When August temperatures soar, we find ourselves reaching for a cold drink to quench our thirst and cool off. You've probably heard we should drink about 15.5 cups of fluids a day if you’re a man and about 11.5 cups of fluids a day if you’re a woman. But does that apply to everyone all the time?
The advice varies with weight, body chemistry, medications, gender, the weather, age, altitude, and which experts to believe. One of the benefits of being in our TOPS group is having discussions and doing research to fine tune the issues, and to find out what works for us.
Medical advice generally favours drinking water to assist weight loss, but not always. Water contains zero calories, suppresses hunger, helps to burn fat, and may even make exercise more efficient. Drinking 0.5 liters of water may increase the calories burned for an hour and reduce hunger cravings. Our resting energy expenditure (the metabolic rate of an individual that is resting) can increase by 24% to 30% within 10 minutes of drinking water. This means drinking 0.5 liters of water each day can result in an extra 23 calories burned.
About 20% of our daily fluid intake comes from food and the rest comes from drinks. Even caffeinated drinks contribute to our daily water intake. Experts now say that the extra water you’re getting makes up for the diuretic effects of caffein. But go easy on sugar-sweetened drinks. Soda, energy drinks, and even fruit juices usually contain added sugar and may increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
If you want to add more water to your daily intake, TOPS has a few suggestions. Try purified water. Write yourself a reminder to drink more water. Start slowly and increase your intake a little each day. Keep a jug of water in the fridge if you prefer it cold. Try adding sliced lemon or a splash of juice to your glass of water for flavor. Make fruit ice cubes for a bit of fun! Don't try to drink it all at once! Find a cute cup that you like and use that. Make drinking water part of your daily routine. Homemade soups are also a good source of water.
When we drink too much water, our kidneys have difficulty getting rid of the excess, and the sodium in our blood is diluted. Our fluid intake is probably adequate if we rarely feel thirsty, and our urine is colorless or light yellow. But if it is often clear, we're drinking too much water in a short span. Most healthy people can stay hydrated by drinking water and other liquids whenever they feel thirsty. Thirst is how our body responds to dehydration and should be our guide.
Please join us at TOPS Wednesday mornings at the Community Centre, from 9:00 to 10:00. Our meetings are informative, encouraging, and friendly. We’re a low-cost, international self-help program that welcomes everyone. Check out our website at www.tops.org. (Your first visit is free.) If you want to join us, please call Karen Teager at 250-539-2624.
Submitted by Amber Harvey
References:
Webmd : https://tinyurl.com/3chccrmn
Mayo Clinic: https://tinyurl.com/zd7m34y5
Healthline : https:/ tinyurl.com/2ha6uswd
TOPS ideas: https://tinyurl.com/38x67k59