Why do we need water?

You have probably heard it a million times: "Don't forget to drink!" or "You need to drink more!" Have you ever been to a doctor and have them look at your skin and tell you how much more you need to drink? That is because water is essential to our lives. But you probably know that. But if you are anything like myself, you might be aware of how important water is to our health but were never really told how much of an impact water really has, or how lucky we are to even have access to water? Let's dive into the subject and highlight some interesting facts, you probably didn't know yet.

I think the most important lesson I have learned in my life is that, water is one of the most valuable goods on our planet. Without water, there is no life. If our water is gone, it is gone. It is not an essence we can simply create. Of course, there are ways to get water through condensation and other means, but we cannot produce the amount we need. We need it to drink, to grow our food, to feed our animals, to produce things and to function properly. 

If we take a look at our planet and the overall availability of water, we have access to only 0.3% of the world's water resources. That is because roughly 97 % is our ocean water and 2.5 % is fresh water. But unfortunately this water is not available for everyone, is hidden in ice caps or underground. And from that percentage, we now need to ask ourselves, how much of that is actually clean to drink?

Did you know that our body is made out of more than 70% of water (depending on the individual)?

Most people on this planet are chronically dehydrated! Which can lead to some serious issues.

• Organ dysfunction
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Heat injury
• Cognitive impairment
• Increased risk of falls and infections
• Mortality
• Lack of energy
• Headaches
• Brain fog
• Decrease in memory

How much water you need to drink depends on various factors like your activity level, age, health conditions, height, weight, gender and other factors. If you want to learn more about your individual water intake, please contact a health professional, doctor or even dietitian (I am not certified not am I a doctor). I can only give you some guidelines, according to the Institute of Medicine.

- Men should be drinking about 3 liters of water each day.

- Women should aim to drink just over 2 liters of water each day. Pregnant women should drink a little bit more and if you are breastfeeding as well.

- Kids and teens should aim for roughly 1.5–1.5 liters of water. 

- Eating fresh fruit and vegetables also helps with getting your fluids in.

Yes, you can drink too much. Usually, most of us have to worry mainly about drinking enough than too much, but it is important to know that overdoing it can be fatal. As always, balance is key! Please refer to a doctor if you have questions, or check out this article on the Cleveland Clinic website.

These are just some examples, but are important to recognize. So don't just go out there and chug your water. Be mindful and aware of your resources and environment and make sure you hit your target goal in order to fuel your body to the best of its ability.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no my friends, coffee does not count. Neither are juices nor energy drinks! You are right in saying it provides a level of hydration (and is probably still better than nothing) but we need to think about the effects it has on our body. Don't even get me started on energy drinks. People who consume energy drinks experience elevated blood pressure and can increase health issues, especially if combined with alcohol. The added sugars, caffeine and additives are also not beneficial to our overall health. Check out this Harvard blog if you want to learn more. 
Again like everything in life, balance is key but if we are talking about hydration, water is our only real solution!