How Much Water Should I Drink A Day?

It is believed that all adults need to drink about 2 liters of water per day, however this amount is an estimate. The exact amount of water that people need to ingest varies according to weight, age, season of the year and other factors such as whether the individual is physically active or not, since during exercise more fluids are lost through sweating, and more water should be ingested.

Water accounts for 60-70% of the total body composition and is essential for the proper functioning of the body, so the most correct way to know how much water you need to ingest daily is through the calculation based on weight and age of the individual.

 How much water should I drink a day?

The table below shows how to calculate the amount of water according to age and weight:

People who practice physical activity should drink about 500 mL to 1L of water more than their daily requirement and for every hour of physical activity, especially if they sweat a lot during training.

Being thirsty is the first symptom of dehydration, so it is not necessary to wait for it to manifest itself before drinking water. Other signs of dehydration are dry mouth and dark yellow, strong-smelling urine. In case the individual presents these symptoms, it is recommended to drink water, homemade serum, oral rehydration salts or coconut water and if the symptoms persist it is recommended to see a doctor.

Is drinking too much water harmful?

Drinking more water than indicated for the age and weight of the person can have negative effects, mainly in those who suffer from diseases such as kidney or heart failure, since in these conditions the body fails to eliminate excess water, which can cause swelling throughout the body, difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure, imbalance of minerals in the blood and kidney overload.

In addition, people who are below their ideal weight for age and height, should also not drink more than 1.5 liters of water a day, because their blood can become too thin, having a low concentration of sodium, leading to tremors and mental confusion.

On the other hand, the consumption of more than 2 liters of water per day by people who do not have diseases or who are in their ideal weight for age and height has no negative health effects, the most that can happen is an increase in the frequency of urination.

Why you should drink water every day

Drinking water helps to lose weight, promotes hydration of the stool in cases of constipation, promotes the production of enzymes and saliva for digestion and improves the quality of the skin. In addition to this, it is the main constituent of the human body, being important for metabolism because all biochemical reactions of the body need water.

Water is vital for the control of body temperature, blood circulation and the formation of urine that is responsible for eliminating waste from the body. Although juices, soups and fruits contain water, it is very important to drink water in its natural form, since the body loses water by breathing, through feces, through the skin and urine, being necessary its replenishment to maintain the body water balance.

Drinking water on an empty stomach is good for the body because it stimulates the gastrointestinal system after a long period of fasting, improving intestinal function. Learn more about the benefits of drinking water.

Techniques to drink more water

Some techniques to increase water consumption are:

1. Have a thermos of at least 2L

An excellent strategy to increase water consumption per day is to buy a 2L thermos. This way you will know that you have to drink that amount of water during the day as a minimum.

In case you do not like to drink natural water, it is possible to put a slice of lemon or orange in it to give it another flavor and be able to achieve the goal.

2. Write down the amount of water ingested

Another strategy is to keep a kind of diary noting the hours and the amount of water you drank, this being a way to become aware of the amount of water you ingest and try to increase your consumption until you achieve the daily water requirement.

3. Prepare flavored waters

Flavoring water with lemon, cucumber or mint leaves is an excellent strategy for those people who have difficulty drinking pure water or who usually eat with soft drinks or pasteurized juices.

In addition to this, flavored waters acquire the benefits of the foods that were used for its preparation, for this reason it confers various properties such as increasing the intake of water and increasing the amount of water consumed.

4.vitamins, detoxify the body and help in the process of weight loss. Some examples are:

Lemon or orange water

Ideally, prepare the flavored water the night before so that it acquires more flavor and benefits from the foods that have been added. You should always strain the water before drinking it and it can be placed in the refrigerator to drink it cold, especially on hot days. See how to prepare other flavored waters.

See in the video below 4 techniques to drink more water:

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