Water Works!

The human body is composed of approximately 70% water. Our blood is 80% water. The brain consists of nearly 90% water. All of our bodily functions rely on water. Water is essential in expanding and contracting our muscles, it regulates body temperature, lubricates our joints, moisturizes the air in our lungs, transports nutrients and oxygen into the cells, detoxifies our body and allows all other organs to do their jobs.

If these facts aren't enough, consider some of the harmful effects of not staying hydrated. Dehydration can cause fatigue, migraines, muscle cramps, kidney problems, dry skin, and irregular blood pressure and metabolism. Water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. Studies have shown that drinking eight glasses of water a day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and can potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Convinced yet? These are all certainly great reasons to increase your water intake. Let me give you one more reason to drink more water. It can and will help you lose weight. Water is instrumental to reaching your weight loss goals. When there is a shortage of water in the body, your organs have to switch gears and they become less effective at their jobs. The liver is a prime example of how dehydration can mess with your body. When you become dehydrated your body shuts down some of its normal activities and focuses on obtaining and conserving water. The liver is responsible for changing stored body fat into usable energy. Without sufficient hydration the liver becomes less efficient at its job. If the liver is unable to metabolize fat, your body fat will increase.

So how much water do you need to drink. The old adage is "drink eight glasses of water per day". While most people are okay with this amount of water, if you are overweight or obese this may not be enough. The larger the person the more water it takes to keep you body hydrated. A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That will give you the approximate ounces of water your body needs per day.

You might say how can I possibly drink that much water each day. Some of this water is consumed in the food we eat; however, we still need to make sure that we are drinking enough. One of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. So, before you grab a snack that will go straight to the hips, make sure you drink a glass of water. Many times this will stave off the hunger until your next planned meal. Also, be sure to keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day. If it's convenient you are more likely to drink it.

Don't disregard the tap and assume you have to use bottled water. The water from your tap will generally have more nutrients than the bottled variety. If your tap water does need to be filtered, you can get a faucet mounted water filter for under $30.00. It doesn't have to say Aquafina and cost an arm and a leg to drink.

Drinking more water is essential to weight loss and good health. It's also the easiest way to get your fitness and nutrition on the right track. Ditch the soda and find some high quality H2O!

1. Prev:8 Healthy Weight Loss Tips That Work
2. Next:On The Prowl For A Few Helpful Diet Tips?