The Water Gallon Challenge
You know the water gallon challenge… where you commit to drinking a gallon of water every day? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been getting ads for “cute” gallon jugs since the new year started.
Before I start telling you why I DON’T recommend this, I want to make one thing clear: everyone is entitled to do what they think is best. It’s not going to kill you. The issue I have with the gallon challenge is that it leads people to believe that more water is always better. In that case, why not drink TWO gallons a day, right?!
There are a few things wrong with this way of thinking. And while I DO advocate for hydration, I believe the water gallon challenge isn’t necessary in order to be hydrated.
Here’s why:
Your cells can only hold a certain amount of water, and all the extra water is flushed out.
There are 128 ounces in a gallon. That is A LOT of water, and there are relatively few people who would benefit from this amount of water. The amount of water recommended by the Nutritional Therapy Association is half your body weight in ounces (plus some more if you’re drinking lots of diuretics or a high intensity athlete). However, this is just a starting point because each individual is different. But generally speaking, those weighing over 250 pounds might benefit from drinking a gallon of water a day.
Gulping water doesn’t work.
With the gallon challenge, you’re likely going to feel that you need to drink several ounces all at once several times a day. But I’ve got some bad news for you… guzzling your water down means more of it is going to be excreted than absorbed. Studies show that drinking water slowly throughout the day is the best way for the body to retain water.
Plain water isn’t going to hydrate you.
Your body needs electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium) in order to get water into the cells. So if you’re drinking a gallon of water without any electrolytes, you’ll probably just find yourself running to the bathroom all day. Luckily, this has an easy fix: salt & lemon. I add a few shakes of salt or a splash of lemon juice EVERY TIME I fill up my bottle. And I ALWAYS start my day with a glass of water with salt, lemon, ACV, & collagen (it’s pretty gnarly but I love it now).
This could be purple water. You don’t know me.
So how do I make sure I’m hydrated?
This is a goal with almost EVERY client that I work with. It’s one of the easiest changes that makes the BIGGEST difference. Here are some free tips:
Start with a goal of drinking half your body weight in ounces.
Add salt, lemon, or an electrolyte supplement EVERY time you fill your bottle.
See how you feel. Drink more if you’re thirsty.
Easy peasy. I find the actual difficulty is just in remembering to drink. So get yourself a pretty little water bottle that you enjoy drinking from and bring it with you EVERYWHERE. Sip it slowly throughout the day instead of gulping. Set a reminder on your phone for every hour when you’re first starting this habit.
Some people say to just listen to your body and drink when you’re thirsty. And while this isn’t a bad recommendation, if you’re not in tune with your body (which most of us aren’t), this might not be the best route for you at first. You might easily mistake thirst for hunger, or attribute your headache to stress instead of being dehydrated.
It’s a joke amongst teachers that anytime our students say something is wrong, (headache, tummy ache, home sick, etc) we tell them to get some water. I know the placebo effect is real, but SO IS DEHYDRATION! And it is one of the most common issues I see, even with people who drink a ton of water (without any electrolytes).
The good news is, it’s probably the easiest nutritional problem to solve and will make a HUGE difference in your health. If you’re wanting to read more on the topic, here’s an article getting into more of the nitty gritty.
Bottom line is, you do NOT need to drink a gallon of water in order to be “healthy”. Just drink water with electrolytes throughout the day and you should be good to go. Questions? Shoot me a message and let’s chat! Happy hydrating!