Water

Eat and Energize

Megan Mitchell, staff writer

A good old glass-oh-water

Today we will be talking about water.

Oh yes, you knew this was coming. But first, I’d like to share a little back story about my feelings when it comes to water.

When I was but a young child, I HATED water. I REFUSED to drink it. Why? I hated the taste. Yes, I know, THERE ISN’T ONE. But I still didn’t like it, and some of my classmates to this day keep reminding me of that fact (trust me–I haven’t forgotten). Flash forward to 8th grade when I made the decision to bring a water bottle to school one, drank it, and realized water isn’t all that bad. Now look where I am. I drink water all the time.

So how much water should you drink in a day?

There’s a lot of debate about this. You’ve probably heard that 64 ounces is the general recommendation. You may have also heard that you should drink 2-3 liters of water per day. For reference, 2 liters is roughly 68 ounces of water, so those are pretty similar.

Now you may be wondering, “But Megan, how much is 64 ounces?” Well, to help you visualize, there are 64 ounces in 1/2 of a gallon. So, picture a half gallon carton of milk. That is how much water you should aim to drink a day–at least.

Body weight, activity level, and temperature can all factor into how much water you need a day. Confusing, isn’t it?

There’s a specific reason why I want to talk about water now. We have a tendency to drink more water in the summer, when it’s hotter out. But alas, it is December, and we just had the first big snowfall of the year. With the cold weather, I’m sure the last thing you have on your mind is drinking a nice, cool glass of water.

That is exactly why I am writing this now. It is important to remember that as the temperature changes and gets colder that you still need to drink water. Water is so good for you.

Some benefits of water are:

  • Maximized physical performance
  • Improved brain function
  • Prevent and treat headaches
  • Aid in weight loss

Here’s an article with more information if you would like to learn more:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-water#7.-Can-aid-weight-loss