Have you ever felt so thirsty that you thought you were dying of thirst? Well, believe it or not, it’s much easier than you think. In fact, by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated!
It sounds so simple. H20, Two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen. But this substance better known as water is the most essential element, next to air, to our survival. An average adult male can survive 5 – 6 weeks without food, but only 2 – 3 days without water, and yet an estimated 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. That’s a pretty sad statistic in a country where clean water is readily available right through the tap in our own home.
Here are a few facts about water you may not have realized:
Water makes up more than two thirds of the weight of the human body, and without it, we would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water; blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration such as fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.
Water is important to the mechanics of the human body. The body cannot work without it, just as a car cannot run without gas and oil. In fact, all the cells and organ functions made up in our entire anatomy and physiology depend on water for their functioning.
Water is found in the lymph system and help support a strong immune system.
Water transports nutrients to the organs and oxygen to the cells.
Water forms the fluids that surround the joints and serves as a lubricant for those joints.
Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.
Water regulates the metabolism and therefore plays an important role in weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.
In addition to the daily maintenance of our bodies, water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. Drinking a mere eight, eight ounce glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. And those are just a few examples!
Signs of Dehydration
We lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, so if we are very active, we need to drink more water. Diuretics, such as caffeine and alcohol, trick the body into thinking it has adequate water, but since they are diuretics they can actually cause dehydration quite quickly. When enjoying beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol we should also make sure that we are drinking equal amounts of water. In fact, studies show that drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage we consume can reduce, if not eliminate, the “hangover” symptoms that can occur.
Some symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to our urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that we may not be getting enough water. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, we need water long before we ever feel thirsty.
How Much Water do we Need to Drink?
We have all heard “eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day” and that is a good place to start considering the facts mentioned above about disease prevention. But some of us need more than that. The good thing is that you can’t drink too much water – unless you are consuming large amounts in one sitting, which could actually result in a water overdose – which could be lethal! That’s right, lethal – The kidneys need time to process so, spread that water consumption out through out the day!
A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day, already over the eight; eight ounce glasses a day rule! If we exercise we should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes we are active. If we drink alcohol, we should drink at least an equal amount of water. When we are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour we are on board the plane. If we live in an arid climate, we should add another two servings per day. As we can see, our daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.
About twenty percent of our water needs will come from the foods that we eat. The rest of our water needs should come from the beverages we drink. Water is the best choice. If we get bored with plain water we can always add a bit of lemon or lime. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them resulting in more calories than we need. Non-caffeinated herbal tea is an except able alternative on occasion. All natural juices without added sugars are also good because they provide vitamins and nutrients. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, again, just look out for added sugar and calories.
It may seem difficult to get adequate amounts of water on a busy day, but bottled water is everywhere in this country, and since most cities has clean drinkable water right from the tap, we can just refill our bottle as often as needed, so….No excuses!
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