Water is the elixir of life, but do we get enough of it? Many people think that substituting sodas, coffee and juice for water is enough to keep us hydrated and healthy, but nothing can beat the original and the best - water.
Sharon and I make sure that we get plenty of water every day. We have water in our protein shakes and water in our Tulsi/Gotu Kola Tea (from Organic India Co.) for our afternoon refreshment. We have water to sip on during our exercise and throughout the day. We have a big glass of water at lunch and another big glass with supper. We also have a big glass in the evening.
We use filtered or distilled (we have our own Kenmore water distiller) water. We even use filtered or distilled water for our menagerie of critters (4 cats and 2 dogs). What we don't drink is fruit juices, soda pops or caffeinated beverages like coffee or green/black teas. Lots of water is one of the requirements for being truly healthy - Healthy Eating, Healthy Moving and Healthy Thinking.
Our bodies are made up of 43-75% water, and it's an essential component of our health. The wide range in percentages comes from measuring different populations ranging from newborns (about 75%) to obese people (about 45%), with normal adult hydration at about 57-60%.
We can survive a month without food, but we'll die after a week without water. The body is able to absorb some nutrients and salts better thanks to water's ability to transport these nutrients and oxygen to our body's cells and organs.
Detoxifying is vitally important to our health, since it cleans our bodies of impurities. The best way to eliminate these impurities is through urine and sweat - both of which depend on our water intake. Increasing your water intake may help to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation. The kidneys filter out the waste products in the blood and eliminate them via urination. If our water content is low, the concentration of salt in our urine will be high and this increases the risk of kidney stone formation. By drinking more water, this concentration of salts in the urine is reduced.
We are at risk of sunstroke if our bodies become dehydrated. When we sweat, this cools our body down. If we are dehydrated, our body cannot sweat and it quickly overheats, which can damage the body's internal organs.
If your water intake is low, it can also have an effect on your blood pressure. In fact, for some people their low water intake is the problem. When we empty our bladders we lose fluids. If we lose more than we take in to keep our fluid levels optimum, our blood vessels will constrict to adjust for the decrease in volume. That can cause our blood pressure to increase. If our blood pressure is increased because of a deficiency in water, it can also increase the risk of heart disease. Because the constricted blood vessels cause an increase in blood pressure, the heart works harder to compensate for the reduced volume of blood. Lower blood pressure and increased consumption of water help lower stress on the heart.
What's more, drinking more water can help you stay younger looking. Drinking a lot of water helps keep the skin clean and fresh-looking by removing impurities through sweating. Water also helps to keep the skin hydrated, which means younger looking skin - sagging and wrinkled skin can be a sign of dehydration.
Drinking water also cuts hunger pangs and acts as a good filler. Water has zero calories, so consider trading in your sugary (high fructose corn syrup) drinks and juices. The decrease in calories can help control your weight.
If increasing your water intake seems like a chore, try adding some squeezed lemon or mint to your water bottle to make it taste better? Try eating more fruits rich in water such as watermelon, and try to drink water more regularly over the course of the day. Having a glass of water or water bottle near you during the day has been shown to increase water consumption without effort.
References Used
[1] http://www.jbc.org/content/203/1/359.full.pdf Accessed October 2011
[2] http://thetaoofgoodhealth.com/10-health-reasons-why-you-should-drink-more-water-4/ Accessed October 2011
[3] http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/generalhealth/ghea5288.html Accessed 2011