How much fluid does your body need

When it’s hot and you’re sweating a lot, it’s important to drink enough, but as usual, “just enough” is always best.

Drink enough but avoid drinking your calories. Is that a utopia?
It’s easy to think “the more the better” when it comes to fluids, but that’s only true to a certain extent. It’s absolutely right that you should drink a lot, but as mentioned, there are limits.

At normal temperatures and conditions, according to Nordic nutritional recommendations, a woman should consume a total of about 2 liters of fluid from food and drink. For men, the corresponding recommendation is 2.5 liters. It is estimated that 20-30 percent of this intake comes from food and the rest from drink.

So it’s not about guzzling water all the time, and few people really need to carry a water bottle with them everywhere they go. However, this can be beneficial if it is very hot or if you are exercising intensely, especially in combination.

What happens if you drink too much – or too little

Most people regulate their fluid balance automatically. Drinking too much is not very common, so you don’t need to measure everything you drink for that reason.

If you consume very large amounts of water in a short period of time, you can suffer from water intoxication. This means that you consume too much fluid in relation to salts, which dilutes the salts in your body. This in itself is an acute condition.

If you consume too little fluid, which is much more common, you will not only be thirsty but also tired and listless. It is also common to experience headaches and loss of concentration.

When it comes to choosing a drink, it is always best to choose non-energy drinks. Calories from drinks do not satisfy hunger in the same way as calories from food. The feeling of being “full” can come quickly, but unfortunately the feeling of satiety also subsides at the same rate.

6 guidelines for your fluid intake

1. Let food, not drinks, contribute to your energy intake.
2. Quench your thirst with water, preferably flavored with cucumber, lemon, berries, mint, or whatever you like best.
3. Carbonate the water if you prefer.
4. If you feel that you have not consumed enough fluids in the heat, it may be time for Resorb or similar, especially if you have been exercising hard.
5. Don’t drink your calories – choose energy-free alternatives. There is a huge range available, and no, sugar is no more harmless than sweeteners. If your goal is to lose weight, there is absolutely no reason to choose sugar-sweetened drinks.
6. For most people, drinking 1.5-2.5 liters of fluid per day is sufficient.

*Weight loss is individual, so we cannot guarantee how much/how quickly you will reach your goal. The important thing is all the health benefits. We distance ourselves from unhealthy ideals and crash diets, and do not recommend calorie counting if you are underweight, ill, or pregnant.