Water is an essential part of our lives. We’re made up of it, we’re surrounded by it, we can’t live without it. There’s so much water does for us, and it’s one of the simplest remedies to health problems. Skin problems? Drink water. Battling a cold? Stay hydrated! Head hurt? Water! Feeling like you want a snack? You’re probably just dehydrated.
Feeling as though I needed to add yet another thing to my agenda, I decided to see how much water I should be drinking. With my height and weight, I discovered to my horror I needed to be drinking 64 ounces of water a day. To give some context, I barely finish one of my 21 oz Hydroflasks a day (yes, I own a Hydroflask, see my article here). So, this would be quite the lifestyle change for me.
So, what did I discover during this new journey of mine?
1. I am way less hungry than I thought.
Snacking is part of my everyday routine. Even after a full meal, I still found myself hungry for a snack of some sort. Drinking water more often made that empty-hungry feeling go away! During my typical snack times, I wasn’t hungry at all. If I had water and was still hungry, I knew I needed to eat something.
2. My headaches eased up a bit.
Headaches and migraines can often be a sign of dehydration. Chances are, the majority of my headaches were from snacking on unhealthy foods and not drinking enough water. Staying properly hydrated allowed me to feel more awake, focus better, and my headaches vanished.
3. Having access to water is a privilege.
Having to refill my water bottle multiple times a day, made me realize how many sources we have on campus for fresh, clean water. From my dorm room, to any other building on campus, water is readily available. According to water.org, 1 in 9 people lack access to safe water. In addition, women are disproportionately affected by the water crisis. Being able to sit here and write about how I drank 64 ounces of water, while there are people who go days without drinking it, is a privilege. As I mentioned earlier, water is an important facet to our everyday lives—and everyone should have proper access to it.