Are you drinking enough water? Many health gurus will tell you that drinking water is the most important thing you can do for your health. But did you know that drinking too much water can actually cause dehydration?
In this blog post, I’ll talk about 6 mistakes that you could make when it comes to drinking water, and how to make sure you’re drinking enough without overdoing it.
1.Drinking Too Much Water
Yes, it is possible to drink too much water. Especially if you don’t have enough electrolytes in your body to help absorb the water you are drinking.
Drinking a gallon of water per day is okay, but it depends on a lot of variables like if you’re sweating, exercising, taking electrolytes and sea salt, etc.
If you drink too much water, you can dilute your electrolytes, specifically salt, and create a condition called hypopatremia which is basically a form of dehydration.
2.Drinking Water Too Quickly
It’s a minor point, but when you drink water too fast, the sodium in your blood doesn’t have a chance to help balance the fluid, which is one of sodium’s jobs. When you drink water, do it at a pace that is not too fast.
3.Getting All Your Hydration From Other Fluids
When you’re drinking other fluids like coffee, tea, soda, or alcohol, realize that they can all have a mild diuretic effect which can push fluid out of your body instead of hydrating it.
Also, if you’re on a diuretic, you can become very dehydrated quickly.
4.Drinking Water With Meals
Drinking a good amount of water when you’re eating can dilute your gastric juices like hydrochloric acid, which can weaken your stomach’s ability to digest protein if you already have a weakness in this area.
It’s best to drink water a half hour before or after meals.
5.Drinking Extremely Cold Water In Large Amounts
This is a minor point, but it can inhibit your vagus nerve if your digestive system is already weak.
6.Drinking Tap Water
Many people say that drinking tap water is safe, but there are all sorts of things in tap water that can be unsafe, like chlorine, fluoride, glyphosate, chemicals that affect fertility and hormones, and nano-size particles of plastic. It’s best to get a good filter to filter out the tap water.
Drinking the right amount of water is important for your health, so make sure you’re not making these 6 mistakes when drinking water.
If you want to learn more about how water affects your skin, check out my video right here.
FAQs:
How much water should I drink per day?
It depends on a lot of factors such as your age, weight, activity level, and health. Generally speaking, most health professionals recommend 8 to 10 cups a day.
Is it better to drink room temperature or cold water?
It really depends on personal preference, but some people find that room temperature water is better for their digestion.
