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Dieting & exercise

Drink less fluid - another theory

(32 Posts)
overthehill Thu 04-Sept-14 20:05:07

Someone out there in internet land suggests all this excess drinking of fluids i.e water mainly, is doing us more harm than good.

They say we should drink when thirsty, our body will let us know, just like it tells us when hungry, tired and when to visit the bathroom. They also say this excess fluid interferes with our metabolism, slowing it down.

I must say I drink tea especially, like it is going out of fashion and when I drink it, I feel the need for a biscuit say.

I wanted to try out this regime for myself and did start and did indeed find I ate less because of it. However, I then developed cystitis which I hadn't had for quite a long time so, in my case decided because of that to abandon it unfortunately.

If you do not suffer with this condition as I do, maybe it is worth giving it a try and let us know how you get on.

HollyDaze Fri 05-Sept-14 13:02:59

by the time we feel thirsty we're already dehydrated.

I remember reading that a few years ago.

I think I've posted this before on here: I drank nothing but hot water from about the age of 12 and I drank gallons of the stuff. Around my mid- to late-thirties, I was diagnosed with a flabby a flabby kidney due to drinking too much water and told to drink less.

vegasmags Fri 05-Sept-14 13:12:48

It seems to me that the mantra to drink 8 glasses of water a day coincided with the advent of bottled water. Now it seems that some people can't travel even the shortest distance without being equipped with a bottle of the stuff. How on earth did we manage before? I remember long train journeys as a child when tea was sold on station platforms and trains stopped long enough for passengers to hop off and get a cup.

HollyDaze Fri 05-Sept-14 13:22:26

How on earth did we manage before?

Good points vegasmags. I was very sporty at school and took part in competitions and the most liquid we had came from sucking orange segments at half-time! None of us suffered for it.

Iam64 Fri 05-Sept-14 13:43:52

Yes vegasmags, the mantra to drink 2 litres of water came along at the same time as bottled water. I'm just back from my regular 3 mile walk with the dogs. As often happens, we passed a couple of women, who aren't regulars on that walk. Both carrying bottles of water - for an ordinary 3 mile walk around the reservoir. There's a tea shop at one end, and a pub at the other, so no -one is likely to expire from dehydration. Good to see that a jug of tap water is now offered, rather than bottled, when we order water with meals locally.

Nelliemoser Fri 05-Sept-14 14:20:24

Drinking "excessive* amounts of water (whatever quantity excessive might be) can be harmful by affecting the solutions of other minerals in your blood.
About a maximum of two litres nornally depending on the temperature and the amount of exercise you take. That's about eight mugs full

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256?pg=2

health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/water-intoxication.htms

FlicketyB Fri 05-Sept-14 17:43:23

I can remember reading that on average we should consume, about 2 litres of fluids a day from all sources, both from beverages and food. I did a quick calculation of what fluids I normally consume; various hot and cold drinks throughout the day, fruit juice and occasional glasses of water, not to mention liquid in food and found that I easily consumed 2 litres without any need to drink anything extra.

I must say I am careful about staying hydrated because both of my parents in old age had bladder cancer, caught early and managed by regular laser treatment, but it did lead DS and I to think about anything in their lifestyle that could have contributed to them both getting the same illness, as there was obviously not a genetic link. The only thing that we could identify was that they drank very little, about 4 cups of instant coffee a day and probably did not get much liquid from their food as they did not eat a lot.