By: Tafadzwa Kapuya
It has been said so many times before, “Water Is Life”, and I couldn’t agree more. It just comes natural to have a cool glass of water on a hot day or downing that whole bottle after the long-dreaded marathon that you finally completed; but is it just thirst? Is it just that refreshing feeling you need, that comes with a huge gulp of H20 while you work that steel in the gym? Drinking water regularly and in the levels our bodies need results in many obvious, still unrecognizable and seemingly insignificant benefits that we enjoy daily. That tasteless fluid that we cannot live without is surely a precious gift, though still taken for granted, water plays a a bigger part than we think it does when it comes to good health.
How much water a person needs to drink in a day varies from one person to another and from day to day. This comes mainly because of varied determining factors as body mass, gender, age, activity level, one’s general health and temperatures. Nonetheless, what everyone has in common is the need to maintain an optimum balance in Body Water Percentage, which normally lies between 45 to 75%. Things should normally square themselves off if you drink 2litres or more, however should you want a more accurate way of calculating exactly how much water you need to drink daily, you can work with the general rule below:
Weight (Kg) x 0.033 = Required (litres) per day
That means if you weigh 60kg, you need to have about 2litres daily, if your weight is 90kg, you would need to drink 3litres of water instead for optimum health.
Keeping well hydrated ensures:
· Joints remain well lubricated, thereby preventing joint pain.
· Adequate moisture in the nose, mouth and eyes, thereby preventing damage and friction.
· Sufficient oxygen and nutrients are distributed throughout the body through its blood network.
· The prevention of premature wrinkling and exposure to skin disorders.
· Cushioning of the brain, spinal cord and other sensitive tissues as the heart, kidneys and liver.
· Regulation of the body temperature.
· Easy removal of body wastes.
· A healthy blood pressure.
· Decreased chances of Kidney Damage.
· Weight Loss
Easy dehydration signals to look out for include:
· Headaches
· Pale or deep yellow colored urine that smells.
· Peeing little and fewer than 4times a day.
· Dry mouth, inside of nose and eyes.
· Dry, tight and chapped skin.
· Forgetfulness and difficulty with comprehension.
· Experiencing difficulty passing stool.
· Feeling thirsty.
You can start your water journey or improve your intake by adopting these simple practices:
· Going around with a water bottle.
· Keeping track of your intake.
· Pacing yourself to finish half of your targeted intake during the day, and the other half before your bed time.
· Opting for flavored water instead of plain water: -This can be done by adding citrus/cucumber slices and mint leaves.
Why not start now and drink your way to better health?
