QuestionI recently read the following. Has anyone heard about it? Can you elaborate?
"Can you please elaborate on the following.... how do you know what is enough and when is enough?
On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. Once this happens you have reached the "breakthrough point". What does this mean?
Endocrine-gland function improves.
Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
Natural thirst returns.
There is loss of hunger almost overnight.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough"."
AnswerAmanda,
Essentially, 90% of the above information is untrue and misleading.
First of all, there's NO evidence that 64 oz of water is the right amount. Your kidneys are able to keep your body in perfect water balance as long as you drink between 16 oz and 6 gallons of water daily. Fluid retention is caused by excess salt intake, not too little or too much water intake.
So what part of that information really is true?
First, the larger you are, the more water you should drink. That should be pretty obvious. Second, drinking cold beverages (or eating cold food) does cause your body to burn more calories. Most experts think that drinking a 16 oz bottle of ice water burns about 5-10 calories.
People trying to lose weight can benefit from drinking extra water, cold or not, because it fills your stomach, and because many people will eat when they are actually just thirsty.
How do you know the right amount of water? Keep an eye on the toilet bowl. Dark urine means that your kidneys are working hard to concentrate your urine, and concentrated urine can eventually lead to kidney stones. Pale means that you're OK.
So don't worry-even if you don't drink the full 64 oz of daily water, your glands are fine, your liver is working, and whether or not you're using fat for fuel depends on when your last carbohydrate meal was, not your water intake!
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