How Much Water Should I Drink A Day?

I’ve had a few emails regarding “how much water should I drink a day” when on a food combining diet or indeed any other diet. So I thought I would write about what I know.

We’re always told that drinking water will help the body get rid of the various toxins that we accumulate.

Well research shows that the body has its own way of getting rid of unwanted toxins via the liver and kidneys, although there is some evidence that water dilutes these toxins to make it easier for the liver to work it doesn’t actually detox the body.

We all know that the human body is composed of mostly water, over two thirds of its mass. Drinking water serves many functions. Firstly, It serves as the temperature regulating force which is an intricate biological air and water cooled system.

Without water (and breathing) the body will overheat and become very acidic, leading to a lot of problems.

In colder climates water also distributes warmth throughout the body, so a proper balance of water intake plays an important role in regulating the body’s temperature. If the delicate water balance is interrupted (i.e., dehydration), it has a negative effect on the function of joints, organs and our physiological and neurological functions.

The problem is “how much water is to much”? Well, if you go with the thought that “more is better” and this is definitely what a lot of so called health gurus are recommending, we should be drinking around 5-6 litres a day.

But is that amount of water really necessary? Could it even be dangerous to drink that much water?

There are many conflicting ideas about the amount of water that we need to consume on a daily basis. Whilst there are concerns about drinking too much water, on the whole, the average person does not drink enough to contribute to a healthy body.

How Do You Know If You Are Drinking Enough Water?

There are a number of symptoms of someone who has an inadequate water intake, dry cough and a raspy voice, muscle stiffness and joint pain, dry skin, brittle hair and nails.

Constipation, abdominal cramps and colic are common when the bowels are dehydrated.

Did you know that if the brain and spinal cord even begin to lose a small amount of their lubricating fluid you can experience headaches, fever and emotional problems?

Knowing what you know now you may decide to simply drink, drink, drink!

But please be aware…

Your kidneys, whose primary function is to regulate fluid levels in the body, can be over worked with too much water. If you are drinking a lot of water and urinating frequently, then you may be drinking more water than you need and putting high stress on your kidneys is not healthy.

Hydrating yourself.

Drinking fruit juices and teas is not the same as drinking water. These nutritious fluids should be a regular part of a food combining diet, but you must also drink an adequate amount of pure water as well.

Soft-drinks, alcohol and artificial drinks are a kind of poison to the human body and an added burden on the liver, pancreas and kidneys.

Caffeinated beverages should be taken sparingly too, if at all, as caffeine acts as a diuretic, which causes the kidneys to eliminate fluids.

Try to get pure and clean water even if it means investing in a water filter.

There are a lot of the trace minerals required by our bodies that come from water.

Artificially distilled water lacks the natural mineral content of normal water.

Mineral water is much better, but be aware not to overdo it, especially if the calcium content is high.

It should be obvious by now that drinking fresh water should be a regular habit. Also rather than gulping down a litre all at once try drinking small amounts at regular intervals. The amount of water needed will vary from person to person.

As a rule of thumb, you should drink at least 2 or 3 litres of fresh water per day.

If you’re not sure whether or not you need water, try listening to your body and recognize the signs and symptoms of dehydration.