Remembering to drink water during the day is not a novel idea, and reminders become more frequent as the summer temperatures rise. What changes have they undergone this summer?
About one-third of the population was under excessive heat warnings this month. Because of how hot it is in Europe, the most recent heat wave is named after a character from Dante’s Inferno.
During this scorching-hot (literally?
summer), I’ve decided to return to marathon running for the first time since 2018, the year before I became pregnant with my first of two sons.
I’ve experienced both typical and unusual satiety after jogging. I’ve also determined that I most likely drink one 24-ounce water bottle every day.
This is partly due to the fact that my second child, despite having a lot of other actual toys, treats my water bottle like a toy. I usually try to keep it out of his sight and out of his mind, which puts it out of my reach. Another reason for me to make sure I get enough water is that he is still nursing at 17 months.
Due to the weather and my training schedule, I was aware that this needed to change for the sake of my health. I committed to drinking more water.
Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is the customary recommendation. The recommendation to drink eight glasses of water per day made by the Food and Nutrition Board in 1945 probably served as inspiration for the advice. A few things slipped through the cracks in the years that followed.
The second said, “Prepared foods contain the majority of this quantity.”. Fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, help you meet your daily water requirements. The second was that instead of eight 8-ounce glasses, which equaled 64 ounces, the Nutrition Board recommended 20.5 liters (84.25 ounces) per day.
Since then, academics have debunked this advice as a myth. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men drink 125 ounces (3.07 liters) and women drink 91 ounces (2.07 liters), which isn’t much more than the 1945 standard.
I’ve worked as a journalist for about ten years now, and during that time I’ve spoken with countless nutritionists and medical professionals. My water intake should begin with the basic goal of 64 ounces per day, according to numerous medical professionals who have consistently given me this advice.
Without a doubt, it’s better than 24 ounces. In some way, I had to start moving.
What I Applied.
Theoretically, one of the simplest and least expensive ways to improve your health is to drink more water. You really don’t need much other than access to clean, safe water—a luxury for some, regrettably—and a drinking vessel. I chose to use the following resources to help me stay on track:.
My trusty 24-ounce bottle of water. I’m more of a words guy than a numbers guy. I would need to drink just under three full water bottles to equal 64 ounces, though, because 64 divided by 24 is 2.66.
using the Waterllama app. This app allows you to keep track of how much water you use and sends you notifications to prompt you to hydrate more. Throughout my first pregnancy, I tracked my water consumption using an app and found that it was helpful for keeping me on track with my diet. I reasoned that the reminders would help me remember to drink even when juggling parenthood and work.
On the first day, I realized how little water I was actually drinking. By noon, I had consumed 12 ounces of water. Although some might consider that to be a half-full water bottle, I felt it was empty. I still had 12 hours to drink the enormous 52 ounces of water that I would need to meet my goal. I chewed my food. and then ate.
then gulped.
For the rest of the day, I had to urinate every five seconds, which gave me the impression that I was once again pregnant and had a stomach full of water.
There had to be a less tense approach that was more successful and didn’t feel like a stressful fire drill. On day two, I decided to start establishing attainable goals. I’d aim for 24 ounces, 24 ounces, and 16 ounces by noon, dinner, and between dinner and night, respectively. I worked on making it sound less daunting by using phrases like “one water bottle by lunch,” “one water bottle by dinner,” and “two-thirds of a water bottle by bed.”.
It was a quick process. I received a reminder to drink water every two hours, and I could quickly check my water bottle to make sure I was getting the advised amount. I continued to be successful as I observed the statistics for my water consumption in my app rising.
The hardest task was my morning three-mile run on day two. At 7:30 a.
m.
I was already dehydrated by the time it was over and the temperature was already close to 80 degrees. On the third day, I drank 12 ounces an hour before working out. It gave me the energy to finish a longer run of five miles while allowing me to use the restroom before exercising.
By day five, it was much simpler to down 64 ounces of water. I felt better after my workout and drank more water throughout the day, but by dinnertime I was still feeling lightheaded and exhausted.
Due to the low cost of drinking more water, it seems like a very straightforward strategy for enhancing your health. But it can be challenging, especially if you’re completely dedicated to your line of work and prone to putting others before yourself (hello, parenthood). The main lesson I took away from the experience was to treat myself kindly if I had trouble staying hydrated.
I’ve also discovered the following:.
Eight 8-ounce glasses per day is a good starting point. This recommendation—which was never the actual recommendation—is a great place to begin. But it’s possible that it’s not your ultimate objective.
Water consumption is fluid. Not a pun intended. On the other hand, it’s perfectly normal to need more water on days that are particularly hot or when you exercised more vigorously than on days when you rested and spent the majority of the day inside the cozy air conditioning.
Drink even if you are not thirsty. Dehydration and thirst are late-stage indicators that you should drink water, so it is not a good idea to wait until you experience either of those.
Water is pre-workout nutrition. You’ll feel more hydrated and have less need to urinate after one mile of a six-mile run if you drink water an hour before working out.
Stop just before you go to bed. Try to avoid consuming too much water an hour before bed to avoid having to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom (although getting enough rest is also important for health). But I found that 60 minutes worked for me. You might need to cut back on your consumption at some point.
Useful apps exist.
I’ll probably stop tracking since I’m already in a flow with my water consumption. Tracking helped me get started and was a great tool, but I now realize that it can also become a bit of an obsession for me. If it can help you meet your short- and long-term hydration goals, give it a try.
Water is required. Even though eight glasses per day may be an exaggeration, the benefits of staying hydrated cannot be overstated. I felt much better when I woke up in the morning, during workouts, and the rest of the day.
I had more energy, so I could get everything crossed off my list and chase after my kids.
Regarding the last point, I hesitate to refer to drinking water as “self-care” because it is something that is necessary (much like how taking a shower with the door closed or going grocery shopping alone aren’t actually “self-care,” but are labeled as such by busy moms).
You should not, however, sacrifice it in order to care for your children or complete your career. So that you won’t have to keep pouring from an empty cup all day, fill your glasses (or water bottles).
