6 Question about Water Consumption

You can go without food for days, weeks and even months, but going without water for just one day can negatively impact your health.

The importance of  water in our daily life

We all lose water throughout the day—when we sweating, urinating, bowel movements even when we are breathing. If you live in a hot climate for example Malaysia, you lose even more. We need to replace this lost fluid to stay healthy. Water keeps every part of our body to work properly. It helps our body to flush wastes and to stay at the right temperature. It even helps to prevent kidney stones and constipation.

Replenish water after exercises

If you don't get enough water, you could become dehydrated. The more liquid in the body that is lost, the thicker the blood becomes and the harder the heart muscle must work to pump the blood through the circulatory system. When a person loses their abilities to reason and think straight because of dehydration it means they will die very soon, unless they drink water to rehydrate. Depending on the circumstances, mainly environment, a person can die within 24 to 28 hours after having no water if they are labouring under the hot dry sun with no water. This is very dangerous and can be fatal.

How much water do we need to drink every day?

A common recommendation is to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. But some adults may need more or less, depending on how healthy they are, how much they exercise, and how hot and dry the climate is. For chronic kidney disease patient or having water retention problem please consult your doctor first.

Your choice of water?

You may sometimes need to drink more water than usual if you:

• Exercise intensely, especially in a hot climate.
• Are sick, such as with the flu, or have a health problem like a urinary tract infection.
• Are pregnant or breast-feeding.

When you are sick, you need more water

Drink only water to stay hydrated?

All liquids except alcohols help you stay hydrated. Water is usually the best choice, because it's free and with no added sugar or calories. But most healthy people can get enough fluid through the beverages they consume every day. These can include water, fruit juices, coffee, sodas, iced tea, and other drinks.

Experts say that it's not true that beverages that have caffeine—such as coffee, tea, and cola drinks—always dehydrate you. Healthy people who consume moderate amounts of caffeine don't lose more fluid than people who don't have any caffeine. A moderate amount of caffeine is about 200 to 300 milligrams a day. That's about two to four 8-ounce cups of coffee.

Good choice especially when serving cold

You also get water through food consumption. Some fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, such as watermelon and lettuce.

How can you tell if you are drinking enough water?

The easiest way to know if you're drinking enough water is by looking at the colour of your urine. If you're drinking enough water, the colour of your urine should be clear or pale yellow. A darker yellow means you aren't drinking enough water.

Look at the colour of your urine

People who drink enough water also usually have soft bowel movements. Hard bowel movements or constipation can be signs that you aren't getting enough water.

If you have any health problems, always talk to your doctor before increasing the amount of water you drink. You may need to limit your fluids if you have certain health concerns, such as kidney problems or heart failure.

Having Too Much of Water?

It can be dangerous to drink too much water. But it's rare that anyone drinks too much water. The risk is highest for people who do endurance sports, such as running marathons.

Too much water is dangerous because it would dilute the amount of sodium in your body. This imbalance could cause serious problems, such as confusion, seizures, and coma.

Experts advise athletes who do intense activity to drink a sports drink that contains sodium, other electrolytes, and some sugar. Most people don't need sports drinks if they are exercising for less than an hour in moderate temperatures. Plain water is fine.

Good choice of drink after exercise

But experts do recommend sports drinks if you're playing sports or doing other intense physical activity for more than an hour.

What are some easy ways to get more water during the day?

• Drink a glass of water when you get up in the morning, before you have coffee or tea.
• Keep a cup or water bottle by your desk at work. Take several sips of water each hour. If you don't have a desk job, carry a container of water with you, and take sips throughout the day.
• Take a sip whenever you pass a drinking fountain.
• If you get tired of drinking plain water, add a packet of sugarless flavouring to your water. Or put a slice of lemon or lime in plain or sparkling water.

Replenish your body fluid

Is bottled water better than tap water?

No. A lot of plain bottled water is just tap water that has been purified. It's your choice how you want to drink water. If you like bubbly mineral water, drink that. If you like the idea of vitamins and electrolytes in your water, you can find several varieties of enhanced water at the store. If you don't like the taste of your tap water, or if you just want to be extra careful, you can purify tap water at home. Water filters are available in many stores.

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