Water - the Magic Elixir!
H2Oooooohhhhhh
By Vicki Barko, R.D.
We all know we're supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. It's good for your health, right? But getting it all in takes some thought and work and, really, the last thing any of us needs is one more thing to keep track of. But, maybe if you understood why it was important, it would encourage you to drink up.
Water keeps you going - figuratively and literally. Water is the most abundant substance in our bodies, but it is also one of the most forgotten nutrients. Your body is 70 percent water. It is literally your body's life force because it is essential in just about every bodily process, from digestion and absorption, to circulation, excretion and even weight loss.
Think of water as helping flush out your system. If you drink at least eight glasses a day, you're ensuring that your kidneys are removing waste products that must be dissolved by water. It also helps to relieve constipation. When you don't drink enough water, your body will take it from other areas in your body, such as your colon (causing constipation).
Water is responsible for transporting nutrients through our body, maintaining a healthy body temperature, lubricating joints and reducing fluid retention by eliminating sodium.
Water can reduce fat deposits. It's also extremely important in losing weight and keeping it off. Drinking a big glass of water whenever you feel hungry and before a meal fills your stomach and will make you feel fuller and stop eating sooner. In addition, water helps your body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that if you don't drink enough water, then fat deposits will increase. But if you increase your water consumption, it can actually reduce fat deposits.
Drinking enough water is particularly important during exercise, when you're sweating off extra fluid. You should drink before you're thirsty, because that's the best way to avoid dehydration.
Too much of a good thing?
Can you drink too much water? Not really, but it is possible. Recently, there was a marathon runner who died from water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when the body's salt and water levels get dangerously out of balance, which leads to swelling of the brain and leakage of fluid into the lungs. Although the athlete was attempting to replenish water lost through excessive exercise and sweating, he did not replenish his body's salt levels. That's why many athletes swill a sports drink with carbohydrates, sugar and sodium while they're racing.
You can tell if you're drinking enough water by keeping an eye on the color of your urine. If it's clear or light yellow then you're drinking a sufficient amount of water. If it's dark yellow and of a modest amount, then you need to start drinking more water to avoid dehydration.
Make it a habit
Drinking water is like any other healthy behavior. You have to make a habit of it to stick with it. Try keeping a log of how many times you drink a glass of water a day and work in those eight glasses.
Vicki Barko. RD
For more great articles like this go to Her Times Magazine!.
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By Vicki Barko, R.D.
We all know we're supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. It's good for your health, right? But getting it all in takes some thought and work and, really, the last thing any of us needs is one more thing to keep track of. But, maybe if you understood why it was important, it would encourage you to drink up.
Water keeps you going - figuratively and literally. Water is the most abundant substance in our bodies, but it is also one of the most forgotten nutrients. Your body is 70 percent water. It is literally your body's life force because it is essential in just about every bodily process, from digestion and absorption, to circulation, excretion and even weight loss.
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Think of water as helping flush out your system. If you drink at least eight glasses a day, you're ensuring that your kidneys are removing waste products that must be dissolved by water. It also helps to relieve constipation. When you don't drink enough water, your body will take it from other areas in your body, such as your colon (causing constipation).
Water is responsible for transporting nutrients through our body, maintaining a healthy body temperature, lubricating joints and reducing fluid retention by eliminating sodium.
Water can reduce fat deposits. It's also extremely important in losing weight and keeping it off. Drinking a big glass of water whenever you feel hungry and before a meal fills your stomach and will make you feel fuller and stop eating sooner. In addition, water helps your body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that if you don't drink enough water, then fat deposits will increase. But if you increase your water consumption, it can actually reduce fat deposits.
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Drinking enough water is particularly important during exercise, when you're sweating off extra fluid. You should drink before you're thirsty, because that's the best way to avoid dehydration.
Too much of a good thing?
Can you drink too much water? Not really, but it is possible. Recently, there was a marathon runner who died from water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when the body's salt and water levels get dangerously out of balance, which leads to swelling of the brain and leakage of fluid into the lungs. Although the athlete was attempting to replenish water lost through excessive exercise and sweating, he did not replenish his body's salt levels. That's why many athletes swill a sports drink with carbohydrates, sugar and sodium while they're racing.
You can tell if you're drinking enough water by keeping an eye on the color of your urine. If it's clear or light yellow then you're drinking a sufficient amount of water. If it's dark yellow and of a modest amount, then you need to start drinking more water to avoid dehydration.
Make it a habit
Drinking water is like any other healthy behavior. You have to make a habit of it to stick with it. Try keeping a log of how many times you drink a glass of water a day and work in those eight glasses.
Vicki Barko. RD
For more great articles like this go to Her Times Magazine!.
_____________________________________________
Readers also like:
_______________________________________
Editor's Note: If you write articles like this one, they can be seen by thousands of people in over 350 Free Article Directories! I use a great tool to submit all my articles in less than one minute each!
Read More & Leave Comment>>>
Jim DeSantis at 8:46 PM
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