Did you know that your body is 60-75% water? Therefore it should be no surprise that how much water you drink can affect your health. We often hear that too little water can cause dehydration, headaches, or fatigue. But did you also know that too little water can lead to weight gain? At Olivera Weight Loss we encourage our patients to drink lots of water, both to help them lose weight and for their overall health.
So how much water should you drink?
Bio-individuality (age, activity, climate, diet, health concerns, etc.) applies not only to food but also to the amount of water our bodies need to function properly. On average, each day men should drink about 3 liters (13 cups) and women about 2.2 liters (9 cups) of water. We also get lots of water from eating fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. So please eat your broccoli!
Soft drinks are NOT water!
Many of our patients arrive overweight and tell us about their consumption of sweetened drinks like Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade, and… the list is endless. But the #1 cause of overweight and obesity in the U.S. is from eating processed foods including sweetened beverages. SO IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT AND BE HEALTHY, AVOID ALL SWEETENED BEVERAGES.
Dehydration
If you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. And if you allow yourself to become dehydrated, your body often thinks it it is hungry and sends signals for you to eat! That’s another reason why our medical staff at Olivera emphasize the importance of drinking water. And drinks like coffee, tea, sodas, alcohol and energy drinks are not water. They contain water but also contain dehydrating agents. So do not treat dehydration with those drinks! (Click on this link for an interesting graphic about the impacts of dehydration on the body.)
Water intake should be