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Nutritionists unanimously say: to lose weight or just look good, you need to drink at least two liters of water a day. And playing sports without it completely threatens with dehydration. Is it so? Doctors answer.
“Even mild dehydration can lead to unpleasant consequences,” says Angie Eakin, MD. “We become irritable, we can’t concentrate on anything, our head starts to hurt. Therefore, of course, it is necessary to drink clean water constantly so that all cells of the body function without failures. But there are a huge number of false facts about water that are worth refuting.
1. Chronic dehydration is our permanent diagnosis.
Once it seemed to us that the amount of water with which we drink every meal is enough. But not today. For some, it is enough to spend an hour without taking a sip, as it begins to seem to them that they are dying of dehydration.
“Keep calm,” says Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. and professor of nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), “unless you eat chips and saltine crackers all day long, then your food contains 20% of the daily requirement of liquid. It is enough to drink water when you feel thirsty.
And if you include the following foods in your diet, then dehydration will definitely not threaten you. Cucumbers contain 97% water, cauliflower 92%, spinach 91%. Like strawberries, which are also 91% water.
2. The brain confuses hunger and thirst
“Believe me, the body knows the difference,” says Barbara Rolls. “Moreover, hunger and thirst don’t even feel alike, and different body mechanisms are responsible for them. So, with dehydration, we feel unpleasant dryness in the mouth. This is the result of a decrease in the volume of blood cells. But hunger comes as a result of a lack of nutrients and glucose, so we feel rumbling and emptiness in the stomach.
Two liters of water a day is a random number. Many need much less, and someone needs to drink more
Therefore, if you feel hungry, it is not the body that confused hunger and thirst. Perhaps you are just bored. Stress can cause the same reaction.
3. You need to drink two liters of water a day
“This is generally a random figure that has no evidence base,” says Dr. Angie Eakin. – Everyone needs their own quantity. For many of us, a much smaller amount is enough, but if it’s hot outside, it’s better to drink more. During pregnancy, you can also increase the amount of fluid consumed up to two and a half liters. And we must take into account that we are talking about the liquid in general, which the body receives, and not just pure water.
In a word, you should not measure the amount of water you drink in milliliters. If you drink when you feel thirsty, you are doing the right thing.
4. You need to drink a lot while exercising
It seems to you that if you sweat a lot during an intense workout, then you are in danger of dehydration. Therefore, you drink water from the cooler in the sports club every 15 minutes. But there is also hyperhydration.
“This is called hyponatremia, when the level of sodium in the blood drops due to a large amount of water drunk,” explains Mitchell Rosner, professor at the University of Virginia (USA). – Listen to your body, drink only when you feel thirsty. Excessive sweating won’t make you dehydrated. Don’t trust your instincts? Weigh yourself before and after your workout and drink half a liter of water for every pound you lose.”
5. Drinking plenty of water will curb your hunger.
“On the contrary, water cleanses and empties the stomach. Therefore, choose soups with a light broth. They are low in calories, and they are satiating, unlike a liter of pure water, ”advises Barbara Rolls. If you tell yourself that water curbs your appetite, then it will. It’s worth experimenting. Just remember – everything needs a measure!