Top health benefits of drinking water (when to drink, how much to drink)

Although everybody knows about the importance of drinking water, very few actually drink adequate amount of water everyday.

And that’s not all!

There are many fitness enthusiasts, who workout regularly, have some sort of misconception when it comes to drinking water.

There are many who avoid drinking water during workouts and wait till the end of their workout session (which is around an hour or so) before they drink water.

This is obviously not healthy!

While you don’t have to gulp down a whole bottle of water every now and then, its perfectly fine to have small sips of water frequently (even if you’re doing only weights that day).

Drinking water while exercising helps to regulate the body’s temperature.

Advantages of Drinking Water

Here are some more benefits of drinking water, and also tips related to drinking water:

• In general, its important to drink sufficient amount of water to rid the body of toxins and also to deliver essential nutrients to the cells in the body.
• Drinking ample amount of water speeds up the metabolism. Water aids in digestion and keeps our bodies hydrated.
• Water improves the functioning of kidneys
• Water is good for the skin as well. It stimulates the circulation of blood and regulates your skin’s natural balance. Water oxygenates the skin and helps replace the moisture that your face loses through various means.
• Our brain needs oxygen, which is supplied by breathing and water. The more oxygen your brain gets, the better it functions. Drinking water frequently and in proper amounts will definitely help your bran function better.
• Some skincare specialists recommend drinking lemon water for acne problems.You may also consume warm water.
• Warm water helps keep the food in semi-liquid form, which aids in digestion.
• People suffering from acidity can benefit by drinking warm water

How Much Water to Drink?

• Its important to drink around eight glasses of water per day.
• Drinking water before your meals is a great way to cut down on extra calories.
• A squeeze of lemon to your water (or to your unsweetened tea) is a great way to add flavor without additional calories.

How to know if you’re drinking adequate amount of water?
Its simple! Just look at the color of your urine.

If you’re drinking adequate amount of water, your urine should be lightly colored (unless you’re taking some vitamins that are high in iron which can make the urine darker).

The water leaving from a properly hydrated body should almost be clear.

Have Less Water at Night

You should reduce intake of water as night approaches, and avoid drinking lots of water before going to bed. Too much of water (similar to too less of water) could affect vital organs adversely.

1. The most obvious reason is that it will make you feel like urinating in the middle of the night, thereby disturbing your sleep. Also, since the body is not active at night, excess water is not drained out efficiently.
2. The urinary bladder is elastic in nature and contracts and expands accordingly, upon drinking water. During the night it should be left to remain in its original state as Drinking too much of water before going to bed makes the bladder expanded through most of the night (its natural function is to expand and contract) as the water is not able to pass out of the body. When this happens night after night, it could harm the bladder.
3. Drinking too much water before sleep could also lead to the dropping of the salt level in the body. In the worst case, it could cause swelling of the brain and affect the nervous system, which can cause seizures and other related neurological problems (could happen only when a person drinks much more water than required)

Special ‘Water Bell’ reminds school students to drink water

These schools ring special ‘Water Bell’ to remind school students to drink enough water during the day. The feedback, in general, has been positive from all the quarters, including parents.

Several schools in Kerala, including the Green Dome Public School in Thiruvananthapuram has introduced a unique idea to encourage students to drink water and stay healthy. A special interval called ‘Water Bell’ is given to students every day at a fixed time. This innovative step was taken by its physical education department.

Schools in Kerala ring Water Bell thrice a day to ensure children drink enough water throughout the day. Schools have started using this practice as there were lot of health issues (such as mild dehydration and in many cases urinary infection and kidney stones) among students, especially girls, for not drinking sufficient water.

The quantity of water one should drink depends on various factors such as gender, age and weight. Mild dehydration can cause health issues such as headache, irritability, poor physical performance such as fatigue and poor endurance, and may also face difficulty in learning. In the long term, chronic lack of fluids can affect kidneys, liver, brain and and can lead to constipation.

United Nations guidelines states that every child should have access to safe drinking water and that it is a fundamental human right. While most schools now provide safe drinking water, lack of clean toilets is still a concern in several schools, which prevents several students, especially girls, from drinking water during school hours.

However, in schools with access to clean drinking water and clean toilets, there is no mechanism to ensure that every child drinks adequate water, so the water bell concept is quite unique that way, and that is why its popularity is gradually picking up in schools.

We feel water bell should be mandated in all schools in the country.

Closing Thoughts

Start drinking water as much as possible from now on, aim for the 8 glasses every day. You’ll enjoy the several health benefits that drinking water provides.