Have you ever felt tired? Sick? Had a headache? Tried to lose weight? A little hot?
There’s something that you are always told: Drink a ton of water!
Although drinking water is perfectly fine, you can drink water the wrong way.
Here are some of the most common mistakes.
Six Common Mistakes
1. Drinking Too Much Water
When you drink too much water, you dilute the electrolytes in your body. This can cause hyponatremia.
In hyponatremia, one or more factors — ranging from an underlying medical condition to drinking too much water — cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. When this happens, your body’s water levels rise, and your cells swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening.
People have died of hyponatremia.
So, if you drink too much, you may become dehydrated.
If you are prone to kidney stones, you should drink at least 2.5 liters of water a day.
2. Drinking Too Quickly
When you drink water too fast, the sodium doesn’t have the chance to balance the fluid.
Sodium goes into the cell too fast, and it creates an imbalance and swelling.
3. The Wrong Fluids
All fluids are not the same as water.
Coffee and tea have a diuretic effect. They might not be hydrating you.
There are a lot of factors influencing how much fluids you lose (weight, temperature, whether you are exercising).
4. Drinking While Eating
If you drink when you eat, it dilutes your gastric juices.
Drinking while eating decreases your ability to digest, especially if you are over 45 years old.
Consequences: You may end up suffering from GERD or acid reflux.
Don’t overdo drinking while eating. If you feel thirsty that’s fine, but try not to drink too much.
5. Drinking Cold Water
Drinking large amounts of cold water can inhibit the vagus nerve, which is responsible for digestion.
There’s nothing wrong with cold water. It can even boost your metabolism. Just don’t overdo it.
6. Drinking Tap Water
Tap water is not always safe.
There are a lot of chemicals in tap water that affects fertility, hormones and your brain.
Some chemicals are carcinogenic.
The legal dose accepted in tap water does not mean they are safe.
Here’s a website that measures tap water quality based on your zip code.
This post was inspired by Dr. Eric Berg’s video.
Thank you for reading!
