The Importance of water and Your health
Water makes up more than two thirds of human body weight, and without water, we would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%.
A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.
An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. Pretty scary statistic for a developed country where water is readily available through the tap or bottle water.
Water is important to the mechanics of the human body. The body cannot work without it, just as a car cannot run without gas and oil. In fact, all the cell and organ functions that make up our entire anatomy and physiology depend on water for their functioning.
-Water serves as a lubricant
-Water forms the base for saliva
-Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.
-Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
-Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste - the best detox agent.
-Water helps to regulate metabolism
-Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer.
-Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty.
-Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack.
-Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
-Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
-Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
-Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.
There are three important rules when it comes to drinking water:
1.Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.
2.Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
3.Drink at least eight glasses daily, or one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person who does not exercise or work in hot climates needs 7.5 cups.
Signs of Dehydration
You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you're active than when you're sedentary. Diuretics, such as caffeine pills, certain medications and alcohol may increase the amount of water your body loses.
Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration, and in fact, you need water before you feel thirsty.
Sources of Water
At least twenty percent of the water you need comes from the foods you eat. The rest comes from the beverages you drink. Water is probably the best choice because it's cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. Sweetened soft drinks and sodas have added sugar that adds extra calories. Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, but look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want. Fruit and vegetable juices are good because they have vitamins and minerals (read labels, however -- vegetable juices may be high in sodium). Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee count too, but too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.
QUICK TIP: A trick to ensure people are drinking their daily allowance is to fill a pitcher or jug with the allotment of water and keep it on your desk at work, or handy at home. The goal is then clearly marked. As you drink down the water, you know that you are on the right path to drinking enough water.
-Water forms the base for saliva
-Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.
-Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
-Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste - the best detox agent.
-Water helps to regulate metabolism
-Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer.
-Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty.
-Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack.
-Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
-Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
-Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).
-Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.
There are three important rules when it comes to drinking water:
1.Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.
2.Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
3.Drink at least eight glasses daily, or one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person who does not exercise or work in hot climates needs 7.5 cups.
Signs of Dehydration
You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you're active than when you're sedentary. Diuretics, such as caffeine pills, certain medications and alcohol may increase the amount of water your body loses.
Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration, and in fact, you need water before you feel thirsty.
Sources of Water
At least twenty percent of the water you need comes from the foods you eat. The rest comes from the beverages you drink. Water is probably the best choice because it's cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. Sweetened soft drinks and sodas have added sugar that adds extra calories. Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, but look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want. Fruit and vegetable juices are good because they have vitamins and minerals (read labels, however -- vegetable juices may be high in sodium). Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee count too, but too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.
QUICK TIP: A trick to ensure people are drinking their daily allowance is to fill a pitcher or jug with the allotment of water and keep it on your desk at work, or handy at home. The goal is then clearly marked. As you drink down the water, you know that you are on the right path to drinking enough water.
Generally, nutritionists recommend we follow the "8x8 rule."
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