Water & Weight Loss

Many studies over the years have shown the benefits of drinking
water. In reference to losing weight, the greatest benefit is
the positive affect water has on your metabolic rate.

Water promotes a thermogenic state, which in return increases
your metabolic rate. The faster your metabolism, the slower your
propensity to gain weight.

But is it really water that I am talking about? No. What I am
really referring to is hydration. The human body works hard at
keeping a certain amount of water and salt in your tissues
relative to the amount of water and salt in your blood.

Proper hydration is a reflection of the correct balance of water
and salt that exists between your blood and the surrounding
tissues. Your diet should help your body sustain the correct
amount of water and salt in your blood and not disrupt the
existing balance between your blood and tissues.

Let me explain…

Water & Salt Balance

True hydration is sustaining an amount of water in your blood
relative to your tissues that reflects the overall water and
salt balance your body works at creating. Looking at the
graphic, fluids that cause water to move out of your blood or
into your blood are not ideally hydrating.

src="http://www.weight-loss-professional.com/images/tonicity.jpg"
width="388" height="377" border=0 alt="Tonicity">

Salt Moves Water

For a fluid that you drink to be hydrating it should have little
effect on moving water. Water will always move to the
environment with the higher amount of salt. Looking again at the
three possible “tonicity” states, which one is the most
hydrating?

Hypotonic Fluid — This dilutes your blood and now the
surrounding tissues have more salts. Water moves out of your
blood and into the tissues where the greatest amount of salt
resides. This re-establishes the water/salt balance.

Isotonic — Does not alter the salt concentration in your
blood. There is no disruption of the water/salt balance.

Hypertonic Fluids — This adds salt to your blood and now
the surrounding tissues have less salt. Water moves into your
blood.

This is not hydrating because the water that moves into your
blood is trying to re-establish the correct balance. It’s not
extra water to help hydrate but needed water to reach the proper
balance.

Steps to Proper Hydration

Because of our high salt diets, most Americans need to drink
filtered water. However, it’s not necessary to drink 15 glasses
a day that some diet plans recommend.

Instead, drink 1 glass of filtered water with each meal and
drink an additional 2 glasses of filtered water throughout the
day. This should come out to about 5-7 glasses of filtered water
per day for most Americans (that’s assuming your eating the
proper number of meals per day).

The remaining fluids you drink need to have the same amount of
salt as your blood. This type of fluid keeps your blood isotonic
to the surrounding tissues. Isotonic fluids have no net effect
on moving water and you sustain a proper level of hydration.

The best isotonic fluid to drink (in my opinion), diluted
gatorade. Mix water with gatorade in equal proportions and
enjoy! Drink as much as you like since it’s isotonic to your
blood and won’t cause water to move into or out of your blood.

Conclusion

Think more in terms of proper hydration and not disrupting the
water/salt balance your body worked hard at creating. It’s not
about drinking more water, but more about drinking the right
fluids.

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD

Chief Medical Consultant

Diet Basics Website

1. Prev:7 Ways to Reduce the High Calorie Cost of Restaurant Eating
2. Next:The perfect weight loss solution!