Shadowing Practice: Why You Don’t Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day | Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter | TED - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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You know that whole thing about drinking eight glasses of water a day?
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You know that whole thing about drinking eight glasses of water a day?
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Sorry to have to tell you this, but it's a myth.
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It won't make your skin brighter, it won't make you feel clear-headed, it won't make you more energetic.
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It might, however, make you have to pee a lot.
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Many people don't understand the biology behind their bodies.
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There's a lot of misinformation out there, but the truth is that when you understand how your systems function, you're able to make better decisions.
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You're not as prone to fall for hype or pseudoscience.
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You'll feel empowered to understand what's really going on.
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One myth that really bugs me is the idea that you need eight glasses of water a day.
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Honestly, it's pretty shocking how ingrained it is.
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You hear it on TV, you see it in articles.
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Like I said, it's nonsense.
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For the most part, your body will tell you when you need to drink water, because you've got these wonderful, amazing, undervalued things.
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Kidneys.
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Kidneys are the bean-shaped organs located to either side of your spine, right below your ribs.
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They're often thought of as a filter or a waste removal system, but that doesn't do the kidneys justice.
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Your body is an environment where everything, fluid and chemicals, need to be in a delicate balance.
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The kidneys do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to this balance.
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Every day blood in your body passes through the kidneys.
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What you eat, drink, the temperature around you, how much you exercise, all of this affects what's going on in your body.
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Your kidneys, along with your nervous system and various hormones, are constantly watching many gauges and making adjustments about fluids,
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salt, and levels of other substances in real time.
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They do this with about one million tiny structures called nephrons.
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These nephrons are kind of like workers on a conveyor belt, actively adding things and taking things away, things like sodium, glucose or sugar,
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calcium, amino acids, and water, to make sure the body maintains homeostasis or balance.
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If levels of anything get too high or too low, then that can be harmful,
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and it is the job of the kidneys to keep the levels of many of these substances in the just right zone.
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Substances that aren't needed leave the kidney and head to the bladder, where you excrete them in the form of urine.
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So where do 8 glasses of water a day fit in?
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They don't.
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Notice that I did not say that the kidney function is improved with excess water.
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Imagine that you're sweating a lot, so you're losing water from your blood.
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The kidneys know your blood volume is dropping ever so slightly, and that your blood is getting ever so slightly saltier.
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They compensate by absorbing more water back into the blood, making the urine more concentrated.
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If the kidneys sense enough fluid can't be reabsorbed from the urine, you're signaled to drink, meaning you get thirsty.
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If you don't have fluid available, the thirst message gets stronger and stronger.
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A person facing real dehydration won't be unsure if they need water.
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They'll do whatever they need to get it.
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It's one of our most basic instincts that's evolved over a
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very long time in environments where clean water wasn't nearly as readily available as it is today.
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So thanks to your kidneys, your body is really good at maintaining hydration.
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But if you stop counting eight glasses of water a day, how much should you be drinking the answer is simple there is no should
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when you feel thirsty drink some water you can trust your body unless you have kidney stones
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or elderly sometimes our messaging systems get a little worn with age
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or your doctor has told you otherwise constantly monitoring how much
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water you drink is not really necessary here's a point that's often missed every single thing you consume contains water.
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Your morning coffee has water, so does your breakfast.
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And that's snack, an apple, an orange, a glass of juice, a granola bar.
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Just like you, they're made of water too.
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So as long as you're listening to your body's internal sense of thirst, there's really no need to be counting those eight glasses.

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Context & Background

In the engaging TED talk titled "Why You Don’t Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day," Dr. Jen Gunter challenges the long-standing myth regarding daily water consumption. With a background in medicine and a passion for educating the public about health misinformation, Dr. Gunter aims to empower audiences by equipping them with the knowledge necessary to understand their bodies better. She expertly navigates complex biological concepts, particularly the vital role of kidneys in maintaining hydration, which is often misunderstood. This discussion is not only informative but encourages viewers to trust their own bodies and instincts regarding hydration.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "It's a myth." – A useful phrase to clarify misconceptions in any conversation.
  • "Your body will tell you." – A reminder to listen to your natural instincts.
  • "Maintain homeostasis." – A critical term to understand when discussing health and balance.
  • "Trust your body." – Reinforces the importance of self-awareness and intuition.
  • "Ask your doctor." – Essential advice for personalized health queries.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively utilize the shadowing technique with this video, follow these steps to improve your English speaking skills:

  1. Watch the Video: Start by viewing the TED talk while taking notes on key ideas and expressions.
  2. Listen Carefully: Play sections of the video, focusing on Dr. Gunter’s pronunciation and intonation.
  3. Repeat After the Speaker: Use a shadowing app or a note-taking foundation to mimic her speech, aiming to catch her pace and rhythm.
  4. Record Yourself: Take a few minutes to shadow her lines, and then play back your recording to assess pronunciation and fluency.
  5. Practice Regularly: Make this shadow speech part of your daily routine. Aim to incorporate new phrases from the video into your everyday conversations to enhance retention.

As you practice, utilize resources like shadowing sites or community forums to connect with other learners who can provide feedback and encouragement. Remember, consistency is key to mastering this technique!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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