Why is hydration important?
Water makes up 70% of the human body and is vital for the cells to maintain their vitality. Water consumption is very important for the continuation of human life, because 10% water loss can cause life-threatening symptoms. Therefore, there is a question that everyone should know the answer to: How much water should I drink per day? Although there are several different answers on this subject, 8-10 glasses of water daily is recommended for adults. These amounts vary in pregnant women, athletes and people who do jobs that require high physical activity.
How do I know if I'm drinking enough water?
The feeling of thirst is the most important factor that shows that we do not drink enough water. However, the feeling of thirst can vary for each person, so it is not a reliable indicator of daily water intake. This is especially important for children and the elderly. This feeling may not be as obvious as in adults, therefore urine color should also be considered as an indicator of adequate water intake. The ideal urine color should be transparent. If the urine color is yellow and darker, the person is not drinking enough water. In this case, the amount of water taken daily should be increased until the color of the urine is transparent.
I constantly forget to drink water, what should I do in this case?
Daily work and busy hours may make us forget to drink water and may not like to drink water much. However, it is up to us to find ways to make us like and remind ourselves to drink water. Adding fruits such as strawberries, oranges or lemons to the water we drink to colour and sweeten the water can be a good option for us to like drinking water. Another idea can be to have a water bottle with markings on which tell you how much water you should drink by certain times. Another way to encourage yourself to drink more water is put the water in a place where you can see it at any time. In addition, there are many phone applications to remind you to drink water today, and using them can be a good solution.
A little note: Drinking water may seem like a simple thing, but the consequences are huge. Therefore, please put your health first and give importance to drinking water!