Over the years a lot of people have asked you to refrain from doing a lot of things because presumably it is bad for your health and your well being. You believed them as do millions of us and you stopped. But guess what? There is very little or no scientific basis in what others tell you about the day to day fallacies of avoiding obesity by refraining yourself from cold water and many such myths.
So today in an attempt to exposing the myths scandal that has been going on for ages and certain illogical practices that we all have been a victim of at some point of time or still are, will run to save their faces as we give them a run for their lives. First of all, many of us have harboured the misconception that there is no prescribed amount of water you should have daily and therefore any quantity of water that you drink is only fine. Well, now with constant awareness regarding the necessity of drinking water and at least eight glasses of water every day, there is a no need to tell you that if you are drinking just a glass of water thinking you will be fine, the I am sorry to tell you that you are living under a myth and you will not be fine. However, there is no scientific validity behind the eight glasses of water each day as it itself is a myth, however it is just a rough sketch and the approx amount is 2.5 litres for men and 2 litres for women every day. The adverse effects of drinking less or no water will still affect you, some of the popular ones being kidney stone, constipation etc.
Again it is believed by some that even if they are not drinking water separately, they are getting their daily allowance of water from various liquids like coffee, tea, juice, cold drinks milk and even beer. Though you are right, there is caffeine in some of the drinks like coffee, tea and certain soft drinks which acts as diuretics and makes you lose more water than you consume. Alcohol too dehydrates you and that is exactly why you end up waking thirsty after a drunken night. So if you thought these were your sources of water then relearn, now!
Taking diuretics or water pills are believed to be a good way of reducing excess water in your body and the pills which are mainly used to treat blood pressure and heart diseases are sometimes prescribed to women who gain extra weight just before their menstrual cycle. However these pills should never be taken without consulting a doctor because it is not only water that they help to shed, but they also wash out essential salts, even leading to potassium deficiency sometimes. And never use to get rid of the extra pounds. Again, the fat that in winter you can afford to have less water because you sweat less is a fallacy. There is no such rule but a myth.
Then again there is this legendary misconception that if you are drinking water while eating, you may be hurting your liver, kidney, stomach and what not. If you are following this then, guess what? You have been a victim of yet another myth! Drinking liquids while eating actually facilitates your digestion and you will be amazed to learn how. Some people are under the disillusion that drinking water will dilute the digestive enzymes which will prevent the food from being digested and will absorb the food that you had taken. Whereas, enzymes are known to work better in a fluid environment facilitating digestion when there is a good amount of water and also, water does not rush the undigested food down your digestive tract. Almost miraculously, it can also help you reduce weight by giving you a sense of fullness if you take water before and after your meals, taking care of the excess hunger.
Fluoridated water is a big no-no with some but then there is no scientific evidence to prove that having a recommended quantity of fluorides in your water will affect your health adversely. In fact studies have shown that when fluoride is added to drinking water, it takes care of your tooth decay by at least fifty percent. Then again people after going through rigorous exercise sessions tend to drink any liquid as a replacement to the water loss during the work out. But that being a mistake in itself, is a major issue with active people as they experience lack of energy, muscle fatigue etc. In cases of hyper activity, inadequate water may actually be life threatening. If you are drinking something sweet while working out, be aware as very sweet drinks is known to draw water into your intestinal tracts and may cause you to have cramps. So if you have ever sat down holding your stomach due to a cramp resulting from an unknown source, check what you were drinking.
However, the last one is a winner and it tells you that having cold water will make you gain weight or store fat and if you have tried to lose weight ever in your life, I am certain you have been through this one. There are loads of stories regarding cold water and the recent one being that it causes fat to solidify and even results in cancer. Not true! If anything at all, drinking cold water may make you lose weight. Shocked? Don’t be just keep drinking the good water.
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