Why You Need to Drink All That Water
Water is the most important substance you put into your body. Why do you need regular water intake? Water is required for proper detoxification of all the cells of your body. Without water, waste products accumulate and lead to disease and illness. You can survive 40 to 60 days without food but only mere hours to a few days without water. The average adult does not drink enough water and there are many disease associated with mild dehydration such as high blood pressure, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation, headaches, allergies, sinus infections and joint pain.
Water comprises 50 to 70% of your total adult body weight. Today, if you drink enough water, you're in the minority. There is a great debate on how much water you should consume. Many experts suggest that you can get adequate water from drinking beverages and eating foods. Some experts say fortifying your water with vitamins or other substances is a good idea. Just look at all the sports drinks. The bottom line... for the average person, pure, unadulterated water is your best bet for good health. Anything less will not help your body work properly. What makes plain old water so special?
It all goes back to high school chemistry class. Water is called the universal solvent. Dissolve something in water and the water takes on the characteristics of that product. The water is literally transformed into a different substance. Just take a look at ice tea, coffee, milk, juice... made from water but definitely not water. When you drink water instead of juice, your body knows the difference. Water does not need to be digested or processed by your body so it can be absorbed and used immediately to facilitate digestion, detoxification and metabolism. Water is also self-regulating. Drink enough water and your body doesn't need to retain or "store" fluid. Drink too little water and your body will retain fluid.
To make sure you are dirking enough water, here is a simple hydration formula. Take your current body weight and divide that number by 2. Multiply the divided number by 1 ounce and that is the amount of water you should try and drink everyday. I know, you say if I drink all that water I will be in the bathroom all day. Well, as I used to tell my 95 year old grandmother, "better to go too much than not at all." You can imagine where that got me. There are three important factors to consider when increasing your water intake. These are:
1. Dietary Intake - A diet containing meat, chicken, fish or dairy products requires a higher water intake than a diet consisting mainly of fruits vegetables. The reason for this... the meat, chicken, fish or dairy diet is higher in protein. When protein is broken down in your body, nitrogen is released which combines with hydrogen releasing ammonia, a highly toxic substance. Your cells cannot tolerate even small amounts of ammonia, so the kidneys draw extra water to flush the ammonia. Without drinking additional water, your body can become dehydrated.
2. Activity Level - A very active person requires more water than a sedentary person. Muscles are 75% water and require adequate hydration or they will not work properly. Dehydration can result in muscle strains (pulls) and/or cramps. Joints also require water to make synovial fluid for effective lubrication. Without adequate water, cartilage in the joints is not adequately lubricated and can wear prematurely leading to degenerative joint disease. Simply drinking more water can reduce your future risk for joint replacement surgery.
3. Weight Loss - Adequate hydration is crucial for efficient burning of fat and healthy weight loss. A study, conducted at Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center, tracked caloric intake and energy expenditures among seven men and seven women who were healthy and not overweight. After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water (slightly more than 2 glasses), the subjects' metabolic rates increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes. For anyone wanting to lose weight, drinkinh more water is the best first step.
Please contact Woody McMahon by phone at 703-628-2880 or by email at Woody@SequoiaHealth.com to learn more on incorporating water into a total Healthy Lifestyle program for you and your family.
