What happens if you drink four liters of water every day. Disturbs normal blood sugar levels

The issue of water consumption is directly related to your health, and there cannot be a clear and the right recipe, the same for everyone. Listen to your body and to specialists if you have chronic diseases and physiological characteristics, double-check and ask again about any decisions in this area (as well as many others related to your body). And I ask you very much, do not rush headlong into any system of food or drink or anything else, give your body time to adapt, and yourself to hear and correctly interpret the signals that your body gives. Take care of yourself!

Well, having said all this (not in order to abdicate responsibility, but in order to correctly place emphasis on this burning topic), let us begin to discuss the most interesting thing. Let me not “sell” you the idea of proper water balance, you probably know about this without me, otherwise you wouldn’t even read to this line. Let's move straight to the practical aspects.

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HOW TO START

Firstly, it’s difficult to start drinking several times more than usual, you know, probably. Constant runs to the toilet (sorry), reminders to yourself, drinking forcefully, frantically finishing the norm in the late afternoon, and then swelling and getting up at night - you must agree, this is not what we instill new habits in ourselves for. Therefore, it’s probably better to start without fanaticism, and if you don’t drink at all, then break your addiction into stages. First a liter a day, then a little more.

Techniques such as having a jug or bottle on the table that already contains all of your water are very helpful in remembering water. daily norm, as well as applications on your phone in which you record your drinks and which interrupt you with their reminders throughout the day. In my case it is WaterBalance for iOS, but upon request water balance or water balance you will find many more options, choose according to your taste, the essence of them all is similar.

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HOW TO DRINK CORRECTLY

Does everyone know that drinking in one gulp is harmful and potentially even deadly? It’s better to drink even a glass not in one gulp, but in sips, with the exception of morning glass, which launches everything vitally important processes in a barely awakened body. You can also add lemon and honey (although there is so much controversy about honey, maybe it’s okay?).

Distribute the water evenly throughout the day and try to avoid situations when it is already time for you to sleep and you urgently need to finish the missing half liter. Some time before bed, most may prefer to stop drinking, since if your body tends to retain water and often “pleases” you with morning swelling, excess water in the evenings will only contribute to this.

If you exercise, most studies and researchers will not support your desire to drink during exercise. But be sure to educate yourself on the topic of drinking during sports loads, especially marathons, this is a vital aspect!

It is better to drink water at room temperature or even warm. Of course, not from the tap, but bottled or filtered. Water quality is important, and not all bottled water is created equal, so do your research and make sure your favorite brand meets all regulations and standards - both for the water itself and for its packaging. And, of course, the water should not be mineralized (you can overdo it with salts if you drink so much mineral water) and not carbonated (more on this below, everything is not so clear), well, you already know, yes ?

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DO OTHER LIQUIDS AND FOOD COUNT?

There is no single answer to this question. It is believed that caffeine-containing drinks (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks), as well as alcohol, remove liquid, and you must “pay” for everything you drink with double the volume of water. Sweet and carbonated drinks are also traditionally prohibited and are also punishable by fines. And indeed, many will confirm that a certain dryness is indeed felt when consuming all of the above. However, a number of studies prove that the type of drink does not affect the “hydration” of our body at all. So choose not to drink it all (in any case, it definitely won’t get worse! But for other reasons), drink more water, or don’t think about it at all and drink what you like.

With food, which supposedly also contains a lot of water, things are still less clear. Scientists are divided here, so again, go with your gut. If your diet contains a lot juicy vegetables, soups, etc., and you don’t feel thirsty or dry, perhaps everything is fine and you don’t need to drink so much.

Well, if just water is very boring, try infusions, that is, tinctures - these are the same herbal “teas” that are not tea, as well as variations of lemonades without added sugar and just cool water infused with some herbs, vegetables or berries, for example. These options do not contradict the opinions of even the strictest scientific monsters who forbid us to drink tea. Tea, Karl!

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IS IT POSSIBLE TO WASH MY FOOD?

Separately, there is the issue of drinking before meals, washing down and generally combining water and food. This question is the most painful, because the statement “drinking is harmful, you need to drink half an hour before meals” sits in our subcortex, and horrors about dilution gastric juice, which will slow down digestion and lead to food rotting in the stomach, does not allow those who are particularly sensitive to sleep at night. Meanwhile, there is quite scientific basis why is this nonsense? Let me embed a video for you, and there the smart guy will tell us everything.

Again, this is not an absolute opinion, and you can do what you think is right; it certainly shouldn’t be worse from not drinking. The main thing is not to forget to chew thoroughly :) And, in any case, a glass of water 15-30 minutes before meals will help us eat less and better control the amount we eat.

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SO HOW MUCH TO DRINK?

I specifically highlight this question separately in order to once again emphasize that there is no single answer to it. Both fanatics who pour 5 liters a day into themselves and tell how their life has sparkled with new colors, and those who do not drink at all and claim that they feel great are extremes, and, as we know, there is nothing good in extremes. And the worst thing about these extremes is when others begin to agitate for them.

So I encourage you to carefully find your own norm. The usual volume of 2 liters is very average. Your rate is affected by climate, level of physical activity, your diet, your weight and condition. internal organs, in the end!

Focus on your feelings - you should not experience extreme thirst, and over time you also shouldn't experience too much frequent urges to urination (sorry again).

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SO WHY IS ALL THIS NEEDED?

Well, let’s remember once again for inspiration and for greater determination what the right water balance. Or, more precisely, what will happen if it is not supported.

Dehydration, that is, dehydration of the body entails a lot unpleasant consequences for health and well-being. Up to fatal outcome, but we, of course, are not talking about that now.

Dehydration- This:

Bad mood
Fatigue
Headache
Increased appetite
Sweet cravings
Bad breath
Dry skin and hair
Swelling
Skin rashes
Kidney stones and much, much more...

In my opinion, there are enough reasons to stay hydrated.

Water is the source of life, a million percent of us are made of water, and all that. These are all platitudes, but you know what's good about platitudes? Most often they are true, so true that it hurts your teeth. Therefore, my friends, make friends with water - inside and out, here is the book “Closer to the Water” by Wallace Nicholsot. Amazing facts about how water can change your life" from your favorite MYTH to help you with the second one. This is truly an amazing book not only about water, but, first of all, about ourselves. You can buy it on Ozon.ru or Labirint.ru.

I was once again convinced that the rule of habits in 21 days works exactly the opposite for me - my enthusiasm is enough for about 3 weeks, and then it becomes much more difficult for me. That's why Lately I’m hacking, but, in general, I will continue to move in the same direction and I won’t judge the sensations yet.

And in November I focus on my sleep patterns. Remember mine? This is one of the most popular posts on the blog, but here I am again slipping into a owl schedule and feeling a sharp decline in productivity. So, as you can see, I consistently hit the body so that the spirit has something to hold on to :) Which, of course, I wish for you too!

And, by the way, only two months until the New Year! How are you getting on with #stayfocusedproject? And what breakthrough do you want to make by the end of the year?

I have to go to the toilet every 20 minutes, but I'm definitely prettier, happier, healthier and more energetic. All thanks to water.

“When I agreed to drink a gallon of water (3.8 L — NV) every day for a month, I expected to receive positive results: better skin, more energy,” writes American journalist Wil Fulton in a column for Thrillist.

Some of this actually worked, however, as the author says, drinking water in such quantities turned out to be much more difficult than he expected. To fulfill the experimental conditions, great effort had to be made. “But I did it. Mainly because the company was literally paying me to do it. “I also wanted to learn something new,” the columnist notes.

Day 1. Started

Fulton notes that he doesn't usually drink that much liquid in a day (except for beer), so he had no idea how many glasses of water fit in a gallon. “So I decided the best thing to do would be to get a big bottle of water and carry it with me everywhere,” the author says.

It was strange to dedicate my body and soul to one single purpose: to drink, drink and drink.

Day 5. I run to the toilet every 20 minutes.

I feel thirsty all the time “I like to drink water. Honestly. My body (like the body of any other person) consists of 60% water, but none normal person doesn't drink a gallon of water a day. This is the difficulty. I drink water even when I don’t feel thirsty,” says the journalist. The sensations are the same, except that you never feel hungry, and this makes you eat less.

And you pee every 20 minutes. “Everyone in the office thinks I have a drug problem because I keep running to the toilet,” he says.

Day 10. I became more beautiful

Something is happening, and it is most noticeable in the morning. Usually, Fulton says, he needs a cup of coffee to wake up, but now he wakes up more refreshed and feels more energized. “And that's wonderful. I think I'm feeling better. Although this may just be a placebo effect,” he says.

Day 15. Yes, I’m just a source of energy

There is definitely more energy. The author notes that he practically stopped drinking coffee, although he used to drink 2-3 cups a day. “On my evening runs I feel like I’m moving faster. […] And I also constantly feel thirsty when I don’t drink. The body seems to have adapted to the new regime,” he continues.

Day 20: People say I'm happier

"Don't know. Maybe that's how it is? I rewatched Beetlejuice – maybe this is the reason,” the journalist continues.

Day 25: I'm getting better

You still write a lot. The urine is crystal clear. “My girlfriend says my skin looks better and I definitely have more energy. It sounds strange, but I feel like I just became better", - Fulton says.

The author asked his editor if his performance had improved, to which she replied, “Not noticeably.” “I’ll take this as a solid ‘maybe,’” the columnist writes. “And I had to adopt the bottle, it became a part of me.” I have developed calluses on my hand from the handle, and, to be honest, I feel naked when I don’t feel the touch of its cool plastic in my palm.

Day 30. Free

The experiment is finally over. Have to go to the toilet often. You constantly feel thirsty. “I look like my grandfather. But I love my grandfather. And damn, I really feel good. A gallon is probably too much, but I realized that I haven’t been drinking enough water all this time,” the journalist concludes.

People need to drink more water, he believes. This makes you feel better, and people around you like you more.

Wil Fulton

Healing drugs oriental medicine You can purchase in our Ayurveda and Oriental medicine boutique

We are constantly bombarded with “valuable” advice regarding nutrition and health; TV screens are filled with programs about healthy image life, and what is said and shown in them does not always agree with each other. How to the common man- not a doctor, not a nutrition specialist - to understand this flow of information? The materials in the “Myths about...” section will present only scientifically proven data taken from reliable sources. If any of our readers would like to read these primary sources (articles and books), write, we will be happy to share the information.

So, the first myth is “Everyone should drink 8 glasses of water a day” (options - 2.5-3 liters of clean water per day). Coffee, tea, soup, liquid from vegetables and fruits do not count.

This is one of the most persistent and widespread misconceptions even among nutrition and health specialists. Almost everyone thinks that they don't drink enough water, but not a single study has been carried out. scientific research, which would truly prove that a person needs the notorious 8 glasses of water a day.

Moreover, no one knows exactly where and when this idea came from. Some blame it on bottled water makers who benefit from consumer hype, but plenty of doctors and health organizations have also been promoting the idea for decades. The source of the idea of “under-drinking” may have been the recommendations of the US National Research Council (NRC) of 1945, which stated that an adult should consume 1 ml of water for every calorie of food, which in total gave up to 2.5 liters water per day for men and up to 2 liters for women.

According to Barbara Roll, a nutrition researcher at Penn State University and author of the 1984 book Thirst, this amount of water is appropriate for people living in temperate climates who do not exercise very strenuously. physical exercise. 1.8-1.9 liters of water is the amount that a person gets by drinking 8 glasses of water of 220-230 ml each - and now the myth about 8 glasses of water in the American version is ready.

What most people don't consider is that we get a lot of water (yes water!) from food, as the NRC stated in the same 1945 recommendations. Food contains water and, moreover, during digestion it breaks down... again into water and carbon dioxide. So if you don't sweat constantly, you only need about 1 liter of water. 1.2 liters, by the way, is the volume that consists of 8 glasses of 150 ml, which are listed in the recommendations of the UK Health Service.

However, any talk about glasses is still misleading, because, as research shows, there is no such urgent need to consume pure water. Heinz Waltin, a nephrologist (kidney doctor) from Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire, UK), has shown that the liquids people drink, including tea and coffee, can supply all the water our bodies need.

If you believe the myth, then caffeine-containing drinks cannot be counted as water because they have a diuretic effect, leading to more water loss than gain. However, this also turns out to be untrue. Comparative study, conducted in 2000 in the United States, found no differences in hydration between groups of healthy adults who drank caffeinated drinks or just water.

Fans of drinking water respond to this by saying that pure water is still much better, more environmentally friendly, and more natural than any other drink. Even this statement can be disputed, however key point the whole story is that if you are a healthy person who drinks enough tea, milk, juice or anything else - there is no evidence that drinking extra water makes you feel better or is more effective means than if you, say, continuously took a bath or were in a humid environment.

The final piece of this myth is the idea that we have to force ourselves to drink water because by the time a person begins to feel thirsty, they are already seriously dehydrated (drained, dehydrated). This is wrong. The already mentioned Barbara Rolls showed about 30 years ago that we feel thirst long before a significant loss of fluid in the body occurs. Without going into too much detail physiological mechanisms the appearance of a feeling of thirst and special terminology, then we can say that less than a 2% increase in blood concentration is enough to make us want to drink, while dehydration of the body occurs at 5% and above.

So scientists say - when it comes to water consumption, relax and trust your body. Don’t force yourself to swallow buckets of water if you don’t want to (this can pose a real health hazard, for example, removing the necessary salts). Just drink the drinks you like, when you want.

Finally, let us emphasize once again on our own behalf that all this information relates to healthy people with moderate physical activity, living in middle lane, without chronic diseases, requiring compliance with special drinking regime, and not pursuing any special goals for weight correction, figure correction, etc.

The second myth is on the agenda: toxins need to be removed from our bodies, and they can be removed with the help of detox programs.

Let's say right away that the availability harmful substances in our bodies is not a myth. We live in a toxic world. We breathe lead when we read newspapers and magazines. The food we eat throughout the day today will contain the most various substances, from natural poisonous elements to pesticides and chemical agents that pollute the environment. Over the course of our lives, our bodies become veritable sewers for hazardous substances. Latest National Human Risk Report chemical pollution, made in the USA, provided data on the content in the body of people potentially dangerous doses unwanted substances, including heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and phthalates.

The question arises: what can we do about it? According to popular wisdom, we need detox programs to remove these toxins from the body, and there is huge list advice on which way is the best for this. Someone drinks for 5 days olive oil, someone is starving, someone puts plasters on their soles, someone drinks a decoction of dried mouse tails, infused with mandrake root in a certain phase of the moon - there is no limit to people’s imagination. Are any of these methods really better than the other? Is there one that truly “works”? And do we really need special detox measures?

To begin with, we realize that detoxification is constantly happening - with the help of our liver, kidneys and digestive system. Most of the chemical toxins we consume and excrete within a few hours.

However, some substances, especially fat-soluble substances such as dioxins and PCBs, can take weeks, months or even years to be eliminated - they accumulate in the body much faster than they can be eliminated.

Many detox programs promote a period of drinking only liquids and non-solid foods, but they do not take into account the specific substances that accumulate in the body over the years. “For many of these substances, it would take 6 to 10 years of living in a zero-risk environment to eliminate even half the amount stored in adipose tissue,” says Andreas Kortenkamp, a toxicologist at Brunel University (London), “however and this is unattainable because, unfortunately, there is no zero-risk consumption environment.”

Moreover, and this is much more important, to know that fasting and dieting... provoke the release of fat-soluble chemicals into the blood, rather than removing them from the body. One recent study found that levels of organochlorides and pesticides in the blood increased from 25 to 50% in people who rapidly lost weight. Animal studies have also shown that sudden loss weight increases the content of harmful mixtures in the muscles and brain, and this, you understand, is hundreds of times more harmful than their deposition in adipose tissue before the diet.
Margaret Sears, health researcher and environment at CHEO Research Institute Ottawa, Canada, has found that the sudden release of harmful substances into the blood can cause exactly the problems that detox lovers so want to avoid: “These chemicals have a toxic effect, undermining endocrine system, which paradoxically affects energy levels and appetite, leading to a yo-yo effect (alternate, “loop” weight loss and weight gain).” Moreover, there is no guarantee that chemical substances, extracted from fat, leave the body - subsequently some of them, having traveled through the blood and tissues, return to the “storage areas”.

For substances that are eliminated from the body quickly (such as phthalates), short fasts work better and actually reduce their concentration levels. However, experts say - it is not obvious that this is so useful - as soon as you return to your previous eating regimen, everything returns to its place.

The already mentioned A. Kortenkamp believes that “only environmental regulation at the state level reduces the risk of toxicity. Individual strategies and measures are a drop in the bucket.”

And yet, you shouldn’t give up: everyone can significantly reduce the risk of toxicity, at least with nicotine and alcohol. M. Sears recommends what she calls a “lifelong detox,” which involves consuming as much as possible. healthy food and avoiding the use of chemicals at home and at work.

Finally, let us mention one more method of effective detoxification, which, however, is quite questionable in its implementation: it has been scientifically proven that fat-soluble chemicals are eliminated very quickly during lactation. And although it is possible to induce lactation in women without giving birth to a child, and in men too, there is no line of people wanting to cleanse the body in this way yet.

What happens to our body in such heat? How can I help him? We asked the famous doctor Anatoly Volkov, the creator of Doctor Volkov’s Clinic, to tell Novaya readers about this. - So you called the body a “factory”. Not good....

What happens to our body in such heat? How can I help him? We asked the famous doctor Anatoly Volkov, the creator of Doctor Volkov’s Clinic, to tell Novaya readers about this.

So you called the body a “factory”. Not good. We'll have to continue this image further and talk about wastewater treatment plants...And in order to exist normally in the heat, main recommendation- drink.

- What drink?

Water. Dahl's word "drink" refers only to clean water. This is the norm of the language. We eat the rest. Even tea is already food.

- Yes, the tongue does not deceive: “Have some tea.” Should I drink sparkling water or not?

Carbonated water is not water. It is carbonated water. We should try to drink water that is more or less natural, and not manufactured in a factory. The water that is produced “according to the drawings” (mineralized) cannot be drunk at all. This is not water, but unsuccessful copies.

Dehydration is always a blood overload. She is overloaded with protein - there is nothing else. Therefore, two restrictions should always work in the heat: more water, less protein food. Actually, the body itself strives for this: you don’t want to drink more and eat less meat or fish.

The greatest thirst is in the morning. The entire second half of the night is the time of active work of the liver and kidneys. They dramatically dehydrate the bloodstream. This is why blood pressure rises in hypertensive patients in the morning, and sugar in diabetics. This is dehydration. Therefore, in the morning, before any meal, a liter of water should just enter you with a whistle!

- Liter?!

Easily! Worth a try. You will feel the effect of a half-liter cup of coffee. And before the night there should also be a decent portion of water: in a dream it happens active work sewerage, it must be provided. So for the night - another liter.

- Liter?

Yes, and if you drink one and a half liters of water a day, you will get exactly what you need for the heat - four liters. Individual norm- from 3.5 to 4 liters.

- Four liters for one person?

For an adult - yes, and if you drink much less, then you will not help the body by slightly increasing your water consumption. There is such a threshold, let’s call it the “thirst threshold.” Everything before it is a liter, one and a half, two, the body is either uncomfortable or not at all. And you can choke on three liters of water, and then abandon the idea of increasing your drinking, because you run to the toilet. The fact is that any extra portion of water, as long as there is not enough of it in the body as a whole, it will use it to remove something, to clean something. This is how the body protects itself: the body always has what to remove. So if you pee often, it’s just a lack of water. There is a little more of it, but the body asks: give me more, give me more...

The threshold is precisely between 3.5 and 4 liters. As soon as you jump over him, a distinct thirst appears in the body, he asks for a drink, although it seems like you drank a lot. At the same time, urination stops at every corner and is established, like any normal person - 6-7 times a day. And the urine will stop changing color from bright yellow to colorless. This means that the body is stably hydrated.

- But there are people who simply don’t feel like drinking.

If a person doesn’t drink enough, the body adapts and doesn’t ask to drink anymore. Included some compensation. What to ask for if they don't give it?

- So, you shouldn’t wait for a signal, but just consciously pour up to 4 liters into yourself?

Yes. And one more thing: I have not met a single person who would not confuse the desire to drink with the desire to eat. A person actually wants to drink, but he starts eating.

I don’t feel like eating during the heat of the day. We ate in the morning. We didn’t eat during the day, but in the evening, quite late, we had a hearty dinner. And we were taught: if we eat after 18.00, we get fat. What should I do?

It’s strange, why did you eat in the morning - did you want to? Or: should you eat in the morning, because then you won’t have time at work? This is from the series: “Eat soap - paid!” You can’t eat just because you won’t be able to eat later. Not wartime.

And the story that you can’t eat after 6 p.m. seems to be connected with the fact that canteens were closed at that time in the Soviet Union. If the body wants to eat, it needs to be given. He knows better, he doesn't care at all scientific opinions: "I want to eat. All. And at least hang yourself.” And there is no need to deceive him: if you give him a piece of apple as a deception, he will add a kilogram to the morning. This is what women often do: they try to eat less at night - and fruit. But after eating, only predators sleep. Then eat meat and go to bed. In the morning the weight will be less than a kilogram. Digesting meat is an energy-consuming activity.

Herbivores eat on the go: they pick leaves and feed all day. During the day we can do this too. IN plant foods There is nothing bad. With her we get all the energy. Meat does not provide energy. On the contrary, it is spent on its digestion. That's why protein food It's better to eat in the evening.

And in order for the amount of food to be normal, it is important to chew it thoroughly and not suck it up like a vacuum cleaner. If you chew, the body itself will stop you in time: the taste will disappear. The taste of food is both the on and off switch of food. If you swallow without chewing, you can throw in as much as you like.

- And if we eat less in the heat, then we probably don’t get enough vitamins and minerals?

In fact, one tablet of vitamins is enough for 50 people, if not 100. We don’t need that much. It’s unclear what all these daily needs are calculated from. If a vitamin is without context, in splendid isolation, it is like a naked king. There will definitely be a non-specific response to it immune reaction, as with any chemistry.

- It turns out that you don’t have to eat strictly according to the clock. What, you don’t even need to count calories?

What calories? A calorie is the amount of heat required to warm one milliliter of water by one degree. But the body does not burn food. He digests it. It's a different process. When people count calories, they assume that everything they put in their mouth is all there. What's with reverse side there is also a pipe, we don’t notice what comes out there, we don’t count it. This is a lie.

They also often scare us with the fact that we wash away with water necessary for the body microelements, for example, potassium and magnesium, which are important for the functioning of the heart muscle.

What, are we pouring water into a clogged pipe? Where do we wash it from? We drink by mouth, not by vein. When there is not enough water, it is bad. And the excess will safely pour into the pot. The body, unlike us, knows exactly what it needs.

Cole Saladino/Thrillist

Wil Fulton: It was strange to dedicate my body and soul to one single goal: drink, drink and drink

Cole Saladino/Thrillist

I have to go to the toilet every 20 minutes, but I'm definitely prettier, happier, healthier and more energetic. All thanks to water

“When I agreed to drink a gallon of water (3.8 L - NV) every day for a month, I expected to see positive results: better skin, more energy and a thicker penis (well, what if?),” writes American journalist Wil Fulton in a column for Thrillist.

Some of this actually worked, however, as the author says, drinking water in such quantities turned out to be much more difficult than he expected. To fulfill the experimental conditions, great effort had to be made. “But I did it. Mainly because the company was literally paying me to do it. And I also wanted to learn something new,” notes the columnist.

Day 1. Started

It was strange to dedicate my body and soul to one single purpose: to drink, drink and drink.

Day 5. I run to the toilet every 20 minutes.

I feel thirsty all the time

“I like to drink water. Honestly. My body (like everyone else's body) is 60% water, but no normal person drinks a gallon of water a day. This is the difficulty. I drink water even when I don’t feel thirsty,” says the journalist. The sensations are the same, except that you never feel hungry, and this makes you eat less.

And you pee every 20 minutes. “Everyone in the office thinks I have a drug problem because I keep running to the toilet,” he says.

Day 10. I became more beautiful

Day 15. Yes, I’m just a source of energy

Day 20: People say I'm happier

"Don't know. Maybe that's how it is? I rewatched Beetlejuice - maybe this is the reason,” the journalist continues.

Day 25: I'm getting better

The author asked his editor if his performance had improved, to which she replied, “Not noticeably.” “I’ll take this as a solid ‘maybe,’” the columnist writes. - And I had to adopt the bottle, it became a part of me. I have developed calluses on my hand from the handle, and, to be honest, I feel naked when I don’t feel the touch of its cool plastic in my palm.

Day 30. Free

People should drink more water, he believes. This makes you feel better, and people around you like you more.