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Water


I used to drink a lot of water everyday. When I was still nursing LN I was making liquid, so I had a water bottle with me at all times. I would try and drink eight to ten ounces every time I nursed. Surprisingly, I didn't have to pee all that often. Now I frequently go to the gym, only to forget my water bottle at home. I make do with quick trips to the fountain between sets and before and after my run. By the time I get home I'm so thirsty that I drown about twelve ounces in one gulp. I pour another glass and it sits there on the counter until dinner time.

I've been getting headaches the past week or so. Fairly painful, I tried giving up coffee, but they only got worse. So I've cut back to one cup in the morning; two if I can feel it being 'one of those days'. It seems to have worked, for the time being. Instead of the coffee I'm trying to drink more tea and definitely more water. I was under the impression that an average adult needed to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to maintain a healthy, functioning system. That always seemed like a lot to me...so I Googled it to see if my memory was correct.

It was and it wasn't.

It's true that for years people have been told to drink eight, eight ounce glasses of water per day. However, I found many articles stating that the eight ounces a day factoid was a myth. Researchers have found no medical reason for an intake of water that high everyday. The kidneys have no problem flushing out our systems and we can stay well hydrated if we drink less or even no water throughout the day. So where did this myth come from?

"...the notion may have started when the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council recommended approximately "1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food," which would amount to roughly two to two-and-a-half quarts per day (64 to 80 ounces). Although in its next sentence, the Board stated "most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods," that last sentence may have been missed, so that the recommendation was erroneously interpreted as how much water one should drink each day."

Hm. Makes sense to me. Especially if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, many of which are mainly made up of water. Or do you eat a lot of soup? Surprise, that's a lot of liquid too! So what does this have to do with my headaches? Well, to be honest, I am not sure. It makes sense to me that if I drink coffee, which makes me use the bathroom, I should probably replace my body's fluids. Same goes with exercising. If I sweat, I should probably drink more water. Especially in the winter when the air around here could dry you out like a mummy. Duh. (I'm sure you're all rolling your eyes at my brilliance.)

So here I sit typing, thinking about water, with a glass half full (yep, I'm that type of gal) sitting next to me. No headache today, although I forgot my water bottle at home when I was at the gym today. I forgot my towel too, which makes for an interesting story too; especially if you realize it after you've come out of the shower.


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