Why drinking water is so important and healthy

Drinks suitable for covering the water requirement:

For a healthy physical well-being and optimal performance, we recommend drinking pure water in smaller quantities throughout the day. In addition to water, the following drinks are suitable for covering the water requirement:

• Liquid and mineral water.
• Unsweetened herbal and fruit teas.
• Diluted fruit and vegetable juices are also suitable, but should be drunk in moderation.

Also water-containing fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, leafy salads and cucumbers are suitable to achieve the daily water needs of the body. Alcohol, meat, salty and fatty foods such as chips, and caffeine are not suitable nor do they positively affect the body's water balance. Drinks containing caffeine, such as black teas or coffee, and also alcohol actually deprive the body of water, as the metabolism requires additional water to process these substances.

Diseases: How much should I drink when I'm sick?

Diseases also influence the fluid requirements of one's own body. Especially diseases such as flu, diarrhea and vomiting deprive the body of a lot of fluid. Drinking enough pure water during an illness is not only necessary, but helps the healing process and thus you get better faster.

So coffee affects the fluid requirement

The contained caffeine in the cup of coffee in the morning makes awake and alert, but contributes to increased urination. The strong stimulating effect puts the body in a state of stress, now the body needs increased water to excrete the caffeine again from the body. The water now lost leads to the increased need to urinate. Without sufficient fluid intake in the form of pure water, symptoms of dehydration can develop. But if you drink enough water with your coffee, you can even enhance the positive effects of coffee.

I do a lot of sports, do I have to drink more then?

When you sweat, your body loses more fluid and important mineral salts. This happens especially during sports, physical activity and also in the summer. To compensate for this fluid loss, it is recommended to drink a lot before and after sports. To estimate how much fluid your body loses during exercise, you can do the following test to calculate your water needs: Weigh yourself both before and immediately after exercise without clothing. The difference is the approximate amount of fluid your body has sweated out. For example, if your body weight has dropped by two kilograms, medical professionals recommend fluid intake of about one kilogram.

Do I need to drink more in summer than in winter?

The need for water is much higher at both very high and very low temperatures. That is why the need for water increases in both summer and winter.

Many people complain in winter about dry skin and hair ends and mood swings to the so-called "winter depression". A common mistake is not drinking enough water. Dry heating air and temperature differences between outside and inside temperatures deprive the body of a lot of fluid. Drinking several liters of water throughout the day can also help against typical winter complaints as well as prevent illness.

The symptoms of water intoxication

The first symptoms of water intoxication include dizziness, malaise, headache and also vomiting. Other symptoms of excessive water intake can be the following:

• Disorientation
• Muscle weakness
• Epileptic seizures
• Circulatory disorders

If the body needs to urinate only a little, although a lot of fluid was supplied, is another indication that too much water was supplied to the body. This reaction of the body also serves to compensate for the loss of salt.

Causes of water intoxication

A cause of water intoxication can also be going on a diet. Especially if the diet provides that you drink a lot and eat little, it becomes dangerous. Even if during a change of diet a lot of salt and processed foods are avoided, for example, a lot of fruit, raw vegetables and in addition pure water is drunk, the body can react with the already mentioned symptoms. Here, too, the loss of salt through excessive drinking is in the foreground.

How to prevent water intoxication:

In order to counteract the risk of hyperhydration during sports, experienced athletes recommend drinking isotonic sports drinks or light, salty snacks such as salt sticks during or after sports.

To prevent water intoxication, it helps to drink intuitively according to thirst and always take water together with salty foods. Consultation with a physician before undertaking extreme diets is recommended.

Why do you lose weight when you drink a lot?

Since the body consists largely of water, it is important to always be supplied with enough water. The body uses water to transport nutrients and regulates body temperature. So your body also needs water for a healthy metabolism and thus helps you lose weight!

So why do you have to drink a lot to lose weight successfully?

The reasons are many. For one, the metabolism of the organism has been proven to slow down as soon as the body has a so-called water deficiency. That is, if your body urgently needs fluid, but you do not drink a glass of water, body functions are slowed down or even stopped. With an optimal water supply, both digestion and performance function better. The best conditions to lose a few kilos!

More reasons why drinking water helps you lose weight:

• It is not uncommon to confuse feelings of hunger with thirst. This leads to unnecessary snacking between main meals. You eat more than your body needs.
• A glass of water before each meal, even before snacks such as chocolate, chips or soft drinks, fills the stomach and makes the feeling of satiety occur more quickly.
• Since muscles consist largely of water, it is important for athletic performance to drink enough. This shortens the recovery time and you can do sports more often.
• Juices and sodas increase the blood sugar level: by the intake of sugar, no matter in what form, insulin is released by the body. This inhibits the breakdown of fat. The problem: From sugary drinks is easier to consume a lot without occurring saturation, quite the opposite of the plate of pasta in the evening.

How you can lose weight by drinking water:

1. Who drinks water before eating, eats less:
   
You feel full faster and then take fewer calories. The Water Needs Calculator Tip: Drink a large glass of water before each meal.
2. Save calories by drinking pure water instead of juices, sodas & Co:
   We often get from our customers the problem described when losing weight, that despite small portions no successes are to be recorded. This is usually due to the many drinks in between: Drinks such as sodas, juices, lattes should all be enjoyed only in moderation. To quench thirst is especially suitable pure water, because only this hydrates your body sufficiently and has no calories - perfect to finally get rid of a few kilos.
3. Burn calories by drinking water - myth or truth?
   Behind the theory that you can also burn calories by drinking cold water, there are some studies. The reason underlying this interaction has not yet been researched. We take it as a small, possible side effect and want to clearly point out, however, that your body primarily consumes calories if you move enough every day.
4. Who drinks a lot of water, has less (hot) hunger:
   Sugary drinks such as sodas, fruit juices and lattes increase your blood sugar level. Since the body releases insulin, a substance produced naturally in the body, after ingesting sugar, it builds up more fat. In order to increase fat loss, it is important to keep your blood sugar level in balance. Then you have less frequent cravings and lose fat more effectively.

What happens if you drink 3 liters of water every day?

Drinking water has many benefits. If you drink enough water, you will be more efficient, healthier and look better: Your skin will glow, dark circles under your eyes will diminish and even small wrinkles will disappear if you drink enough water.

In addition to the benefits for your outer appearance, drinking water also has many effects on your insides: with a sufficient water supply, your body can optimally transport nutrients. This supports your health. According to studies, people who drink enough fluids every day suffer from fewer (chronic) diseases than people who are often close to a water deficiency.

In addition, people who drink a lot of water are more successful in work and sports. Water is an important nutrient that many forget. Yet it is so easy and cheap to supply the body with water.

Some self-tests from our employees show: after just a few weeks of our employees taking in at least 3 liters of fluid daily (from water, unsweetened herbal teas, etc.), they feel fitter, more exuberant, sleep better, and last longer during workouts. As a result, 4 out of 5 of our employees finally lost weight and came closer to their desired weight.

How much do I need to drink to lose weight?

How much you need to drink to lose weight depends on your body weight, your daily exercise, diet and much more. To calculate your daily water needs, feel free to use the drink water calculator on our home page.

But what's important is that you should drink at least as much as you lose during the day. That's why it's so important to drink plenty of fluids, especially in the summer.

The amount of water you should drink to lose weight is slightly above your daily water requirement. This is because in order to boost fat loss, you should not only compensate for a possible lack of water, but also provide your body with optimal water so that it is powerful.

Another food for thought - How to finally reach your desired weight with the help of drinking water:

Although water is the most important food of all, it has no calories. So if you replace a caloric drink from your everyday life such as coffee, beer, lemonade, fruit juices or even milk, with a glass of water, you can save many unnecessary calories and lose weight.