Reconsidering the way we drink water

I’d like to talk about water.

(It surely never hurts to reconsider how we consume alcohol, too, but that’s a conversation for a different day.)

Today is about water. The elixir of life. The precious resource a lot of Texans recently remembered is not necessarily guaranteed.

I think partly from that experience — one of my relatives got dehydrated, then blacked out, falling and shattering a newly replaced hip — and partly from my own lethargy, there are are several reasons why H20 is on my radar. I’ve rediscovered how important it is to the way we feel and live.

Water affects so many essential internal systems. Our kidneys, bowels, skin, joints, body temperature, digestive processes, mucous, saliva, hormones — this list goes on — all are affected by hydration. Beyond all that, I’ve been finding that even a slight deficiency can contribute to fatigue, fogginess, headaches and, as I see in my kids quite a bit, constipation.

Today, I simply want to bring this to our attention. A tweak in the way we drink can have a noticeable bearing on how we function. Here are few nuggets to consider:

How much we need isn’t set in stone. I grew up learning that eight glasses of water per day was the rule. But that’s not necessarily the case. Now, just as experts say about sleep, the amount we need varies from person to person.

I work closely with nutritionists and dietitians regarding my daughter’s diet. We’re frequently adjusting how much water she gets based on how her labs look, and her constipation status, urine output and even her energy level. They’re always running numbers, but at the end of the day, we give her (through a feeding tube) the amount that seems to work best for her. It involves trial and error.

I suspect there’s room for a lot of us to drink more. I just can’t say how much that is. Harvard Medical School suggests 4 to 6 cups for healthy people. But even that can change from day to day, depending on our perspiration levels and the weather.

Bottom line: See what works for you.

I recently bought a big water bottle that I’ve been carrying around and sipping through the day. I fill it a few times, and I feel good. For one thing, my mouth is fresher (before,

I’d been noticing it often felt a little gross). I can’t report any other major changes, but I like it, and I’m actually not peeing all the time like I feared.

Hold the ice. Ayurveda, considered the sister science of yoga, stresses skipping ice cubes. It’s said that our bodies have to work harder to bring cold fluids up to our internal temp, and this slows digestion, which never feels good.

Not everyone agrees with this, but I do think room temperature water goes down better. It’s smoother, less shocking to my system and easier to drink a little more.

My favorite: Have a mug of warm lemon water in the morning. This isn’t anything new, but if you’re not already doing it, it’s worth trying. It’s the most refreshing way to start the day.

There are all kinds of purported benefits, but to me, this habit just feels right. I like the clean, zesty hydration. It reliably gets me going.

Use fresh lemon, as much as you like. Again, no rules.

I hope all of this inspires you to see what works for you. Even slight changes can have a big impact. Let’s drink to that.

Marci Izard Sharif is an author, yoga teacher, meditation facilitator, and mother. In “Feeling Matters,” she writes about self-love, sharing self-care tools, stories and resources that center around knowing and being kind to yourself.

Getty Images How much water should you drink in a day? It varies from person to person.

Feeling Matters MARCI SHARIF