Drinking enough water throughout the day is essential. Water is the crucial compound to maintaining optimal health. About 50-70% of the human body is made up of water. Every individual is dependent on water for survival. Every organ, cell, and tissue needs water to perform properly. (3)
Body Functions that need water:
- For smooth bowel movement
- To main body temperature
- Works as a lubricator for joints
- Helps to carry nutrients to the cells
- Helps to moisten soft tissues
Here, we will have a look at the requirement of water, the consequences due to low water intake, and strategies for improving water intake.
Water Requirement
In general, the amount of water required for a healthy sustainable life is not that easy to calculate but it is the principal requirement to return the losses. The requirement for water depends upon various factors such as body temperature, health status, climatic conditions, geographical areas, etc. But understanding the needs of your body for fluids will help you to set your goal for the day. In normal circumstances, the requirements are standard for the general population i.e. around 2 - 2.5L/day. (1) Observing the color of your urine is also one of the effective techniques to know your water requirement. Ideally, the color of your urine should be light pale yellow but if it seems to be darker in color it means your body is asking for more water. (4)
Complications Caused By Low Water Intake
The body needs enough water to perform its functions efficiently. If an individual is failing at drinking enough water, a condition called Dehydration develops. Dehydration can cause many other problems like headache, lethargy, digestive issues, poor concentration, tingling, numbness, etc. (4) The symptoms may vary according to the degree of deficit. To stay away from these conditions you must keep yourself hydrated with enough water and beverages.
Ways To Improve Water Intake
It is very challenging, boring, and might be repetitive to drink enough water throughout the day, but maintaining it is the absolute need of your body. Here, we are going through some hacking tips to maintain your optimal water intake.
1. Examine your water intake:
Assessment of your water needs is the first step. Every individual's needs are different depending on their body temperature, climatic conditions where they are living, physical activity, and their health conditions. The general recommendation for water intake is around 2 - 2.5L/day (2).
2. Set a daily target:
To increase your water intake, let’s focus on setting your goal for a day. It will help motivate you in achieving your goal. Make sure your goal is realistic, time bounding, and specific.
3. Set reminders:
Reminders work very well in improving your water intake especially if you are too busy or struggling to remember to drink water. Set a reminder in such a way that you can drink sips of water after every thirty minutes and refill it. This is the best way to sustain the habit of drinking enough water throughout the day.
4. Inclusion of flavor:
Whenever you are bored of drinking plain water, add a slice of any fruit, veggies, or combination of two or more fruits that you like in your water container to make it more exciting. Try this technique to manage your water consumption.
5. Bring your bottles:
Make a habit of carrying your water bottle with you when you go out or do any outside activity. This is the best way to improve your water intake mostly in the hot season to fulfill your water requirement. Make sure to avoid the use of plastic water bottles that contain BPA and switch to glass or stainless steel containers
6. Drink water after every washroom break:
A washroom break is one of the most common activities in daily routine. So, making a habit of drinking water after every interval will be helpful in maintaining your water intake. And if you are already carrying your water bottle with you then it’s totally sorted for you to maintain this habit for a long time.
7. Eat food with high moisture content:
If you are not able to fulfill your water requirement, select food which is high in water such as watery fruits and vegetables like watermelon, muskmelon, citrous fruits (orange, sweet lime, pear), zucchini, lettuce, etc. Sipping herbal tea twice a day will also be a great option to improve your water intake.
Bottomline
Every individual requires a different amount of water, but you should be more careful with your symptoms, how your body reacts to it, and decide what really works for your body. Adequate intake of water is essential to fulfilling the requirement of a healthy individual. Adoption of these habits can lead to a healthier and disease-free life.
Reference articles
- https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutwaterrequir.pdf
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-drink-more-water
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
- https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/202108/10-healthy-ways-increase-your-fluid-intake
