How Embarrassing: You’re Drinking Water All Wrong

Drinking water every day is incredibly important when it comes to staying healthy. Not drinking enough water can do more than just leave you dehydrated — it can affect your memory, put you in a bad mood, make you feel exhausted, and can even leave you feeling hungry all the time. We’re all encouraged to drink more water pretty much all the time, and if you’re taking that advice, great! But there’s just one thing: you’re probably drinking your water all wrong, and you should fix that.

According to Delish, there are certain times you should be drinking water and certain times you shouldn’t. You are more than likely sipping on a glass of water when you aren’t supposed to, and you probably didn’t even realize you’re doing something wrong.

So when should you not drink a glass of water?

You shouldn’t drink water during a big meal, as Delish says that water can mess with your digestion. It dilutes your stomach’s hydrochloric acid, making it harder to break down food, leaving you feeling gassy and bloated. You should also avoid it during a particularly tough workout. Apparently, drinking too much water can dilute electrolytes and lead to cramps. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drink anything — you should, or you could dehydrate yourself, since you’re sweating more — but you should try to drink a water with electrolytes in it.

As for how much water you should be drinking?

You might have heard that you should strive for eight glasses a day, but that isn’t necessarily true. It actually depends on your lifestyle, your body, and your activity level. The American College of Sports Medicine says that you should try for a minimum of about 60 ounces daily, but it really is dependent on gender, age, and even your location (if you live at a higher elevation, you’re more likely to become dehydrated). According to GQ, you should try to drink between 25 and 50 percent of your body weight in ounces of water.

That might not sound like a lot, but remember: you ingest water in other ways — through food and other fluids you’re eating and drinking throughout the day. Even something like coffee contains water.

Remember this the next time you’re pouring yourself a glass of water!