Water Water Water…it is everywhere. In your kitchens…on the store shelves..water fountains the nation over. It is by far one of our bodies most important nutrients. Our bodies are made up of 70% water so how important do YOU think it is to have a continuous replacement of a vital nutrient we lose?
Here are a few tidbits of things to ponder…
- water is calorie free
- Water is fat free
- water is cholesterol free
- water is low in sodium
- water is a natural appetite suppressant
- helps the body metabolize stored fat
- without sufficient fluids to flush out your kidneys, the by-products of cell metabolism, our body cells slowly become poisoned by their own waste.
- just a 20% drop in body water can be fatal
Everyday we lose, on average, about 2 quarts of water. We lose it through our skin, intestines, lungs and kidneys. When we do not replenish the amount we lose we risk becoming dehydrated.
Signs of dehydration:
- muscle soreness
- headache
- fatigue
- dark urine
- intolerant to heat
- dry eyes
- dry mouth
If we are thirsty we are more than likely already heading towards dehydration. So the question would be then just how much should we drink? This has been asked and answered so many times so many ways but what I found on average we need to be drinking 8 –10 8oz glasses of water a day and add more if we exercise a lot, live in a hot climate area or are overweight*.
Water to some is very difficult to get down, I am not one of them but empathize for those with difficulty in doing so. I wrote a post about how to make it more palatable and you can check that out here.
Before you reach for anything other than the liquid gold known as water think about all the positive benefits you do for your body and what the lack of may lead to.
Tips To Help Increase our Water Intake:
- Drink a glass with each meal
- Be sure to drink before, during and after exercising
- carry a water bottle with you
- Start your day with a nice glass of cold water instead of coffee
- Take water breaks…not coffee breaks
*It is recommended to add another 8 oz for every 25 pounds we are over what our ideal weight should be.
7 comments:
You've been on the same page with me lately. I so need to pump up the water. I usually make it a drinking game and I try to get it mostly done before noon.
@laughitoff
he he, I was just saying that I needed to focus on my water intake today!
I was drinking a bottle of the good stuff right before bed and as soon as I woke up each morning. And I felt soooo great.
(Water, I was drinking water.)
But then I stopped. I start again today!
I struggle with getting enough water sometimes (OK, more often than I should). Thanks for the reminder of why it's so important to force it down.
Great post and oh how true -- I've lost so much "water weight" alone since up-ing my water intake...I have a shnazzy water bottle that I bought that makes drinking MORE water easier, for me. mamajoss.com (under tools) :) Keep it up!!!
Water is so hard for me in the winter. I find myself drinking it lukewarm with some lemon, or herbal decaf teas for warmth.
Great post!
Excellent article, since I started drinking lots of water each day. I'm finding it harder each week to actually keep weight on.
It really helps to stop you overeating and helps with your metabolic rate.
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