make me feel better

I intended to experiment on myself and partner by drinking two litres of still bottled drinking water per day for a week, on top of what we normally drink and adding a little lemon juice to each drink.

I knew my partner did not drink enough water, she starts work at 8am, and returns home by 4pm, and during that time only has one cup of tea. Often she feels very tired and will also complain of a headache.

I started the experiment and by 10am I had drunk two glasses of water. The first thing I noticed apart from having to visit the toilet was that my energy levels had increased.

By early afternoon I noticed my moral was better, I had an urge to do more, my conversation had got better, and I felt quite witty and humorous, and even quite happy. In fact I felt quite "hipped up", as if I had taken a drug.

I thought that perhaps it was just what I had eaten on this day, however the next day I felt the same way, much better.

My partner also agreed that she had felt much better, and did not feel tired.

There is no doubt in my mind that drinking two litres of water extra on what I normally drink per day has health benefits. I know that it enhances mood, and increases energy levels. What I would like to know is what effect it has on my body organs, blood ect.

i too noticed that drinking larger quantities of water makes me feel better, or at least prevents some unplesant effects sometimes - such as headaches or intense tiredness. i used to have terrible headaches, and my mom would ask if i drank enough. i hated that question, since i felt in no way thirsty, i didn't feel dehydrated at all, i felt my headache has absolutely nothing to do with my drinking or not. when i am dehydrated or i didn't drink enough, i feel it. i feel various degrees of thirst, too - varying from a mild need to have a sip, to intense, "dehydrating" thirst.

so, back to my mom and her obsessive drinking question - i, as if to spite her, refused to drink anything when she offered, during my headaches. by accident i noticed once that drinking, even though not feeling thirsty or in need of a drink at all, made my headache go away, and made me feel fresher. since then, i learned my lesson, both ways. i know that one of the best headache cures is to drink at least a liter of water, slowly, over an hour or two, and i know that if i don't drink enough when i work hard or exert myself, i would eventually feel weak, shitty, tired and, in 90% of the cases, get a headache.

so, i know what you mean, Dream.

adding lemon juice also is the best thing you can do - it aids your liver, it's refreshing, it brings a natural addition of vitamin C, so necessary for so many processes that go on in our bodies, and it's tasty...

i don't really know what negative impact this could have on and in our bodies. what i do know is that exaggeration can even cause death. but we're not talking 2-3 liters here, we're taking 6-7. don't know if you heard of that woman that died from water intoxication on the "Hold your Wee for a Wii" contest - here's a BBC article about that and about why too much water is dangerous: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6263029.stm

i heard many doctors recommending drinking 2-3 liters a day. i think that poses no problem, unless your kidneys are dysfunctional and have trouble eliminating that amount. for a healthy individual, i really don't believe that up to daily 3 liter intake poses any real threat, or has any negative impact whatsoever - talking from general experience, extensive reading and discussions with healtcare professionals.

i would be curious though, to hear other opinions also, and understand why and how the water we drink is so beneficial - i understand that all the tissues need hydration, that water cleanses our cells and helps take away our waste products (though i think that's a very simplistic approach, makes me think more of a washing machine than a living organism), but i'd like to hear other people's experience and input. Dream already confirmed to me what i felt myself, that water makes me more active and less flabby. any other "heavy drinkers" around?