Lose Weight, Feel Better, Look Great…for FREE!
What if someone told you that one of the best things you can do to help you lose weight, eliminate toxins from your body, protect your vital organs, and feel and look better was easily accessible, didn’t require you to sweat, and was FREE? If you are anything like me, you might think that person was crazy because something like that simply doesn’t exist. But it does. What is it you may ask?
It’s water!
The human body is made up of about 60% water in males and 55% in females. Every system in our bodies depends on water for things such as flushing toxins from our organs and carrying nutrients to our cells. So it’s no wonder that staying properly hydrated can work wonders for our bodies. Here’s just a few of the benefits of water according to WebMD:
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee – anything but alcohol.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. “Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration,” says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD. “But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids.”
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine.
When you’re getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration – and the result is constipation.
Being properly hydrated has also been known to:
- Provide a natural remedy for headaches
- Increase productivity at work
- Help in preventing less cramps and sprains
- Help fight against sicknesses
- Relieve fatigue
- Increase mood
- Reduce the risk of cancer
The Harmful Effects of Dehydration:
- Tiredness
- Migraine
- Constipation
- Muscle cramps
- Irregular blood-pressure
- Kidney problems
- Dry skin
- 20% dehydrated – Risk of death
How much water does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors recommend 8 or 9 cups. Without measuring out each cup of water you drink, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.
Other sources of water
Although it’s a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don’t need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.
In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it’s calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.