strength.
You can read about what else can be a shortage of water, what are the symptoms of dehydration and what to avoid here: https://.pl/mid/3/fid/2/diety/odchudzanie/article_id/964
And at this link, we discussed in detail the importance of water in our diet and the benefits of drinking it: https://.pl/mid/3/fid/2/diety/odchudzanie/article_id/267
Be sure to let us know in the comments how you managed to overcome the water monotony and learn to drink water on your diet!