每天八杯水後，你的身體是這樣的……

作為一個酷愛喝水的人，也知道其實大多數建議多喝的並不只是白水，還有淡鹽水、檸檬水……不管怎麼說，每天要喝八杯水的說法估計和「an apple a day keeps the doctor away」一樣會具有持久的生命力。但所謂八杯水只是一個平均的概念，每個人的情況不同，可能需要更少或更多的水。有個便捷的方法可以觀察到你的飲水量是否達標——尿液的顏色。

If your urine is clear or very pale, congrats—you have good hydration. But if it』s a brighter yellow or amber color, you should probably be downing more water.

這裡給大家找到了更直觀的圖示：

圖中1、2、3都是飲用了足夠身體所需水量的狀態。要注意的是，服用了某些維生素補充劑也有可能會改變尿液顏色，就不適合此對照表了。

喝足了身體所需水分後，你的身體會有以下九個變化。

1. 能幫助你應對健身中的劇烈運動

Muscles need a good balance of electrolytes like sodium, potassium[p??t?si?m], and magnesium[m?gni?z??m] to function properly. Without proper hydration, electrolytes can』t exchange as easily, and the muscles can lose plumpness and be more prone to cramping.

肌肉有良好的電解質平衡，有助於鈉離子，鉀離子和鎂離子正常工作。 如果沒有適當的補水，電解質不能輕易交換，肌肉會失去豐滿度，更容易發生痙攣。

* electrolyte/?lektr?la?t/: n. a liquid containing ions that electricity can pass through 電解質

2. 能使腎臟功能得到更好發揮

腎臟通過液體的形式幫助身體清除廢物；如果沒有足夠的水，就很難讓腎臟發揮它的排污功能。

Plus, without needing regular bathroom visits, a hard mineral could form and cause kidney stones.

而且，如果沒有進行有規律的入廁，可能會導致硬質礦物堆積而最終發展為腎結石(我有個朋友正是長期不愛喝水，冷不丁就腎結石了，自此每天不敢不喝水)。

3. 水也可以成為你的能量棒

Your body needs water to keep up its energy levels, which is why you might feel sluggish if you aren』t drinking enough water every day. Some people turn to caffeine because they think they』re always tired, but something like caffeine won』t necessarily have beneficial effects on energy levels if they』re not hydrated as well.

身體也需要水來維持能量。可能有些時候會覺得身體懶懶的，也許正是一種缺水的表現。這個時候應該及時補水而不是去找咖啡來喝。

* sluggish: adj. not performing or reacting as quickly as usual

e.g. She woke up feeling tired and sluggish.

4. 能容光煥發

When your skin cells aren』t getting the water they need, they』ll start to wither and shrink. But if you drink enough water, your skin will look more lustrous and get plumpness that erases fine lines that form when you』re dehydrated.

補充水分不會讓你從五十歲變回二十歲，那是魔法。但是適當的水分可以讓細胞飽滿，肌膚也會有光澤。

* lustrous: adj. bright and shiny

5. 能使身體運作更有規律

When your body needs to have more water in a certain area, it will take out of less essential areas—and that means it will take away from your digestive system. But by staying hydrated, you can avoid constipation.

當身體內一些重要的環節需要水分，而你沒有足夠地提供時，身體會想辦法從別的地方挪用——比如消化系統——容易導致便秘。

* constipation: n. a condition in which you cannot move solid waste out of your body easily

6. 能幫助排除病菌

Your body has to ramp up to launch an attack against the germs when you』re sick, which means your cells need more calories and fluids to keep up with the demands. For instance, you』re losing fluids when your nose starts to run in your body』s attempt to flush out pathogens.

多喝水能讓疾病更快痊癒。身體內部的防禦機制會自發與病菌戰鬥，這些戰鬥需要能量和液體來實現。就像流鼻涕也是一種排除病菌的運作一樣。

* ramp up: to increase sth such as a rate or level

* pathogen/p?θ?d?(?)n/ : sth such as bacteria or a virus that causes disease

7. 能減少頭痛

When your body doesn』t have the fluids it needs, it can』t transfer important nutrients as easily, and a headache is your warning sign. It』s your body』s way of signaling that something is amiss.

頭痛有時也是一種信號，告訴你有某些地方營養不足，需要依靠水分來運輸。

* amiss: adj. [never before noun] likely to cause difficulties or problems

e.g. I was convinced that something was amiss.

8. 能排更多的汗

If you haven』t been drinking enough water, you might not create that cooling sweat during an intense workout. If you』re doing vigorous activity and weren』t sweating when you knew you would be, that』s a sign to seek rehydration. It could be a red flag for heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

排汗雖然不算件舒服的事，卻是件好事。排汗是在幫助身體維持正常的體溫。如果劇烈運動是，或者身處過熱的地方但沒能排出足夠的汗液，就可能會中暑。

9. 能減輕心臟負擔

If you aren』t drinking enough water, your heart can』t pump blood as efficiently, raising your heart rate and decreasing blood pressure. If you』re not adequately hydrated, you』re putting additional strain on the heart.

同肌肉一樣，心臟也需要足夠的水分來輔助運作。水分不足的話，會給心臟造成額外的壓力。

p.s. 也別喝多了……