Subscribe via RSS
There can be no life without water. I’ve heard this more than once from my scientist cousin. And of course, he’s right. Our bodies are about 60% water, more or less, and every day that we live, breathe and move, we lose the water we have. So, reasonable deduction tells us we have to replenish that which we are losing!
Our bodies use water to regulate our temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to our cells, and assist in the process of digestion, metabolism and elimination. Without water, our bodies can’t flush out waste and toxins. Not getting enough leads to dehydration; and this leads to a number of health problems, one of which can be death. Are you with me so far?
Now here’s where it can get challenging for some folks. Your body needs water. Not sodas, not coffee, not alcohol, not black tea. Even though those are fluids, they may be dehydrating and make your body need more water. If you consistently deprive your body of water, you may suffer from chronic dehydration. This isn’t the same as collapsing in the desert heat while searching for an oasis, but it can definitely create some concerning health consequences including constipation, fatigue, digestive disorders, high and low blood pressure, respiratory problems, urinary infections and skin rashes.
So, we need to drink water. How much? For many years, we’ve been told that we need to be drinking an average of 8 glasses of water a day. That can seem a bit daunting! More recently we are hearing our need for water changes with the amount we exercise, the food we eat, the weather, and other factors. Maybe one of the best ways to determine if you are getting enough water is to check the color of your urine. Urine is naturally pale yellow. That’s the color you want it to be. If your urine is clear, then you can cut back on your water intake. If it is darker, then you need to drink more water. Keep in mind that riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is in most multivitamins, turns your urine fluorescent yellow so you’ll need to avoid that for a day or so to get a true reading of color.
It’s really not that hard to add more water to your day. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Keep a bottle or a glass of water on your desk while you work – having it handy makes it easier to drink.
- Avoid alcohol and coffee in excess, as well as soda and sugary drinks.
- Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon into your water for a flavor boost.
- Drink pure spring or filtered water in between meals. Too much water with food can dilute gastric acids making digestion weaker.
- Slowly sip a cup of hot herbal or green tea after a meal. This supports digestion and provides needed fluid.
- Make spritzers using natural sparkling mineral water, plain, or flavored, mixed with a little fruit juice.
- Eat whole juicy fruits and vegetables.
- Drink warm or room temperature water first thing in the morning to wake your system up and get things moving. Then spread your water intake out during the day to keep you better hydrated.
- If you have kidney problems or you take diuretics, talk to your health care professional about your individual water needs.
What are your tricks for drinking enough water? I’d love to hear!
Comments are moderated
and generally will be posted if they are on topic and not abusive. For more information, please see
our 
I’m confused now. You state above “that urine is a naturaly pale yellow color and that is the color you want it to be”. The next line reads “if your urine is clear, you can cut back on your water intake”. That being said, do I want yellow
urine or clear urine?. Please advise.
THANX
February 27th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I make a lot of stock during the winter, whether it’s from chicken, turkey or vegetables. Often, I’ll have a cup of plain stock with lunch or dinner. Though it’s not “pure water” I think of it as warm, nutrient-enriched, highly flavorful, water-like liquid!
February 27th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Alana,
What do you think about Ionized water?
Do you feel Ionized Alkaline PH Balanced water is good for the body?
It has many benefits and has been used for years in Asia.
Water is great!
February 28th, 2009 at 2:15 am
Something I do with children and a busy house is buy whatever citrus or stone fruit you have on same and cut it up and place it in the bottom of a pitcher, fill it with water and place it in the refrigerator. That way especially in the summer everyone opens the fridge and the first thing they see is cold water with mango or pomegranates infused. We all drink cold water but the fruit infused water is nice instead of a sugar ladened option.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Great information. I like Fiji water best. But you should find on e that you like. I find I don’t drink nearly enough water when I don’t have fiji.
March 1st, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Whaat give up Coffee, could not do it
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
@Jay: Many people drink water all day long, and as a consequence, are frequently in the bathroom, and their urine has no color to it at all. If you have clear urine often, it can be a sign that you are drinking just a bit more than what your body needs. Urine is naturally very pale yellow in color, not clear, so you want it to be the pale yellow color that it naturally is. Thanks for asking!
March 4th, 2009 at 11:47 am
@Justin: I have read quite a bit about it and it seems that most people can really feel a difference. After all, our natural water flows over rocks and stones in rivers and streams, gathering minerals and keeping a balance. Thanks for writing!
March 4th, 2009 at 11:47 am
If you must drink bottled water, please consider buying from a local bottler. That bottle of Fiji might look impressive, but its journey to your grocers’ shelves used a lot of resources.
March 4th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I saw on a show that in order to get the proper amount of water you body needs on a daily basis that you should take your body weight and divide it by 2 and that is how many ounces you need. But before I learned this I decided I would drink upwards of 3 liters a day and it hasn’e been that hard at all!
March 4th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
My physician, the health books I read, and the health and medical websites I use, etc. suggest to drink 6-8 GLASSES of water. It never crossed my mind to question what would be considered a GLASS. I also didn’t know the amount of fluid a GLASS would hold. So, I took a glass from my kitchen cabinet and filled it with water. Then I poured the water into a fluid measuring cup. The result was: 8 oz. of water to drink which really isn’t that much. I hope this info helps someone. It certainly made it easier for me to drink 8-8oz. GLASSES of water/fluids a day. (Of course, I didn’t think to check my cookbooks.)
March 5th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
ofcouse ido drink water everyday,almos a lot
March 7th, 2009 at 11:57 am
um what if i dont drink water for like 3 days striaght?? i do dat sometimes and i dont even notice
March 10th, 2009 at 1:06 am
I think water is absolutely essential for humans’ health. I have also found out trough years of trial and error that Artesan Water, especially one with a PH that is as high as possible (8.0) does the most good: it hydrates you all the way to the cellular level. Please do NOT drink anything such as Dasani or Aquafina or any other tap water for that matter! Not good for you(this from a friend that works for the city water system). I have switched to higher PH waters, but they tend to be quite expensive as they have to be shipped from abroad.
Whole Foods does offer some great choices but again, on the expensive side.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
You should drink water (as much as possible without vomiting) 1 hour before a meal and 2 hours after it. This way water doesn’t interfere with the digestive process. You’ll immediately start noticing the difference once you try this strategy. Not only will you look and feel better but you’ll drop the poundage and you constipation will vanish.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:38 am
best tasting water in the World is Fiji
Save waste by putting your own tap water or bulk bottled water into a stainless klean kanteen
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
When you’re thirsty instead of opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of coca cola grab that gallon of water and fill your glass, it keeps you more refreshed and quenches your thirst better than any other beverage.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Do you sell Alkaline Water or do you know where I can buy it?
Annie
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:32 am