How to know you are drinking water

While water is good for your body, there are various ways that you can be drinking it wrongly and damaging your system. When you do any of the following, you are drinking water the wrong way.

Believing the cold water myth: Cold water doesn’t narrow your blood vessels or make food harder to digest like some claim; rather, it is an easy way to cool down and hydrate when you are hot.

Adding sliced fruit or veggies will make your water tastier and more refreshing. But if you’re not careful, it can also fill it with food borne illness like salmonella and E.coli. That’s because when the rind isn’t clean, slicing into it moves bacteria to the flesh.

Not drinking it with alcohol is not good; alcoholic drinks are diuretics and trigger your body to make more pee which can lead to dehydration. To avoid this, match your drinks one for one: that’s one glass of water for every cup of coffee or alcoholic drink.

Don’t just drink enough water to get pills down your throat. Use vitamins and medication as an opportunity to hydrate. Drinking a full glass of water helps to keep medicine from getting stuck in your esophagus and irritating it while it helps your body better absorb water-soluble vitamins, too.

Not drinking water when you are tired is wrong. If you are feeling fatigued and don’t know why? It could be a sign of dehydration. You don’t have to be sick or exercise hard to get dehydrated. You lose water every day through basic body functions like breathing and pooping.

A glass or two of water is fine, but don’t wake up and chug a gallon. There’s no evidence it kickstarts your metabolism. And you don’t want to drink a lot before bed and spend all night in the bathroom, either. That disrupts your sleep. Sip slowly throughout the day instead.

Don’t drink out of rivers or streams: Natural water sources may look clear and clean but many things can contaminate them. Treat natural water with filtration tablets or water filters before drinking.

Drink enough water: Your body is mostly water and uses it in many ways. It helps digestion and can ease and ward off constipation or trouble pooping. It also flushes out toxins, stops kidney stones from forming, and hydrates your skin.

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