Water

It’s common knowledge that you can go with out food much longer than you can without water. Fact: The human body needs air, food and water to survive. However, two out of the three requires our actions to attain it. Air intake is more like an internal instinct activated at birth and expires upon death. We can barely go 3 minutes (max) without slipping into an unconscious state.

Food: A human can go for more than three weeks (3) without food (Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days of complete starvation). The body is an efficient machine that harvest fat and muscle store in the body and organs to sustain it.

Water: A lack of fluid intake causes problems with kidney function within just a few days, particularly if a person is active (not bed ridden). One week is a generous estimate. Three to four days would be more typical. After which time vital organs systemically shut down due to dehydration.

Do you need more water in the summer than you do in the winter months? Our bodies are constantly losing water, which is why drinking a glass of H20 once a day is not enough to keep the body replenished. We lose water when we sweat, go to the bathroom — even when we exhale. Under extreme conditions an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour. So it really depends on your personal physical activity, heat exposure and rate of perspiration.

Why should I drink water?

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. Water aides in digestion, absorption, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintain optimal body temperature.

Water helps energize muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.

Water can help control calories. For years, dieters have been drinking copious amounts of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for high calorie beverages can certainly help. Doing so will also give you that fuller feeling causing you to eat less.

Water helps keep skin looking good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. However, do NOT expect over hydration to erase all signs of aging… but lack of hydration will certainly magnify the affects of aging.

Other reasons:

Cools you down, especially in hotter weather
Lubricates your tissues and joints
Dissolves soluble compounds
Helps flush toxins from your system

There are free phone applications on smartphones that monitor your water drinking habits:

Hydro drink water
Water your body
Drink water
Hydro Coach

Tips to help you drink more water

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

Have a beverage with every snack and meal
Choose beverages you enjoy; You’re likely to drink more fluids if you like the way they taste (try lemon in your water) as a substitute to high sugary drinks.
Keep a bottle of water, at you desk, or in your bag
Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages

Drinking water is not the only way to hydrate. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.

Veggies with high water content	Fruits with high water content
Cucumber	Watermelon
Lettuce	Grapefruits
Zucchini	Oranges
Tomatoes	Strawberries
Radishes	Cantaloupes
Celery	Peaches
Eggplant	Raspberries
Cauliflower	Blueberries
Broccoli	Cranberries

How much is enough?

Many of us have probably heard the 8 by 8 rule stating that we should drink eight, eight ounces glasses of water daily. However, there are no studies that strongly support this theory.

The amount of water one should consume is individualized. For the most part, a healthy person should note that thirst is the first indication that our bodies need more water. Try to stay hydrated enough so that you do not feel thirsty often.

Water Facts:

An easy way to gauge how well hydrated we are, is to simply look at our urine. It should be fairly clear… if it is dark yellow, you may need to drink more water.
If you constantly feel hungry, try drinking more water between meals. What you believe to be hunger, may actually be your body way of saying you need more hydration.

Some factors that may require you to drink more water than the average person are:

Medications for heart, stomach ulcers or depression – can alter your thirst mechanism
Diabetes
The elderly can sometimes have a poorly regulated thirst mechanism
People who have problems with kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections
Athletes, children playing outdoors or anyone working outside during a hot summer day may require more