HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I DRINK? IF had a dollar for every time I get asked that question. Water is so important that the Center for Disease Control dedicated this past week to drinking water.
You should not need a nationally recognized organization to tell you the importance of drinking water. But you might need one to remind you how lucky you are for having one of the safest drinking water supplies in the world.
The research I did to earn my master’s of Science in Nutrition was on the study of water and weight management.
Actually, I looked at other people’s research and came up with a big conclusion. Water is the key to long term weight management. Water is a macro-nutrient, like carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Unlike those other big nutrients, however, water does not supply any calories; not a single one. Yet, water can make up the largest proportion of your food.
Water adds only good things to food and beverages. For one thing, the addition of water to food helps you eat fewer calories in the long run.
When it comes to hunger and satiety, your body wants bulk, to a point. You can not simply drink water all day and think that you will never be hungry. But adding water to foods and choosing more water-rich ingredients will add bulk and will help to reduce your overall calorie intake. To do this, simply eat more soups, salads, vegetables and fruits, and yes, drink water.
Exactly how much water you need is always up for debate. When we talk about purely drinking the stuff, the numbers vary from six to 10 of those all-pervasive eight ounce glasses.
Perhaps that is why eight (8 ounce) glasses has been thrown out there so often, being a happy medium and all. According to the World Health Organization the average person needs 2 liters (67 ounces) of water per day for drinking and up to 70 liters per day for all uses including cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, flushing toilets, growing stuff, etc.
Yet, here in America, the land of plenty, it is estimated that on average, we use 1,400 liters per person, per day. WOW! There are some countries where they don’t even have enough to drink each day.
According to the CDC, water plays a big role in the overall success of a society. Just having access to water can change the economic status of a community over night. I have been reading a book called “Every Drop for Sale” about the potential for war over water. In the book, the author told a story of a community in Africa where the women would spend half of each day walking a trail to obtain fresh water.
These women where given the opportunity to develop an underground plumbing system but had to come up with $1,000 American to pay for the system. This was a lot of work and involved a lot of budgeting for the community.
But they got it together, got their water system in place and as a result, the women were able to take the time they use to spend “fetching” water and instead build a greater income and home life for their families.
Their community began to prosper until, in the middle of the night, some thieves took their plumbing system to sell on the black market.
Needless to say, the community went down hill overnight because they had to again spend their days “fetching” water instead of increasing the economic status of their families.
So from now on, please think about how lucky you are as you enjoy those eight (8 ounce) glasses of water each day while you go to work, play with your children, or walk along the beach.
Look out into the ocean and know that although the world is 70 percent water, nearly 40 percent of the world’s population lacks access to safe water.
If you are still uncertain about how much to drink just sit quietly and listen. Your body will tell you. “What’s that, you say, you’re thirsty? OK then. Here body. Have some water.” Glug, glug, glug … Ahhh! Now was that so hard? Sometimes we make things way more complicated than they have to be.
ELIZABETH BROWN is a registered dietitian and certified holistic chef specializing in weight management, sports nutrition, disease prevention and optimal health through whole foods. She
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 10, 2008. Read the original PDF.