How much water should I be drinking?

Did you know drinking too much water can lead to water intoxication?

Water intoxication is a disruption of brain function due to drinking too much water.

Drinking too much water will increase the amount of water in the blood which can dilute electrolytes in the blood, especially sodium leading to a condition called hyponatremia (low sodium).

Sodium helps maintain the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells. When sodium levels drop due to excessive water intake, fluids travel from the outside to the inside of cells, causing them to swell. When this happens to brain cells, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Did you know drinking little water can lead to severe effects of dehydration?

When you’re dehydrated, you lose blood volume which causes your blood to thicken which makes it harder for your heart to supply that blood to your muscle, therefore, the heart works harder to pump blood, and your heart rate increases. That’s why when running or hiking, you feel much better when you rehydrate and slow down.

How do you know you’re dehydrated?

• Feeling thirsty
• Dry mouth
• Cracked lips
• Heart racing
• Urine color is darker and urinating less often
• Lightheadedness/Dizziness
• Persistent headache

Electrolytes are vital to body hydration, in order to maintain nerve and muscle function, and balance blood acidity and pressure.

Fruits and Vegetables are good sources of vital electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. So having these in your diets, alongside drinking water will help you achieve optimal body hydration.

So, how much water should I be drinking?

Water makes around 60% of our total body weight.

Water is responsible for digestion, sweating to maintain body temperature regulations, lubricating tissues, and joints, eliminating waste.

Take your weight in Kilos and divided it by 30 e.g., if you weigh 50kgs 50/30 = 1.7litres a day.

This number is the minimum mark so if you work out you need to drink a little bit more so for instance someone who weighs 50kg and they workout they may have to get to 2litres a day.

In conclusion, you can avoid a lot of health issues by ensuring you sip water throughout your day and have more fruits and vegetables in your diet.