Drinking-Water

Drinking-Water

 Drinking water is even more important for our health than eating food. Without enough water and other fluids, you’ll die inside a week. We need water for all the functions of the body, for hygiene, for cooking, and for recreation. Drinking is long established as a social part of human existence.

Concentrating on the health aspects of drinking, you need to drink water regularly whether you are thirsty or not. If mild dehydration sets in, it can reduce your energy level and mental capacity and increase stress on the body.  Severe dehydration can have far more damaging effects.

Here are some of the reasons to drink water:

Water is the medium in which all energy reactions take place.  Therefore, you need to drink a lot of water for health, stamina, fuel, and building muscle.

As rainwater passes through the earth, it collects minerals from the soil, some of which are vital for health.

Water regulates all functions of the body including digestion, absorption, circulation, and excretion.

Drinking water is essential for good brain health.  A healthy mind is as important as a healthy body and poor concentration may be caused by dehydration.  A 4-5% reduction in your bodily water content may cause as much as a 30% decrease in work performance.

Headaches are often a sign that you are dehydrated, so before you take a headache pill, try a glass of water

Drinking water for health and fitness is a crucial part of muscle development.

Water plumps up your skin which is a “beauty” reason to drink it, but it has other anti-aging benefits.

Drinking water that has a high alkaline pH, because of its de-acidifying effect, may help prevent cancer.

How much water to drink each day?

Our bodies consist of about 55-70% water, but we lose some in urination and sweating, which is not automatically replenished unless YOU do so.

What is certain is that most people do not drink enough water for optimum health. Before I “knew better” I doubt if I could be depended upon to drink a full glass of water every day. My health was OK, but it’s better now than when I was 30 years younger but relatively dehydrated.

Some people have difficulty drinking all this water, and it’s true that you can get your intake from other sources than just drinking water.

A healthy lifestyle with a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables will give you about 4 cups of water a day, so even if your diet is high in fruits and vegetables, you still, need to drink at least four cups of water every day to give you enough water for your body’s requirements.

Don’t drink all the requirements at one time. Spread it through the day. Drinking a glass of water for every meal and keeping a supply ready to sip on regularly helps you reach your target.

But there are problems with trying to get your fluids from other sources:

If you drink caffeinated drinks or alcohol, for every glass you drink, you should add an extra glass of plain water.  Caffeinated beverages stimulate the adrenal glands and act as diuretics, which promote water excretion.  A cold soda may feel good to drink, but beverages with caffeine are not meant to hydrate. Water is the best remedy for dehydration.

Fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee, etc., often contain unhealthy additives which may even cancel out the beneficial effects of the water they contain. Soft drinks contain phosphorus which can lead to depletion of bone calcium. Soda contains sodium, detrimental (in excess) to cardiovascular health

Drinking something that contains water is not as good for you as drinking plain water.