H2O

It seems that every diet and wellness book will tell you the same thing, drink more water. It’s the starting point of just about every diet but do you know just how much you should be drinking? Do you know just how important water really is?

With our bodies being 60-75%  composed of water, it’s pretty safe to say that water is pretty darn important right? (I see lots of nodding heads, correct?) In fact, every body system depends on water. Whether it is used for regulating our body temperature or flushing toxins out, we just wouldn’t well…BE without it.

The Water resume:

* Metabolizes fats

*Removes and detoxifies wastes in the body

*Protects and cushions vital organs

*Acts as a cooling system within the body to regulate temperature

*Helps convert food into energy

*Keep the liver and kidney functioning properly

*Makes up body secretions such as saliva and tears

Keeping it all in balance is the key. In a normal day your body loses about 1.5 liters a day just in urine. (gross I know) Not to mention it’s possible to lose up to another liter by just breathing, sweating and pooping( yes pooping). Of course there are lots of other factors to take into account as well when trying to figure out how much water  you need to replenish. Such as exercise, illness, environment(humid and hot climates) , pregnancy, breast- feeding and even your diet…

Diet, in particular, can account for major fluctuations in water needs. Highly-salted foods have a tendency to trigger our thirst mechanism quite rapidly. Since the body must maintain a fragile balance between fluids and salts, thirst tells us to compensate immediately for the increased sodium level. Excessive protein intake also has a similar effect. Those on high-protein bodybuilding or weight-loss programs require extra water to flush out the assorted waste products created by an overabundance of protein.  ~Article  found here~

Most importantly  “listen” to your body. Know the signs of dehydration. Did you know that most Americans are slightly dehydrated all the time?  It’s true! Most often you can notice by dark urine but also by increased thirst, nausea, headaches and fatigue. So next time you get that nagging headache, grab a glass of water!

So now down to the numbers or should I say glasses. How many glasses of water do we need to drink a day? There is the 8×8 rule, better known as, eight (8oz glasses) of water a day. Which comes out to about 1.9 liters a day. The Institute of Medicine advises that men drink about 13 cups (about 3 liters) of “total beverages a day” and women drink 9 cups (about 2.2liters) of “total beverages a day”. Pregnant women drink 10 cups (about 2.3liters) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 13 cups (about 3.1 liters) of fluids a day.

Well after all this chatting about water, I can’t decide if I’m thirsty or if I have to pee. But what I do know is that water is truly very important not just when dieting but everyday. Find ways to increase your intake to a “healthy” amount. Have a bottle with you in the car, gym bag or even the diaper bag.

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Tags: dehydration, water intake

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