How to Water

Jan 20, 2021 | Food

Water has a special place in my heart, it has a calming effect on my mind, body and soul, it nourishes my inner peace, reconnects me to the universe. After all, I spent the first 9 months of my budding life immersed in water. All sounds were muffled, accompanied by the continuous, rhythmical beating of my mother’s heart. 

Water surrounding Italy

Italy is surrounded by water on 3 sides and also has many beautiful lakes and rivers. The most popular places to go to for an afternoon, on the weekends or over summer vacation are either the sea or a lake.

Water is also a key nutrient in our diet, we can’t survive more than a few days without water. Why is water important? About 70% of our body is made up of water, our cells, our skin, our hair, our brain, our whole body needs this precious liquid to function well. If we don’t drink at least 8 cups of water a day, it is very likely that we will be mildly dehydrated, this will slow down our metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. Plus, water cleans us out, it helps flush out toxins and puts a healthy glow on our skin.

Italians don’t only drink carefully chosen wine with their meals, they always have water at the table, a nice, clear, glass jug of fresh water. No sugar-filled juices, no milk or soft drinks, just good, plain old water. Lemon water with ginger is the first thing I drink as soon as I wake up. The lemon helps get rid of toxins, alkalizes your body and helps digestion by promoting the production of bile. It also has essential nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Ginger is a natural antibiotic, it helps reduce inflammation and picks-up your metabolism.

I try my best to keep hydrated throughout the day…and it’s not always easy to remember. When I start feeling tired and sluggish and notice that my brain is slowing down….I know that I haven’t been drinking enough water.

Below are a few tips on how much water to drink and how best to make drinking water a habit.

How much water to drink:

  • Drink approximately half your body weight in ounces
    • For example, if your body weight is 150 pounds, then you need to drink approximately 75 ounces of water per day.
    • In the metric system, divide your weight in kilograms by 30 and that will tell you how many litres of water you need to drink (60kg / 30 = 2 litres of water).

The amount of water you’ll drink depends on:

  • Your level of activity (how much you sweat)
  • How much caffeine or alcohol you drink daily
    • Both caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating, so be sure you go “1-for-1”
  • The temperature where you live (Super-hot temperatures require more water)

You can tell that you’re drinking enough water when:

  • Urine is on the light side
  • If the urine is dark and there’s not much of it, then you’re likely not drinking enough water
  • Urine is abundant
  • You have to empty your bladder about every two or three hours
  • If you’re going constantly, you could be drinking too much water

NOTE: When you first start to increase water consumption, you WILL be in the bathroom more often than you’re used to, but that will only last a few days and then the body will adjust.

How to drink water when you don’t like the taste of water:

  • Add slices of lemon, lime, cucumber or orange to water
  • Add mint leaves to water
  • Add your favorite flavor Emergency-C to water for sparkle and taste
  • Drink your favorite flavor herbal tea, iced or hot
  • Use a fabulous drinking glass or goblet!
  • Heat water and drink with lemon and ginger

 

Bonus “How To” tips for water:

  • Drink 20 ounces (1-2 glasses) of water first thing in the morning
  • You’ve been asleep for 6 to 10 hours, so it’s time to hydrate!
    • This can even replace morning coffee, as rehydrating the body and brain will lead to clearer thinking and better energy.
  • Keep a lovely pitcher of filtered water in your fridge at home or near your workspace with the amount of water you want to drink each day