Water is a part of your everyday life. An insufficient water intake can disrupt your dietary needs and impact the quality of your health. It’s essential to stay hydrated to maintain optimum performance and help prevent health risks like poor cardiovascular health and chronic dehydration. Read on to find out more about five common myths about drinking water.

Bottled Water is Better than Tap Water

Nowadays, most people have resorted to drinking bottled water. The primary encourager for this shift is that it is much safer than tap water. However, some bottled water may contain harmful toxins.
Plastic water bottles, storage containers and other products are manufactured using a chemical known as Bisphenol A (BPA). Traces of BPA can make their way into the bottled water you drink. Over time, it can correlate with increased risk of diseases like worsening cardiovascular health, kidney and liver damage and development and fertility challenges for child-bearing women.

You Must Drink 8 Glasses of Water Daily

Did you know the water you need to drink will vary according to your health needs? There is inconclusive evidence that you should drink eight glasses of water daily. While there are circumstances that require you to increase your water consumption, it is still a case-by-case scenario and shouldn’t be applied broadly.
Research also suggests that if you are considered a healthy person with a diet high in fruits and vegetables, there’s no reason to drink water in large quantities. Certain foods like eggs and watermelon can improve the water required in your system. Additionally, when your diet consists of water-rich foods, it enhances the production of small amounts of water when your body breaks down nutrients.

Drinking Water Helps You Lose Weight

Hydration is vital in ensuring your body maintains its core functions, from metabolism to digestion and proper muscle performance. When you start your healthy journey, drinking water is one of the things that are highly recommended. Drinking plenty of water can help you flush out toxins and improve the regulation of your bodily systems.
However, weight loss is more complex than you might think. While there are indirect benefits that can improve your weight loss journey, it’s not always the same for everyone. For instance, drinking water before a meal should make you feel fuller, which assists in reducing the number of calories you consume.
If you are trying to lose weight, increasing how much water you drink can benefit you in these ways:

• It can effectively optimise your workouts to reduce the risk of fatigue.
• It boosts metabolism, which is essential for burning calories.
• It reduces your liquid calorie intake from specific beverages like alcohol and energy drinks.
• It filters toxins and retains vital nutrients.

Water is the Only Way to Stay Hydrated

Some people don’t like the taste of water and choose other alternatives to help them stay hydrated throughout the day. Water isn’t the only way you can stay hydrated. Some healthy foods and beverages improve your water intake requirements to maintain necessary bodily functions.

According to research, the amount of fluids you need to stay hydrated depends on your age, environment, weight, and nutritional requirements. It’s crucial to understand your overall health to consider when you can choose other ways to keep up with your daily water intake needs. These are other options you can include to replenish yourself:

• Include oatmeal in your diet.
• Alternate the carbohydrates in your diet.
• Consider fruit smoothies.
• Increase green vegetables in your diet.
• Try out different soups.

Being Thirsty Means You’re Dehydrated

Being thirsty indicates that your body is starting to run low on water. It’s a normal cycle during your day; feeling thirsty should be addressed immediately. This is why it’s recommended that you keep hydrating as the day goes on.

However, being thirsty doesn’t mean you are dehydrated. Dehydration is a severe symptom of your body losing more fluid than it’s taking in. In most cases, it occurs during extremely hot weather conditions, and symptoms can include:

• Fatigue.
• Confusion or dizziness.
• Extreme thirst.
• Less frequent urination.
• Failure to keep fluids down.

Water is an essential part of maintaining your health. Having enough liquids to keep you hydrated can help improve your health needs. However, if you don’t get the recommended eight glasses of water daily, there are other ways to stay hydrated as you tackle your everyday life.

When you think about staying hydrated, you should focus on how you can benefit your health and stay on top of your goals, like weight loss and diet. Affinity Health provides excellent coverage that ensures your health remains a priority. If you suffer from chronic dehydration, you can speak to a Doctor or Nurse to provide an efficient diagnosis and prescribe the proper treatment.