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Do you drink enough water? do the check

Do you drink enough water? do the check

Okay, it's not the most exciting drink, but it is very important for your body to function optimally:water. How much water do you drink per day and is it enough?

You read it regularly:it is best to drink eight glasses of water a day. But is that really true? Does that apply to everyone?

dr. Drew Sinatra tells Realsimple.com that it's different for everyone. “Water transports nutrients through your body. Water is important to regulate your body temperature (sweating removes heat and cools your body). By drinking water you can remove toxins, prevent constipation, improve your concentration, your skin becomes more elastic, you get more energy and a better mood. It's good for your health." All your cells in your body need water and that is why it is important to drink enough.

Read also: Is it always necessary to drink while exercising?

How much?

According to Sinatra, how much water you should drink depends on a number of factors:

  • Your age
  • The activities you are doing
  • Your diet
  • The climate
  • Swallowing certain medicines

Various studies show that an average healthy adult should drink about eight glasses a day. This can be water or drinks that contain water, but also food that contains a lot of water, such as cucumber.

Urine

Your pee is a good indicator of whether you are taking in enough fluids. For example, the frequency and color of your pee can tell you a lot. “Peating once every 90 minutes to two hours is very normal. If your urine is a dark color and you urinate every six hours or more, you are drinking too little. If you have to urinate every half hour and your urine is very clear, you are drinking too much.”

Skin

You can also tell by your skin whether you are drinking enough. Squeeze the skin on the top of your hand for a moment, then release. If your skin quickly changes back to its current shape, you are drinking enough, if it takes a while before your skin is normal again, you are dehydrated.

Other symptoms of fluid deficiency are dizziness, fatigue and forgetfulness.

How to make drinking water 'fun'

As we said before, water is not really an exciting drink. Fortunately, there are ways to make water tasty. You can add fruit or vegetables to it. But there are also many fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of moisture.

Fruits

  • Coconut water (contains 95% water)
  • Watermelon (contains 92% water)
  • Strawberries (contains 91% water)
  • Grapefruit (contains 91% water)
  • Peach (contains 88% water)
  • Pineapple (contains 87% water)
  • Orange (contains 87% water)

Vegetables

  • Iceberg lettuce (contains 96% water)
  • Cucumber (contains 95% water)
  • Zucchini (contains 94% water)
  • Tomatoes (contains 94% water)
  • Cauliflower (contains 92% water)
  • Cabbage (contains 92% water)
  • Spinach (contains 92% water)

Soup

Another way to 'eat' more fluid is soup! Sinatra:“Don't use too much salt, but a little salt is good for your hydration.”

Here are some recipes for delicious soups:

  • Hawaiian bean vegetable soup
  • Roasted bell pepper soup with chickpeas
  • Cold pear soup with herbal sorbet and fruit skewers

A few last tips

dr. Drew Sinatra has a few more tips:

  • Do not eat too much salt, because that can disrupt the hydration of your body
  • Don't drink too much coffee. “Coffee acts like a water pill, which means you don't retain enough fluid in your body. I tell my patients to drink a glass of water with every cup of coffee.”
  • And that goes for alcohol too!