By Sandi Manhão | Natural Living Consultant & Pilates Instructor
Did you know that the secret to glowing skin, steady energy, and pain‑free joints might be hiding in a plain glass of water? Not bubble tea, coffee, or the sweet soy milk you sip at a local café. It’s plain H₂O.
There’s an old Cantonese saying that roughly translates to “water is the soul of life.” As someone who has spent over a decade guiding clients through natural living, I can tell you that this wisdom holds up remarkably well – especially when someone finally asks me the question that pops up in nearly every conversation about hydration.
“How much water should I really be drinking?”
The answer, like most things in health, isn’t one-size-fits-all. A popular formula doing the rounds suggests dividing your body weight in kilograms by two to get your daily water intake in litres. It’s a solid starting point.
A 60-kilogram woman aiming for about 30 millilitres per kilogram would target roughly 1.8 litres; a man weighing 80 kilograms would look at around 2.4 litres. But here’s where it gets interesting for our Macau lifestyle.
Our climate is humid, often exceeding 30°C in summer. Add a morning jog and evening yoga/pilates session, and your body loses water faster than you realise. That “adequate” 1.8 litres suddenly needs a top-up. A good habit is to drink an extra 250 to 350 millilitres for every 30 minutes of exercise, and to sip more on those sticky afternoons when the humidity makes your skin feel like it’s breathing through a warm towel.
Food contributes, too. Watermelon, cucumber, and citrus fruits help boost your water level from the inside out. In Asian kitchens, soups and congee are hydration heroes, and there’s real wisdom in starting your meal with a clear soup, a practice many families in Macau still follow.
Photo: VD Photography
But here’s the most important tip I want to share: don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Thirst is your body’s last-ditch signal. By the time you feel it, you’re already mildly dehydrated. Keep a reusable bottle at your desk, by your yoga mat, or on the kitchen counter where you see it. Make water the easiest choice, and habit does the rest.
Your body is roughly 60% water. Every cell, every digestion process, every exercise – it’s all powered by hydration. In Macau, where we balance modern hustle with rich traditions, let’s not let something as simple as water be the thing that slows us down.
Drink up. Your body will thank you.
Let’s Keep Talking
What is your biggest hurdle to staying healthy in our busy city? I’d love to hear from you. For more tips, follow me on Instagram @Sandi_Manhao. See you there!
Columnist’s Disclaimer:
The information shared here is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Any opinions or recommendations shared are based on personal experience and general product education. Please consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new wellness routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
Photo: Johnny McClung
Publication Disclaimer: Our “Natural Living” section is a special column containing articles wholly written by the author with minimum editing for publication purpose only and without additional content by Good News Macau, which only provides a free space for this column. Both the author and the publication have agreed to enter into a non-payment collaborative agreement to give this special section to Good News Macau’s readers, with one article published every month during an agreed period of time. The author’s views or opinions in this article do not represent the publication’s views or opinions.
Feature Photo: Engin Akyurt
The Author | Natural Living columnist Sandi Manhão believes that true vitality is found when we stop fighting against nature and start living as part of it. A Macau native with over a decade of professional experience, Sandi is a Pilates instructor and aromatherapist who views her 50s as her most vibrant decade yet. She specialises in helping people make the transition to natural living through small, sustainable shifts that yield significant results. By sharing her insights, Sandi seeks to empower every reader to take charge of their health, fostering a sense of balance and harmony that allows the body to thrive.
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