It used to be that when you were thirsty, all you had to do was turn on the faucet and get a drink of water.   Today, even water can be very complicated – there’s tap water, bottled water, sweetened naturally or artificially, vitamin-enhanced, or subtly flavored.

People want healthy options, with fewer calories, natural ingredients, and added benefits.  They want options to help them lose weight and to know for sure just how much water you’re really supposed to drink.

Here are 8 health and beauty tips to follow in regards to water:

Health & Beauty Tip #1 – The 8-glass a day recommendation is not a hard and fast rule.  The Institute of Medicine recommends that women have about 11-1/2 cups of fluids a day – keep in mind, at least 20% of that typically comes from what you eat (taking the number down to about 9 cups) and your needs fluctuate daily depending on how active you are.

Health & Beauty Tip #2- Drinking coffee or any caffeinated beverage does NOT make you dehydrated.  Remember, you’re looking for 9 cups of  fluids (not necessarily water) daily and coffee counts as fluids.

Health & Beauty Tip #3 – For those of you who are chugging water thinking it’s helping you lose weight, should know that there is no scientific evidence that drinking water is going to make you feel fuller, thereby controlling your eating, thereby losing weight.  Research found that water helps when it’s part of a high-volume food, like a vegetable or soup.  Water-rich foods look bigger and can trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more than you really are.

Health and Beauty Tip #4 – Don’t wait until you’re thirsty  to drink.  The thirst mechanism usually kicks in when you’re about 1%-2% dehydrated.  Actual dehydration happens when you’ve lost at least 2% of your body weight, but you can feel the effects (headaches, nausea, dizziness) sooner.  So make sure to drink throughout the day.

Health and Beauty Tip #5 – You CAN drink too much water!  Drinking water faster than your kidneys can process it can upset the balance of electrolytes in your blood, possibly causing swelling in the brain, seizures, coma, and even death.   In 2007, a California woman died of water intoxication after drinking nearly 2 gallons of water in three hours as part of a radio contest to see who could drink the most water without urinating.  Just keep in mind that your kidneys can process no more than 1 liter (34 ounces) per hour.

Health and Beauty Tip #6- You don’t need a sports drink every time you exercise.  Sports drinks have a place if you’re exercising intensely for an hour or more, or sweating profusely.  If you’re taking a 30-minute power walk, a sports drink is not necessary.  Think of it this way – a brisk 30-minute walk burns about 170 calories and 2 cups of a sports drink has 100 calories, which means about 60% of your workout just went down your throat.

Health and Beauty Tip #7 – Cold water isn’t any better for you than warm water.  A common misconception is that your body has to work hard to absorb cold water, which speeds up your metabolism.  There is no scientific evidence to back-up that statement.

Health and Beauty Tip #8 – The bottles may look different, but water is essentially water.   The difference is – some is bottled municipal tap water, some comes from natural springs, some is imported from natural water supplies.  The bottom line is it comes down to price, convenience, and taste.

For more information on exercise and healthy eating, visit our library of  Active You Articles!