Everyone knows water is an excellent nutrient source that is good for your health. But the question is “How much water do you really need”? Seeing as how water makes up around two-thirds of a human’s body weight, it is without doubt that we need water everyday. The National Food and Nutrition Board (FBA) recommended that women should intake about 2.7 L of water per day and men should have between 3.5-4 L of water per day. Humans can last around 6-7 days without water, but that is an unhealthy choice and without the glory of h2o, humans’ organs and cells would not be able to function properly, which would eventually lead to death.
The Services Water Provides:
-a lubricant and base of saliva and the fluids that surround our joints
-regulator of body temperature through perspiration (when we are over heated our body perspires, and the sweat acts as a cooling agent to regulate the heat our body is producing)
-without water we would not be able to sweat and our body would overheat
-prevents constipation by helping move the food in our system into the intestinal tract
-assists digestion, absorption and assimilation of consumed foods (without drinking enough water you can not benefit the full amount of nutrients of the food you eat)
-transportation for nutrients and blood
Water Guideline
1-When you are exposing your body to the hot sun for prolonged periods of time, your system will begin to dehydrate and drinking water is the smartest way to stay healthy and to keep your body hydrated and full of liquids. Unlike many “sport-drinks”, water contains 0 calories and therefore will never add any extra weight to your body.
2-If you feel thirsty and you want a drink, then think what’s best for you; don’t choose a high calorie drink such as a soft drink or a beer. Furthermore, you should also try to “eat” some water by consuming high volume water foods such as fruits and vegetables.
How Water Helps your Liver
The liver is a very busy organ that has several key functions. It metabolizes fat, converting the fat into energy; and picks up the slack for the kidneys when they don’t have sufficient amount of water. When kidneys do not get enough water, they do not function properly and therefore the liver stresses itself to make sure the kidneys are functioning properly. This takes away from the liver’s main priority; to metabolize fat as fast as possible and as efficiently as possible.
Many people try to increase their intake of water, but most people only do so for a short term. The reason for this is because many do not enjoy running to the bathroom more often than before. Though, this many be extremely discouraging and annoying, you should fight through it. Once your system gets used to this lifestyle, your bladder will as well, and the “every 20 minutes” trips to the toilet will end. During the early stages of this process, your body is flushing out the water it has been storing for all those years. This process takes awhile, but it is an amazing thing. Once your body becomes accustomed to this system, your body rids itself of the water you don’t need that was being stored in your ankles, hips, thighs and perhaps your belly. Your body figures “Hey, why bother keeping all this excess water/weight when I’m getting all the H2O I could ever ask for!”
During the early stages of increased water consumption, your body will start to sweat more often, but as you continue to maintain this healthy lifestyle your bodily functions will return to normal.
8 Glasses a Day?
The 8-glass-a-day stereotype is pretty accurate and healthy, but only for the average person. If you are overweight then you should be drinking another 8 ounces of water for every 25 lbs you are trying to shed or are carrying. If you live in a hot/humid climate you should also drink more than just 8 glasses a day.
Spreading out your water intake is crucial. Drinking large glasses of water one after another is not that healthy. In a day, pick 3-4 slots when you can drink a tall glass of water. Then in between those time frames you can drink smaller amounts of water by just sipping bits of water throughout your day. This way you will not feel sick or full due to the consistent intake of large amounts of water over a short period of time.
The Taste
For those of you who detest the plain taste of water, here are a few solutions:
1) Add a slice of lemon or lime to your drink (of water).
2) Try flavored water with no added sugars (calories).
3) Add a “very small” dash/sprinkle of salt.
Though other fluids may help hydrate your body, those beverages will have extra calories, sugar and additives. Furthermore caffeinated drinks may cause dehydration due to the fact that they are considered to be diuretics drinks which can force your body to dehydrate.
Remember that water is a natural appetite suppressant. As such, if your goal is to lose weight, then increasing your water consumption is a necessity. It is important to note that your brain does not really know the difference between hunger and thirst. Thus, if you are feeling hungry, your body may be telling you that it is just thirsty! So it is very important to keep your body hydrated at all times so that you don’t get misleading hunger pangs which will make you eat unnecessary calories. In addition to reducing your appetite, drinking water has a few other benefits. Drinking more water can improve your skin complexion, reduce constipation, reduce symptoms of headaches and improve your overall energy level. The bottom line is that if you want to lose weight and improve your health, remember to always keep your body hydrated by drinking lots of water!
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