1) How much water should I drink a day? The rule of thumb is 1ml/calorie. If you're counting calories and are on 1,000 Kcals/day, your guideline a 1 quart/day. The 2,000 USDA standard diet would then ask for 2 quarts/day. If you follow a high-protein/low-carb diet, you may need to drink a little more, because it takes water to eliminate protein wastes (nitrogen). If you follow a high-vegetable & fruit diet, you may need less because fruits and vegetables are water-rich.
Another consideration is how much you exercise and how much you sweat.
One good way to know is to look at your urine. If it's dark yellow, you probably don't drink enough water. If it's clear of very pale yellow, you probably drink too much. You urine should be a light straw color.
2) Could I drink too much water? Yes, and this can cause a "dilution syndrome" or hyponatremia, and you might feel lightheaded.
3) Could drinking ice-cold water hurt me? Aside from giving you a "brain freeze," stomach cramps or even gut cramps, ice-cold water is not really dangerous. Just uncomfortable.
4) Tap water or bottle water? Bottled water has no nutritional advantage. Actually, it may contain fewer minerals than tap water and poses a higher risk for bacterial contamination. City water is highly tested and water districts do their utmost to keep their water of high quality. City tap water, by law, contains fluoride. The downside of city tap water is the chlorine taste. To avoid that, you may fill up a water pitcher and keep it out or in the refrigerator. Chlorine evaporates and the taste disappears quickly. Filtration, unfortunately, removes many desirable minerals, and is a personal choice.
Water is good for you, and should be the drink of choice. Want to slim down, avoid insulin resistance and get rid of body wastes? Stay away from sodas and drink water instead.
WATER, it's a healthy thing.
Until next time.
domino marie
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Thanks for making me thirsty... grabbing a glass right now!
ReplyDeleteGood boy, Dave... Here's to you!
ReplyDelete