Everyday Systems

I was re-reading Ellington Darden's Living Longer Stronger over the previous week. One of the suggestions he makes in this book, and The Nautilus Diet (Ellington Darden, through the years has suggested a balanced diet, of three meals a day.

Along with eating three meals a day (I think I have mentioned this before a couple of years back), Dr. Darden includes drinking a gallon of cold water during the day. The theory is drinking the cold water drops the body temperature, and in irder to keep homeostasis, the body burns calories to raise the temperature.

I have been giving it a try and aside from being in the lounge several times a day, it seems to have kicked started some size loss, weight loss, and helps keep me satiated. Although, I am cold a large amount of the time.

If your kidneys are good to go, give it a try.

Thanks Over43. I drink 2-3 litres a day and don't think I could have stuck to NoS without it! Although I don't drink it cold.

Most days I drink 2+ litres a day but usually drink it luke warm / room temp. I have heard the cold water thing before. Mmm, must give it another try.

That would be 16 cups of water a day.

from an article in Scientific American:
Where did people get the idea that guzzling enormous quantities of water is healthful? A few years ago Heinz Valtin, a kidney specialist from Dartmouth Medical School, decided to determine if the common advice to drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water per day could hold up to scientific scrutiny. After scouring the peer-reviewed literature, Valtin concluded that no scientific studies support the "eight x eight" dictum (for healthy adults living in temperate climates and doing mild exercise). In fact, drinking this much or more "could be harmful, both in precipitating potentially dangerous hyponatremia and exposure to pollutants, and also in making many people feel guilty for not drinking enough," he wrote in his 2002 review for the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. And since he published his findings, Valtin says, "not a single scientific report published in a peer-reviewed publication has proven the contrary."

If you're going to do it, be sure to sip the water over time. Drinking water quickly is how competitive eaters train. It increases their stomach capacity.

I guess everyone is different. I used to get a lot of kidney infections until I started drinking 2+ litres a day - no more kidney infections. What the reason is I don't know but that's the only thing I changed according to doctors advice. So while I agree that it might not be helpful for everyone at all I know it was for me

Oolala53 - Maybe my calculations are off but by my count 2 litres = 8 cups of 250ml (8oz)

I have always drunk a lot of water and I find I don't function without it. I always have a bottle of water on my desk & sip all day.

Whew that is very interesting re the competitive eaters!

True, and you had a medical reason. It's not likely your infections were caused by lack of water. Your body obviously benefits from the extra flushing. Glad you didn't need meds!

I wish I felt many of the benefits others get from many touted practices. I've gone through bouts of drinking a lot more water and never experienced anything but a desire to hit the head more often. No kidney infections, knock on wood.

If purposeful water-drinking fits anyone's version of a moderate, sustainable lifestyle, go for it!

oolala53 wrote:That would be 16 cups of water a day.

from an article in Scientific American:
Where did people get the idea that guzzling enormous quantities of water is healthful? A few years ago Heinz Valtin, a kidney specialist from Dartmouth Medical School, decided to determine if the common advice to drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water per day could hold up to scientific scrutiny. After scouring the peer-reviewed literature, Valtin concluded that no scientific studies support the "eight x eight" dictum (for healthy adults living in temperate climates and doing mild exercise). In fact, drinking this much or more "could be harmful, both in precipitating potentially dangerous hyponatremia and exposure to pollutants, and also in making many people feel guilty for not drinking enough," he wrote in his 2002 review for the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. And since he published his findings, Valtin says, "not a single scientific report published in a peer-reviewed publication has proven the contrary."

There was a piece of research that said the body averages an intake of 64 oz. of water a day -- this included water from foods as well as all sorts of drinks -- coffee and Coke give us water, after all. The media mis-reported it as "needed 64 oz" and now it's become a case of "everybody knows."

I think oolala, if your body doesn't need it you don't need to force it. I'm constantly thirsty if I drink less than 1.5 litres. Maybe it's like a weight set-point where when you're used to more water you automatically need more water?

I come from Austria, a culture that is so water drinking obsessed that we even "spritz" our wine with sparkling water

eschano wrote: I'm constantly thirsty if I drink less than 1.5 litres. Maybe it's like a weight set-point where when you're used to more water you automatically need more water?

I'm not singling out eschano here. I just wanted to make a note of this while we're discussing water.

I've read that "excessive" thirst can be a symptom of diabetes. I'm not a doctor, and certainly not diagnosing anything here, and don't really have an idea what "excessive" would be. But considering lots of us here have weight problems, it might be something to keep in mind. On the other hand, I'm sure the 'normal' amount of water needed by an individual varies greatly.

I hope I haven't come off as being a jerk by mentioning this.

No not at all, thanks a lot for mentioning it! It would have been possible that you were 100% right and I had never considered it until now.

In my case, I just had a check up to rule it out so I know I don't but you can never be too careful about those things! You'd want to catch them early so thanks!

eschano wrote:In my case, I just had a check up to rule it out so I know I don't but you can never be too careful about those things! You'd want to catch them early so thanks!

Wonderful to hear you're doing well! Cheers!

I looked up the competitor eating thing and they drink a gallon of water in 30 seconds to train!!! That's crazy! No wonder they have stomach expansion!

I don't drink anywhere near that fast (and I'm sure none of you do either) so I feel safe that my water intake isn't affecting my stomach size.

I have increased my intake as a part of NoS. I now drink about 3 liters a day...and only drink when I am thirsty. I find that the more water I drink, the more I can recognize thirst over hunger and I end up drinking even more water. Plus, it helps things move...a little smoother.

I don't know where I'd be without water on NoS. I was a 8 oz glass of day tea drinker (with about 12 oz diet soda at dinner) and that's it before. I honestly don't know how my body survived on so little.

Some 20 years ago, I was drinking one and half gallons of water every day, using it for weight control ("flush the fat"). I stopped because after a few weeks of this my heart was doing this weird bubbly thing periodically. It stopped when I stopped.