The Importance of Hydration
WATER: HOW MUCH SHOULD WE DRINK?
Your body weight rounded off, divide by 10 add 2, multiply by 250 ml. Hence, if you weigh 58 kg = 60 divided by 10 = 6 + 2 = 8 x 250 ml = 2 litres per day
Second only to air, water is essential to all living things. It makes up, on average, 70% of your body weight, therefore dehydration is the cause of many illnesses.
Every function in the body is regulated by and depends on water.
Water is needed to carry vital nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and chemical messages to all part of the body, and it is important in eliminating wastes and toxins from the body.
WATER AND WEIGHT LOSS
Our lungs expel between two and four cups of water each day through normal breathing.
Water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase.
The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When they don’t work to capacity, some of their load is dumped on to the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolise stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work it can’t operate efficiently. As a result, it metabolises less fat, fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.
WATER IS ESSENTIAL TO GOOD HEALTH
- Water maintains proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration.
- Water lubricates the joints.
- Water delivers oxygen throughout the body.
- Water boosts skin health.
- Water cushions the brain and spinal cord.
- Water regulates body temperature.
- The digestive system depends on water.
- Water carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells.
- Water flushes out bacteria from your bladder.
- Water aids digestion and prevents constipation.
- Water helps maintain blood pressure.
~
The above is an exact excerpt from Maureen Boddy’s book: “Youthing: Look Younger, Stay Healthier, Live Longer.”
