The 6 Best Times to Drink Water and When Not To

The healing properties of pure water are immense. Water is required for every system in the body to run efficiently, and as such is a top priority for health and wellness.

You’re probably aware that you should drink about eight glasses of water per day, or 2-3 litres.

But did you know that there are key times to consume water?

In this article we’ll discuss the best times to drink water during the day to optimise your health.

You should aim to drink eight glasses of water a day. However, this intake might increase if you are in a hot climate, sweating a lot, ill or exercising.

The amount of water and frequency of intake also varies depending on your age and gender. As a rough guide, a woman should drink 2.2 litres/ 8-9 cups while a man should drink 3 litres/ 13 cups.

There’s no one size fits all, though. Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers will need to drink up to 3 litres per day. Humid weather can also increase the amount of water that you should drink.

Some people who are prone to dehydration  (like the elderly) will need to be more strict to ensure that they are drinking enough water. Drinking water at optimal times of the day can help to promote adequate water consumption.

If you (or a loved one) are having trouble drinking enough water, then try writing out a schedule for drinking water.

This could look like 1 glass of water in the morning, 1 before breakfast, 1 before lunch, and 1 before dinner. That will cover half of your daily quota. You can either double the quota or add in a bottle of water before and during exercise.

Best practice is to have a bottle of fresh pure drinking water with you at all times and sip it throughout the day. Which should make up your daily water intake, especially if you follow the schedule above.

Related: Is Water Nature’s Very Own Antidepressant?

Before you get out of bed, it’s a great idea to drink a 500ml glass of water. If you need to get up and go to the bathroom first, that’s ok.

The idea is that you flush your body with pure water as soon as you wake up.

Drinking a large glass of water when you wake up is a signal for all of your organs in the body to fire up, and be ready for the day ahead.

One Youtube video looked at what type of water will get your cells flowing smoothly. They compared tap water, coffee and alkaline water then looked at how the cells of the blood reacted under a microscope.

Interestingly, they found that the most beneficial water to drink was alkaline water.

Another idea is to add grated ginger or a slice of lemon into your water to nourish your body. Why not keep a glass of water on your bedside table? And drink it as soon as you wake up, as part of a healthy morning routine.

Dehydration can send mixed signals to the brain, making us feel like we’re hungry.

In actual fact, we are in need of water. Interestingly, science has exposed that our feelings of thirst, hunger and satiety are most likely developed in childhood. Which in turn can alter cognition and behaviour accordingly.

Hunger, energy intake and thirst are probably more intricately linked than we had previously thought. Until recently 75% of our fluid intake would occur at meal times. Which means that the signals for hunger or thirst can easily be confused, as we do both activities at the same time.

Have you ever noticed that dip in energy at 4pm?  This energy slump could be due to dehydration.

One of the key reasons for feeling tired is, in fact,  dehydration. So every time you feel tired during the day, reach for a glass of water and see if that makes you feel more awake.

You’ve probably heard that drinking water will fill you up. Often when we think that we’re hungry, it’s actually our bodies’ many cries for water that we are hearing.

By drinking a glass of water before a meal, you’ll avoid overeating. Water also flushes out the stomach lining and the intestines so that it is ready to digest the new meal.

In the warm weather you’ll probably need more than one 500ml glass of water before exercise. Ensuring that you’re properly hydrated before and during exercise is critical to a good workout.

Both extremes of heat require that you drink extra water to keep the fluids in your body moving. Drinking extra water before exercise in hot weather can also help prevent heat stroke.

Replenishing the water you used up while exercising is essential. However, you should already have done a good job prepping your system and sipping water during your workout. After you’ve completed your workout, sip gently out of your water bottle to prevent stomach cramps.

If you’ve been around people who are sick, or are ill yourself, drink lots of water. By drinking water you’ll be hydrating your organs while flushing out the bad guys.

Diseases with the symptoms of diarrhoea and sickness can quickly lead to dehydration and complications. Therefore, if you’ve been exposed to germs then drink lots of water to flush your system out.

It’s a good idea to stop drinking water an hour or two before bed. Especially if you have a weak bladder.

Drinking too much water before a test or important meeting can also be a bad idea. Instead, sip water before and rehydrate fully afterwards.

No matter when you are drinking water, it’s important to drink pure clean water. Contaminants in the water can be bad for your health.

You can install a water purifier directly under your tap or in your shower to ensure that you and your family are consuming the purest water possible.

Starting your day off with one or even two glasses of water is an easy healthy habit to get into.

Written by best-selling author and integrative nutrition health coach Rowanna Watson, who has a passion for natural health. Rowanna is an expert in all areas of holistic health, plant-based nutrition, detoxification and personal development.

Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click here to find out more.