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Keeping Hydrated isn’t all about 8 Glasses of Water a Day

January 20, 2017 (UPDATED: May 16, 2020) by Mary Voogt, NTP (Contributing Writer) 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

How Much Water Should You Drink

Everybody needs water to survive. It’s a fact.

But did you know not everyone needs the same amount? Eight glasses a day is not a rule you need to follow. In fact it was never recommended in the first place. You can read about how that came about and why it’s not true here.

This post – and that gorgeous water bottle – is sponsored by MightyNest. Watch for a special offer for you this week!

Dehydration Is Real

Recently my dad had knee surgery to repair a shattered knee cap. After surgery he was on high dose pain pills for the first few days. If you’ve ever taken pain pills you know what they do to you besides relieving pain. They dry out pretty much everything, causing problems with your kidneys and your bowels.

My dad struggled to drink his normal amount of fluids, let alone extra to compensate. And he ended up back in the hospital with severe dehydration (thankfully he did recover very quickly). Lesson learned. Sometimes you really need to be careful about your water intake.

But unless you’ve just had surgery or are on medication with a lot of yucky side effects you’re probably not in an extreme case like my dad. You might even be at the opposite end of the spectrum where drinking more water will actually make things worse.

So just how much water should you drink? And why?

How Much Water Should You Drink

Here are some common reasons to consider drinking plenty of water.

1. Prevent Dehydration

Water helps you stay hydrated. According to WebMD “Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids.” Our body is made up of around 60 – 70% water. It makes sense that we need water to maintain this level.

This water can come from other sources, such as fresh fruits and vegetables too. However you get it, your body needs water for hydration.

2. Improve Digestion

If you go to any gastroenterologist complaining of constipation he or she will tell you to drink more water and increase fiber. Yes, our bowels need water to move waste through. I have found, however, that the fiber aspect is not necessarily the way to go (this comes from someone who’s gone through every GI test possible and has had major colon surgery).

Mayo Clinic states that “water and other liquids help break down food so that your body can absorb the nutrients. Water also softens stool, which helps prevent constipation.” Your body does need a certain amount of water for a healthy digestive system.

3. Get Clear Skin

The appearance of your skin says a lot about your overall health. It is a big organ that needs care just like the rest of you.

UW Health says “skin is an organ, and just like any other part of the body. Your skin is made up of cells. Skin cells, like any other cell in the body, are made up of water. Without water, the organs will certainly not function properly or at their best.

If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.”

Especially in the dry, winter months your skin needs plenty of hydration.

Please note that not everyone agrees on the theory that more water equals better skin.

4. Save Money

As a steward of my finances I always like to save money when I can. Drinking water instead of other beverages is a great way to do just that!

Whether you are at home, on the go or eating at a restaurant, drinking water is about the easiest way to save money.

Ready to save money on a new glass water bottle? Mighty Nest is offering this Lifefactory water bottle valued at $17.99 for only $5 when you sign up for their monthly MightyFix. Bonus your first Mighty Fix is only $5, thats 50% off!Mighty Fix glass water bottle promo

What is The MightyFix?

The MightyFix is a powerful little way to make small changes without even having to think about it. And rather than the extravagance of most subscriptions, every item is something you can truly use in your home, something sustainable and eco-friendly. It may be the catalyst you need to make one more change, one step toward better stewardship, every month.

You’re guaranteed to get an item worth more than the cost of your subscription, plus you get free shipping (and can add anything else you like to your order, which is another one of my favorite parts – seriously, nothing gets in my craw more than paying shipping when I need something!).

This is a subscription box that eschews extravagance and expense in favor of practicality and value – it hits it out of park for regular families! 

Just use the code KITCHENWATERBOTTLE at check out or click here.

5. Cut Calories

Did you know that on average we consume about 400 calories a day from beverages? That’s almost a whole meal’s worth of calories! Not to mention most of those calories come in the form of sugar (and probably not the natural kind).

Drinking water is a very simple way to cut calories from sweets. Then you can replace them with nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, pastured meats and healthy fats.

Why You Might Not Want To Drink So Much Water

How Much Water Should You Drink

Those are all very valid reasons to keep drinking water. But that doesn’t mean that more is always better. Sometimes you actually need less water.

If you’re worn out, not getting enough sleep, coping with a lot of stress, over-exercising or not fueling your body with enough calories (did I just describe every mom in the world?) you might want to think twice about drinking glass after glass of water.

I explained here why I stopped drinking so much water and how it significantly improved my health. Yes, improved! I have more energy, better digestion, and I’m not freezing all the time anymore. It’s been three years since I set down the water bottle and I’ve never felt better.

Too much water can actually flush crucial minerals from your body. It can also lower your metabolism!

You can read about why I stopped drinking so much water here.

Thirsty?

Has all this talk about water made you thirsty? Yes, I too get thirsty. But very rarely does water sound appealing or thirst-quenching to me (to be quite honest I’m not a big fan of plain water and don’t drink it much…stressed out adrenals will do that to you).

I still stay hydrated…just not with plain water. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables every day and make sure my liquids are truly hydrating. Being the real foodie, money saver I am I also believe in carrying my own drinks with me.

Some of my favorites are homemade pink lemonade (like Gatorade but with real ingredients), smoothies (two of our favorites are blueberry spinach and squash cherry) and molasses water (simply add a bit of molasses and sea salt to water for a boost of minerals).

How Much Water Should You Drink

Make It Fun

Exercising is more fun when you have cute, new clothes to wear. Am I right? Well, staying hydrated is more fun with a stylish container!

I love this glass bottle from my MightyFix! It is the perfect size – 12 oz. So many water bottles are so big they are a pain to carry around. Not to mention they hold way more liquid than I need. The wide mouth makes it the perfect bottle for smoothies and juicing.

Glass is a great way to avoid things like BPA and other chemicals. The silicone sleeve makes it safe and easy to carry. Plus the handle works well for clipping the bottle onto your bag!

The bright colors are great too…maybe one more incentive to exercise? Get a water bottle that coordinates with your new clothes.

My kids love this bottle! My toddler (known for confiscating any new container and filling it with random objects) tried to run away with it. All three kids were wondering who got to use it first. I might have to get a few more!

Don’t miss your chance to grab this bottle for only $5! Use the button below (new subscribers only) to claim this incredible offer:

YES! Send me the water bottle for $5!

Details on how MightyFix works:

  • Click this link to have the discount automatically applied to your cart. You’re guaranteed to get the glass water bottle for only $5! (New subscribers only.)
  • Choose the full year MightyFix or the $10 for one month version – either will take $5 off automatically and give you free shipping. (The MightyFix item is guaranteed to always be worth more than $10.)
  • Choose your school and MightyNest will give back 15% of your purchase. Every month!
  • Fill out your payment information and your new water bottle will be on its way!
  • Watch for future MightyFix boxes, once a month, and don’t forget to add anything else you need to your order (like dishsoap, lunchboxes, baking supplies – or a new divided bento from Lunchbots!) to take advantage of the free shipping.
  • You can be a subscriber for as long or short as makes sense for you; there’s no mandatory subscription period. The MightyFix is available in Canada too, which I know will make many of my northern friends happy as they are often left out of stuff like this! Woo hoo!

How much water should you drink?

I can’t answer that. It’s different for every person and varies every day. But you can use a fun water bottle to meet whatever your fluid needs!

And remember that key point – your body needs fluids every day. But it does not all have to come in the form of plain water. It comes from your food and other liquids too.

How Much Water Should You Drink

How much water do you drink? What is your beverage of choice to take with you on the go?
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You've probably seen 1000s of products recommended by bloggers you follow...but what would you ACTUALLY use?

Filed Under: Natural Health, Save Money, The Reviews Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, natural health, product review, water

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About Mary Voogt, NTP (Contributing Writer)

Mary is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, feeding expert, and a homeschooling mother of four (used to be) selective eaters. She has a passion for real food and can help you navigate the world of feeding challenges. In her world, there are no picky eaters! Mary often shares real food Instant Pot recipes, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, and about how she has helped her own children as well as others overcome their feeding challenges and work through food allergies.

She blogs about her passion for homemade food, her knowledge about allergies and her life with young children with feeding challenges at Just Take A Bite. Mary strives to give hope to moms that feeding kids well can be done. Learn how with her Eating Styles eCourse.

Read Mary's bio.

11 Bites of Conversation So Far

  1. j says

    February 27, 2020 at 6:56 am

    I love your site and your blog and your FB page. I just recommended you to a young mom friend this morning who was asking for stainless water bottle recommendations for her kids. Thank you for all the research and reviews you do for us, saving us lots of time! Happy Blogoversary!

    Reply
    • Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says

      February 29, 2020 at 11:17 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Anna Steve says

    October 15, 2019 at 7:06 am

    Water does not really keep you hydrated as it passes directly to the kidneys and is passed as urine. in the medical field to keep someone hydrated they use a solution called Ringer;s solution” which cotains electrolytes which make the solution similar to the body’s water content. the nearest you can get to that commercially are the sports drinks which contain some electrolytes. you can maintain hydration with https://calculator-online.net/water-intake-calculator/.

    Reply
  3. Amanda says

    January 25, 2017 at 10:28 am

    I am trying to sign up and buy the water bottle, but the pricing is different tahn what your blog post says. Did I miss the deadline?! It is taking $5 off and the subscription for the first month is $10. I love the idea of this fun subscribtion! Thank you for all of your wonderful blog posts 🙂

    Reply
    • Laura Snell says

      January 26, 2017 at 11:41 am

      Hi Amanda! You didn’t miss the deadline, you’re actually doing it just right. You’re actually signing up for a monthly subscription, and the discount is for $5 off the first month (the water bottle is this month’s product). You are able to cancel your subscription at any time, even right away after your water bottle ships, but Mighty Nest’s hope is that you’ll like the subscription service so much that you’ll stick around for a while. 🙂

      Hope that helps! – Laura, KS Team Member

      Reply
  4. Linda says

    January 24, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    How much molasses and sea salt do you put in a glass of water?

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      January 24, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      I add to taste, Linda. Maybe 1 Tbsp. molasses and 1/8 tsp. salt for a cup of water. I never measure, though. Try that to start and adjust to how you like it.

      Reply
  5. Staci says

    January 24, 2017 at 8:47 am

    I’ve been told by a few doctors that a good rule of thumb is to take your weight in pounds, cut it in half, and that’s how many ounces of fluid you should consume each day (but yes, not all of that needs to come from water specifically)

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      January 24, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      That is another common recommendation, Staci. Though, again, I’m not sure it has a legitimate reason behind it. That’s why I am a big fan of listening to your own body. There is no formula that can tell you how tired or thirsty or whatever you are on any given day.

      Reply
  6. Hélène says

    January 20, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Dr Eric Berg talks about not needing to drink lakes of water daily too, google him!

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      January 24, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks for the suggestion, Helene!

      Reply

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