Water: the bland, tasteless, colourless blood of life. It’s an essential part of our world, our bodies, and our health -so why do we resent it so much? A study done in 1998 found that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, contributing to health issues such as obesity, kidney stones, ulcers, and fatigue to name a few. (Click here to see the full study).
The trend of detox water has been on the rise, but can chopping up some fruit with our water really flush fat and toxins out of our system?
Not exactly.
While leaps and bounds more beneficial than some of the other detox solutions out there (like those sketchy packaged kits in the dollar store none the less!), adding fruit or vegetables to water has shown little to no effect on the body.
The real benefit of drinking ‘detox’ water is actually just the simple fact that you are drinking more water, helping the body carry out it’s essential and natural processes .
Clean water plays several important roles within our bodies such as flushing out waste and bacteria, regulating temperature, and serving as a transport system for nutrients. Drinking enough water (detox or not) will naturally help shed the pounds, flush out toxins, make your skin glow, and improve cognitave functioning.
Everyone knows the basic guideline for how much water to drink, eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. While the 8×8 rule is easy to remember, it’s not a hard and fast rule. A majority of us are dehydrated despite drinking the recommended eight glasses!
How much water we actually need depends on several factors such as our weight, activity level, climate, if we are already eating a healthy diet with foods containing a high water content (fruits, vegetables, etc), and whether we are pregnant or not!
P.S. Got a bun in the oven? Check out this article on Dehydration During Pregnancy for an in-depth look at symptoms, causes, and the proper amount of water to drink.
A very basic formula is to take your weight and divide it by 2, this will give you how many ounces you should consume. Then add 12 ounces for every half an hour of exercise.
For
140lbs divided by 2 = 70 ounces
70 + 12 = 82 ounces
82 divided by 8 = 10.25 cups
If this individual was pregnant or lived in a hot climate they would likely need even more. If they consumed a lot of fruits or vegetables throughout the day, they would likely need less. See a more in-depth explanation here.
By far, the most reliable way to know if you’re getting enough is by checking the color of your urine. A clear or pale yellow indicates you are adequately hydrated, anything darker and you’ll need to up your water consumption.
While simply adding fruit or vegetables to water has minimal effect on our body, the simple act of drinking more water contributes to our overall health and well being. If adding fruit or vegetables makes bland water taste yummy and makes us drink more -then all the better!
Want to give your water some extra love? Try out these recipes:
- The Classic: Cucumber Lemon Water
- Rosemary Raspberry Water
- Apple Cinnamon Detox Water
Whether you choose to flavor your water or not, know you can’t go wrong as long as you’re getting enough!
Health & Happiness,
Savannah
I just want to let you know that I am not a medical doctor, nurse, and so on. I have based my writings upon my own experiences, opinions, and extensive research regarding the topics in my blog. Therefore, read my disclaimer and use the information within my blog appropriately and at your own risk.
2 replies on “The Truth About Homemade Detox Water”
According to your post, I am severely dehydrated! I will need to pay more attention to this. Thanks for the information.
No problem, glad you caught it!
Health & Happiness