It is said that we can survive many days or even weeks without food, but we can only survive a few days without water.
Water helps the effective functioning of our different organs, hydrate and keeps our skin clear, supports the body's digestion, helps in assimilation of nutrients from our food intake and also helps in toxins elimination from our body.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of their body's need for water and its importance for health. I have researched through different sources from the web and will share via this and subsequent blogs information that I do hope will help you understand how water intake is critical for a healthy lifestyle.
Lets see a few facts about water:
Around 60 to 75 percent of our total body weight is water. Most people know that the blood, lymph, urine, sweat and tears are mostly water. However, many of us do not realize that the lungs are 90% water; the brain 76% and even the bones are 25% water. Sixty-seven percent of the water in the body is inside the cell. The other 33% is outside the cells in the extra cellular fluid. This fluid surrounds the cells and is found in the blood, lymph, spinal fluid and joint spaces.
Water has many functions in the body. It is the medium by which nutrients are delivered to tissues and unwanted waste is carried away. It is also the medium in which all chemical reactions take place within the cells, and therefore, greatly influences cell function. Water also serves as a cushion and lubricant for our spine and other joints.
Most individuals lose between 10 and 16 cups of water per day. This loss is in sweat, urine, feces, in the air we exhale, and via direct evaporation from our skin. During exercise in a warm climate, as much as eight cups of water can be lost in one hour. When the heat of summer descends, it's a good time to remind ourselves to increase our water intake to compensate for more water lost through physical activity and time spent in the sun.
The loss of body water through urination is greatly increased by the ingestion of caffienated and alcoholic beverages. These drinks have a diuretic effect, meaning they stimulate the kidneys to excrete more urine. Not only do we lose more water, we also lose water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and other B complex vitamins. There is also increased excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride and zinc.
Water From Other Sources
A diet containing lots of fruits and vegetables will supply about four cups of water per day. Even with a diet high in fruits and vegetables, it is still necessary to drink an additional six to eight cups of water per day to supply enough water to meet the body's daily needs. For every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you drink, you need to add an additional glass of pure water.
Insufficient water intake results in less than optimal intra-cellular water volume and reduced cell function. This greatly diminishes the body's ability to heal damaged tissues from injury and maintain optimal health. F. Batmanghelidj, MD, the author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water, has successfully treated many diagnosed diseases, i.e., peptic ulcers, colitis, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back and neck pain, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, high cholesterol, asthma, allergies and diabetes, with just increased and regular intake of water.
According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, dry mouth is the last sign of inadequate cellular water. When the thirst signals produced by the body are ignored or are responded to with intake of beverages other than water such as soda, coffee, tea or concentrated fruit juice, eventually the body stops providing the sensation of thirst. It often requires drinking water regularly throughout the day (even if you are not thirsty) for as long as six to eight months for the normal thirst signals to return and for people to reacquire a taste for water. It can take up to a year or longer to rehydrate your tissues. The sensation of thirst also diminishes has we age. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly to acquire a "habit" of drinking adequate water to avoid cellular dehydration and subsequent health problems.
So, my friends make the habit of drinking water part of your daily routine and lets start living a Healthy Lifestyle.
Live In Bliss
PS: This article was adapted from an article by Joy Bicknell and Ben Benjamin in the Massage Today Magazine.
Lets see a few facts about water:
Around 60 to 75 percent of our total body weight is water. Most people know that the blood, lymph, urine, sweat and tears are mostly water. However, many of us do not realize that the lungs are 90% water; the brain 76% and even the bones are 25% water. Sixty-seven percent of the water in the body is inside the cell. The other 33% is outside the cells in the extra cellular fluid. This fluid surrounds the cells and is found in the blood, lymph, spinal fluid and joint spaces.
Water has many functions in the body. It is the medium by which nutrients are delivered to tissues and unwanted waste is carried away. It is also the medium in which all chemical reactions take place within the cells, and therefore, greatly influences cell function. Water also serves as a cushion and lubricant for our spine and other joints.
Most individuals lose between 10 and 16 cups of water per day. This loss is in sweat, urine, feces, in the air we exhale, and via direct evaporation from our skin. During exercise in a warm climate, as much as eight cups of water can be lost in one hour. When the heat of summer descends, it's a good time to remind ourselves to increase our water intake to compensate for more water lost through physical activity and time spent in the sun.
The loss of body water through urination is greatly increased by the ingestion of caffienated and alcoholic beverages. These drinks have a diuretic effect, meaning they stimulate the kidneys to excrete more urine. Not only do we lose more water, we also lose water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and other B complex vitamins. There is also increased excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride and zinc.
Water From Other Sources
A diet containing lots of fruits and vegetables will supply about four cups of water per day. Even with a diet high in fruits and vegetables, it is still necessary to drink an additional six to eight cups of water per day to supply enough water to meet the body's daily needs. For every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage you drink, you need to add an additional glass of pure water.
Insufficient water intake results in less than optimal intra-cellular water volume and reduced cell function. This greatly diminishes the body's ability to heal damaged tissues from injury and maintain optimal health. F. Batmanghelidj, MD, the author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water, has successfully treated many diagnosed diseases, i.e., peptic ulcers, colitis, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back and neck pain, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, high cholesterol, asthma, allergies and diabetes, with just increased and regular intake of water.
According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, dry mouth is the last sign of inadequate cellular water. When the thirst signals produced by the body are ignored or are responded to with intake of beverages other than water such as soda, coffee, tea or concentrated fruit juice, eventually the body stops providing the sensation of thirst. It often requires drinking water regularly throughout the day (even if you are not thirsty) for as long as six to eight months for the normal thirst signals to return and for people to reacquire a taste for water. It can take up to a year or longer to rehydrate your tissues. The sensation of thirst also diminishes has we age. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly to acquire a "habit" of drinking adequate water to avoid cellular dehydration and subsequent health problems.
So, my friends make the habit of drinking water part of your daily routine and lets start living a Healthy Lifestyle.
Live In Bliss
PS: This article was adapted from an article by Joy Bicknell and Ben Benjamin in the Massage Today Magazine.
