Best Times to Drink Water: Every cell in our body needs water. Without water, all the vital functions of the body, such as digestion, blood circulation, proper functioning of the lungs and brain function, are affected. Florida-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Sarah Krieger explains that if your goal is to drink more water, then it is an important step towards a healthy lifestyle. Lack of water in our body can cause fatigue, dizziness, and many other health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the habit of drinking water in the right way and consume the right amount of water throughout the day. It is also important to know at what time of the day drinking water is more beneficial for your health. Drinking water at the right time not only maintains your energy level, but it also improves the digestive process, which makes the removal of toxins from the body smooth.
How to decide the amount of water to drink daily?
Determining the right amount of water to drink depends largely on your age, weight, lifestyle, and environment. Sarah Krieger advises her clients to take their body weight in pounds and divide it by half and drink that many ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink about 70 ounces or about 9 cups, of fluids. This amount can be increased depending on the weather, your physical activity, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or any illness. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, men are generally advised to drink at least 13 cups (8-ounce cups) of fluids a day and women 9 cups or more. This amount of water includes not only clean water but also fluids such as juice, soup, tea, and coffee. However, water should be given priority because it hydrates the body without calories and sugar.
Know these 7 right occasions to drink water throughout the day.
1. Drink 1-2 cups of water as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Many people consume coffee or tea first thing in the morning, but in reality one or two cups of water should be drunk first. This is important because you do not drink water throughout the night, due to which there is a lack of water in the body and you feel a little dehydrated. Drinking water at this time keeps your body hydrated and it creates a good base for starting the day. Apart from this, if you take any medicine in the morning, then drinking water helps the medicines dissolve better in the body. Coffee is also counted among liquids, but since it contains caffeine, it should not be considered a substitute for water. Although a study has also found that drinking coffee in moderate amounts does not dehydrate the body, still water intake should be primary.
2. A glass of water before meals helps control appetite.
Drinking water before meals can be a simple and effective way to control weight. According to Connecticut dietitian Melissa Mitry, drinking a cup of water before a meal makes you feel full quickly, which prevents unnecessary overeating. A study published in 2018 proved that people who drank water before meals ate less food and were as satisfied as those who did not drink water. The special thing is that drinking cold water controls hunger even better. According to another study, people who drank cold water at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, i.e., about 1.6 degrees Celsius, ate less food than those who drank hot or warm water. Cold water slows down the digestion process, which reduces hunger.
3. Drinking water while eating is good for digestion.
Water consumption is also necessary with food, as it makes the digestion process simple and effective. Especially if you are taking a fiber-rich diet, the need for water increases even more. Fiber absorbs water in your digestive system, which softens the stool and keeps constipation away. If you eat vegetarian or include fruits, vegetables and pulses in your diet, it is important to drink water along with it so that the fiber can do its job properly. Without this, fiber can feel dry in the intestines and cause digestive problems.
4. If you feel tired in the afternoon, drink water instead of coffee.
After noon, often around 3 pm, there is a lack of energy in the body, which many people call “mid-afternoon slump.” At this time there is a desire to take coffee or caffeinated drinks, but this can have a negative effect on sleep. According to Melissa Mitry, taking caffeine even six hours before bedtime can affect sleep. Apart from this, breakfast with high sugar also causes a crash after an energy spike. Therefore, instead of these options, you should focus on the real cause of fatigue, i.e., lack of water. A review published in 2019 found that dehydration not only causes fatigue but can also cause mental problems like anger, confusion and depression. Therefore, drinking water regularly will be helpful in keeping your energy and mood stable.
5. Drinking water is beneficial in case of headache.
A common cause of headache can be lack of water in the body. According to the National Headache Foundation, headache can be a sign of dehydration and it can also trigger migraine pain. It is very important for migraine patients to drink water and stay hydrated because a study published in 2020 found that drinking water reduced both the intensity, frequency, and duration of migraine. This can cause headaches. Therefore, whenever you feel a headache, first of all you should drink enough water and then adopt other measures.
6. Drink water properly before, during and after exercise.
It is very important to take care of hydration while exercising. Krieger says that one should start drinking water a day or two before exercise so that the body is already hydrated. It is not advisable to drink a lot of water just before starting exercise, as it can cause heaviness and discomfort in the stomach. One should drink a cup of water about 30 minutes before moderate exercise such as brisk morning walks, jogging or light cycling and keep drinking small amounts of water during exercise. It is also very important to drink water after the exercise is over so that the water lost through sweat can be returned to the body. According to the Cleveland Clinic, special attention should be paid to hydration before long runs or strenuous exercise. A 2019 study also found that if you go into an endurance race in a slightly dehydrated state, your performance may decrease.
7. Keep some water before bed, but do not drink too much.
Drinking too much water while sleeping leads to frequent bathroom visits at night, which interrupts sleep and the body is not able to rest completely. Therefore, drinking more than two cups of water just before bedtime is not considered right. But it can be beneficial to keep a glass of water near the bed so that you can drink water comfortably when needed. Especially for those who have a dry mouth after taking medicines or suddenly feel thirsty late at night, this habit proves to be helpful.
Some easy and effective tips to form a habit of drinking water
Forming a habit of drinking water can be challenging for some people because sometimes water does not have any special taste, so people drink it less. To make it easy and interesting, you can choose the temperature of the water according to your choice, such as room temperature or cold water with ice. You can also use filtered water or straight tap water. Some people add lemon, cucumber or orange slices to water to make it taste better. Also, you can keep a water bottle at your workplace, near your bed or near your mobile to constantly remind you to drink water. It is also helpful to set a fixed number of bottles, such as drinking four times a day from a 500 ml bottle. This will help you meet your water-drinking goal without any struggle, says Sarah Krieger. Apart from this, to make your water-drinking habit fun, you can take the help of mobile apps like Plant Nanny or Made for, which motivate you to stay hydrated constantly. These apps make drinking water a challenge, strengthen your habit and increase your awareness of your health.
Conclusion
Drinking water is absolutely necessary for good health and it is also important to know at what time of the day drinking water is most beneficial. Drinking water as soon as you wake up in the morning refreshes the body, water before meals controls hunger, and drinking water during and after exercise improves your performance. Also, drinking water at signs like fatigue or headache can prevent many health problems. By developing the right habit of drinking water, you can not only keep your body healthy but also maintain better energy, glowing skin and mental balance. So make water an integral part of your daily routine from today and move towards a healthy life.
