The Most Overlooked Liquid

People simply do not get enough water in their diet. The majority of us will swap water for any other kind of drink packed with unnecessary additives and sapping the health qualities of water on it's own.

Water takes up around 60 percent of our body weight . This liquid contributes nutrients needed for cells, flushes toxins  out of vital organs and creates the perfect atmosphere for tissues in the throat, ear and nose. Every system inside your body relies on water. So what do you want your body running on? It’s funny to joke around and say “Yeah, my body runs on coffee”, but it’s an entirely different thing when your body is literally fueled by it!

Now it’s true that all liquids are comprised of some amount of water, but the problem is some drinks actually work against waters original capabilities. 

Some companies try to sell the idea that their drink product can be better than water. This is not the case! There’s a major difference between drinking water and drinking something that contains water. Some positive effects of water on it’s own are masked because of added ingredients.

Caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and fizzy drinks are frequently chosen before water. Although it may taste better, the water contained in these drinks does not help the body as effectively as just drinking water on it’s own could. These processed liquids stimulate the adrenal glands in the body and act as diuretics. High amounts of phosphorus are found in soft drinks which could result with calcium depletion in your bones.

Does it matter if I lack water?

One of the most common conditions that people incur is dehydration due to a lack of water. Even a minor level of dehydration can leave you feeling sapped of energy since you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out it’s normal functions.

14 things water helps with:

1. Digestion
2. Weight loss
3. Kidney health
4. Headaches
5. Replaces potential food so you feel full and don’t overeat
6. Younger and healthier looking skin
7. Relieves fatigue
8. Preventing sickness
9. Exercise productivity
10. Reduces risk of cancer
11. Work productivity
12. Improves mood
13. Preventing cramps and sprains
14. Helps with regular bowel movements

Consuming an appropriate amount of water will aid your heart in pumping blood and deliver essential nutrients to your cells more efficiently. It also helps to transport oxygen in your blood.

Boosting your muscles and preventing cramps is also a helpful trait of water. This can be a fairly significant property if you find yourself always feeling tired while working out. You should be glugging back a couple cups of H2O around two hours before you exercise. Water will reduce fatigue during exercise and and activities in addition to helping you keep more alert and awake. If you tend to work often and for long hours this can be one of the single best things you can do to keep in check.

Lack of water?

Thirsty? You may already be dehydrated!

When your thirst mechanism kicks in, your body is signalling that you are already dehydrated. When exercising you ideally want to be drinking water before, during and after the exercise. This ensures that you don’t reach the stage where you feel thirsty.

Signs and symptoms for dehydration in adults and teenagers:

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Dry lips
• Nausea
• Low blood pressure
• Dry eyes
• Vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Lack of sweat
• Dark urine (orange/yellow coloured and an especially strong odour)
• Inability to urinate

How much water is needed per day?

You have probably heard  that you should be drinking about 8 glasses of water per day. This isn’t necessarily accurate but is at least an easy thing to remember and to have as a base amount. A better guide for men is roughly 3 litres of fluids per day. For women it is roughly 2.2 litres of fluids per day.

Every day you lose water from breathing, sweating, urinating and bowel movements. For your body to function properly it’s important to replenish this water supply. If you spend time in hot or dry weather, exercise or consume a significant amount of caffeinated drinks you may need more water!

There are a fair amount of people who don’t like drinking water because of the lack of flavour. Although it’s highly recommended to drink this precious liquid on it’s own, here are a few healthy ways to improve the taste of water if you really must:

• Add some fresh lemon, orange slices, lime or mint to your water
• Put a handful of frozen berries into your water bottle. As the day passes on the frozen berries will help keep the water chilly and infuse the fruit flavour.