Food and movement
How much water should I actually drink in a day?
Roughly 30 ml per kilogram of body weight is a reasonable starting point — about 2.1 litres for a 70 kg adult — and more in a North Indian summer or if you are physically active. Thirst is a decent guide for most healthy people. Pale straw-coloured urine is a better one than any fixed number.
The familiar eight-glasses rule has no strong origin and no strong evidence. It is not harmful, it is just arbitrary, and it ignores body size, climate and activity — three things that vary enormously.
What changes the number
- A Panchkula summer can double sweat losses compared with December
- Exercise, particularly anything that leaves you visibly sweating
- Tea and coffee do count towards intake, despite the common claim otherwise — the diuretic effect is modest
- High-protein diets and some medications increase requirement
When more is not better
Drinking far beyond thirst is not virtuous and, in rare cases, is dangerous. If you have kidney disease, heart failure, or are on diuretics, your fluid intake is a medical question with a specific answer, and your physician should give it.
Still not sure? Call 7696661169 — we would rather explain twice than have you guess once.
People also ask
How do I stop feeling bloated after every meal?
Start with pace and portion, which account for most everyday bloating — eating fast swallows air and overwhelms digestion. Then look at the usual suspects: large quantities of raw salad, rajma and chana, carbonated drinks, and dairy if you are among the many South Asian adults with reduced lactase. Persistent bloating with weight loss needs investigating.
What is a good Indian breakfast for weight loss?
One with protein in it. Most Indian breakfasts are almost entirely carbohydrate — poha, upma, plain paratha, bread and jam — which is why hunger returns by 11am. Add eggs, curd, paneer, sprouts or dal to whatever you already eat, and keep the portion honest. The addition matters more than the replacement.