As spring and warm weather have struck the Palouse, we at Vandal Health Education feel it’s important to take care of your body. Today, we will be discussing the importance of water in your daily life. Starting with the daily recommended amount of water, the best time to drink water to benefit your daily routine and ending with the best testing sources of water around the community, so let’s dive in!
Water makes up 60% to 75% of the human body, making water one of the most important substances and basic functions are slowed as soon as hydration levels drop even 1 to 2%. To keep processes running smoothly in your body, it is recommended to drink 30 milliliters per kilogram of body weight. Of course, these vary on body size and amount of physical activity each person gets daily. Proper hydration is linked to improved cognitive function, skin, increased energy levels, temperature, and mood regulation and much more!
Michael Swank | Courtesy
Vandal Health Peer Educator
Mornings can be a tough part of the day for some people. Waking up in a fog, still tired from the night before. There could be many reasons, but dehydration might be the easiest to fix. One life hack I learned while enrolled at the U of I was to keep a glass bottle of water by my bed for the morning after a night’s sleep. I’ll drink the whole container to kick start my body and replenish all the water used up over the course of eight hours of sleep. Of course, you should drink water all day, but many people forget about water in the mornings and go straight to coffee to increase their functionality. A tip to drinking more water is carrying a water bottle with you at all times. When I remember to grab my water bottle, I end up drinking five times the amount of water than I would without my water bottle. Although it’s good to drink a lot of water, it is possible to drink too much. Make sure to stay within the recommended guidelines and make sure you are getting the best source of water available.
All water drinkers know that all water does not taste the same. With that being said, there are certain brands to look for and locations on campus to find the purest, best tasting water. On campus, many water fountains have a water filtration unit mounted on the back of the machine. These dispense purified water and have a light to signal when the filter is running low or even out. The normal part of the water fountain and even soda machines use local tap water, so plan accordingly. As for water for purchase, the best testers for taste, purity and overall satisfaction are Nestle and Fiji while the worst of the water tests was Dasani and Smart Water, according to thrillist.com. If you want the best bang for your buck while also getting clean water, buying a water filter pitcher would be your best bet.
Water is important to everyone’s daily life, so we encourage you to aim for the daily recommended amount whenever possible to ensure the highest level of productivity from your body!
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