I have written a post that lists several rules about how to be healthy but most people probably won’t follow them because it’s too much effort to even learn the rules never mind follow them.
So in the spirit of keeping things simple I thought I would list here my top recommendations for staying healthy. This list is based on my opinion of what the common denominator is among health advice I respect.
- Drink enough water (avoid soda)
- Include fiber in every meal possible (beans, whole grain, vegetables)
- Be physically active
- Relieve stress often
There are many other areas of health that I find important and if you want to follow them I suggest you read my post Rules for Good Health.
I have read recently that if you want to make changes to your life that you pick only one thing to change and focus on that for one month. So if your goal is to be more healthy then decide for the next 30 days to drink 2 liters of water a day. After 30 days choose a new goal to accomplish. The easier you make the goal the better as it will increase your chances of success.
August 8th, 2009 at 7:07 am
I removed the specific recommendation for the amount because I have no real basis for the amount of water.
I should say though that being thirsty is pretty subjective and some people don’t even know that they are thirsty. I think I read that 30% of people think they are hungry when they are really thirsty.
Also if you increase the amount you drink you naturally become more thirsty in general. Did the body actually increase it’s need of water or did it start realizing what it has been missing?
In my experience people ignore their bodies and don’t give it what it needs. They will drink things that dehydrate them like coffee or soda to “quench their thirst”.
I don’t like this comment from the article: Adding a few extra glasses of water each day has limited effect. “It’s such a tiny part of what’s in the body,” says Goldfarb. “It’s very unlikely that one’s getting any benefit.” His full editorial is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
It sounds like opinion to me.
Every cell in your body depends on water and you loose it thoughout the day. I would be interested in tests that monitor both groups of people. The ones that drink maybe 2 liters a day with ones that drink 8 oz a day or less.
I don’t know what amounts they are referring to in the article. I mean are they comparing someone who drinks 8 oz with 2 liters or is it more like 2 liters to 4 liters.
I doubt there would be much benefit to 4 liters vs 2 liters but that is a guess on my part.
I actually know a couple people who drink 2 gallons a day which I think is a little extreme.
August 9th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
You become thirstier when you drink more… huh? I don’t, unless it’s alcohol
What I mean is if you push yourself you start drinking a larger quantity over a period of time you will find your self needing that amount in terms of thirst. At least this has been my experience and I have also heard the same from others.
From what I remember reading your body can process up to 15 liters of water a day.