I had tried several times and I was never able to come close – not even up to half of what research recommended. For years, eight glasses of water was what I heard people say was necessary to stay well hydrated for your body to function optimally. No matter how hard I tried, I was only able to drink about three glasses of water daily. I decided not to bother trying anymore and concluded that it was not practical. Last year, however, I decided to do my own research to update my knowledge on hydration and its benefits, and here is what I found.
According to WebMD, there is no evidence to back up drinking eight glasses of water daily. Although the institute of Medicine recommends that men get about 125oz (about 15 glasses) of water daily and women get 91oz (about 11 glasses), this includes water from all foods and beverages. Generally, 20% of your water intake comes from food eaten daily and the amount of fluid you require daily depends on your age, gender, health, weight and environment1.
Your body is made up of about 60% of water depending on how well you hydrate. Hydration keeps up the water levels in your cells, tissues and organs which help with digestion, getting rid of waste, keeping your temperature at the right level, keeping your skin moisturized, and lubricating and cushioning joints1.
I also learnt that in addition to using thirst as a gauge to know if you are getting dehydrated, checking the color of your urine helps you monitor your hydration levels. The less hydrated you are the darker your urine and the more hydrated you are, the clearer your urine1.
I decided to give it another try. This time without the pressure of specifically drinking water since I now knew that hydration comes from a lot of the foods and beverages that I take. My new goal was no longer 8 glasses of water daily but to hydrate myself round-the-clock. First, I started with drinking water flavored with lemon and found out that I could drink an additional one glass daily. Then, I decided to get myself a thermal bottle and sipped on herbal teas, without milk or sugar, continuously throughout the day.
One day, I realized that between my water and tea alone, not counting hydration from my food, I was drinking between 11-13 glasses of water and I was in shock. I was eventually able to exceed the scientific recommendations without stressing myself about it. With this new hydration habit, I no longer follow the “see food” diet, which is to eat food whenever I see it. I also noticed that I started eating fewer calories because the tea filled me up and I believe this has contributed to me losing and keeping off unnecessary weight.
As I think about my new hydration habit and how it helps me stay healthy, I am often reminded that just as hydration is a requirement for your body, it is also a requirement for your soul, the part of you that matters in the end, when all things no longer exist. Jesus encourages those who are thirsty in their souls to come to him and drink. He promises that anyone who drinks this water will never be thirsty again. How do you drink this water for your soul? By believing in Christ and diligently studying and obeying his teachings. This practice of hydrating your soul, like with hydrating your body, must be done daily and in adequate measure to lose the weight of the heavy burdens that you carry. Hydrating your soul by living in obedience to Christ- through loving God and loving others- enables you to enjoy the peace of Christ that guards your heart against mental stress and anxiety and lowers the risk of chronic disease.
So, today how are you going to improve hydration for your body and what changes are you going to make to improve hydration for your soul? It’s your choice to make.
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Great tip on increasing our fluid intake.
Very informative! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Very useful. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽