Water is the fluid in which all life depends upon. Humans must drink water to live! An average person can go nearly two months without eating, but less than a week without water. As important as water is, most of us don’t know much about it, let alone how much to consume? We lose water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For the human body to function properly, we must replenish our water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. Here are some facts I feel are most important to know and understand:
1. Drinking water helps you lose weight.
Fact. Research shows proper water consumption increases the metabolic rate in which people burn fat by approx. 30% in both men and woman. Now some of you clients reading this understand why I push water so hard! Of that 30% increase, 40% of THAT is due to the body trying to heat up the ingested cold water. Guess that doesn’t help me much as I only like room temperature water! Don’t confuse this process of increased metabolic rate to ‘water flushing fat away’…it doesn’t work like that, nothing does unfortunately. Another huge part of weight loss due to water consumption is that proper water consumption does help flush away access sodium that can cause you to bloat and retain water, making you look soft and add water weight on the scale. So if those are two big weight loss secrets from water intake, I don’t know what will make you drink more!!
2. The 8 glasses of water a day rule.
Myth. The 8 glasses of water theory came about due to that’s about how much water and INACTIVE woman (not men) expel throughout the day and the 8 glasses is what it would take to replace the fluids. New studies recommend a minimum of 2 liters a day for inactive woman and 3 liters for inactive men. These amounts greatly increase due to people’s activity levels and even the climates they live in!
3. Drinking water flushes toxins from your body.
Fact. Water doesn’t necessarily neutralize toxins in the body, but the kidneys do use water to get rid of certain waste products. If you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys don’t have the amount of fluid they need to do their job properly, i.e. removing waste and toxins. The body needs to have sufficient water supply otherwise then metabolic wastes will not be removed as well as they should. Plainly, the body would be keeping in toxins instead of expelling them.
4. Drinking water can help keep your skin moist.
Myth. Science says unless you are severely dehydrated, drinking large quantities will not prevent dry skin. That the moisture level of skin is determined more by genetic makeup (some have oily skin, some have dry etc.) oil producing glands and their functioning determines how dry someone’s skin is. Science also states that water consumed internally will not reach the epidermis (top layer of skin). I believe in science; however I do strongly believe staying hydrated will HELP your skin more than doing nothing at all. Water is needed by the body to do every little function, and water is needed for collagen production. Collagen leads to firm, full, youthful skin. So for me anyway…large water consumption for my skin will always be a priority!
A few more health facts about water:
1. Drinking water helps you lose weight.
Fact. Research shows proper water consumption increases the metabolic rate in which people burn fat by approx. 30% in both men and woman. Now some of you clients reading this understand why I push water so hard! Of that 30% increase, 40% of THAT is due to the body trying to heat up the ingested cold water. Guess that doesn’t help me much as I only like room temperature water! Don’t confuse this process of increased metabolic rate to ‘water flushing fat away’…it doesn’t work like that, nothing does unfortunately. Another huge part of weight loss due to water consumption is that proper water consumption does help flush away access sodium that can cause you to bloat and retain water, making you look soft and add water weight on the scale. So if those are two big weight loss secrets from water intake, I don’t know what will make you drink more!!
2. The 8 glasses of water a day rule.
Myth. The 8 glasses of water theory came about due to that’s about how much water and INACTIVE woman (not men) expel throughout the day and the 8 glasses is what it would take to replace the fluids. New studies recommend a minimum of 2 liters a day for inactive woman and 3 liters for inactive men. These amounts greatly increase due to people’s activity levels and even the climates they live in!
3. Drinking water flushes toxins from your body.
Fact. Water doesn’t necessarily neutralize toxins in the body, but the kidneys do use water to get rid of certain waste products. If you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys don’t have the amount of fluid they need to do their job properly, i.e. removing waste and toxins. The body needs to have sufficient water supply otherwise then metabolic wastes will not be removed as well as they should. Plainly, the body would be keeping in toxins instead of expelling them.
4. Drinking water can help keep your skin moist.
Myth. Science says unless you are severely dehydrated, drinking large quantities will not prevent dry skin. That the moisture level of skin is determined more by genetic makeup (some have oily skin, some have dry etc.) oil producing glands and their functioning determines how dry someone’s skin is. Science also states that water consumed internally will not reach the epidermis (top layer of skin). I believe in science; however I do strongly believe staying hydrated will HELP your skin more than doing nothing at all. Water is needed by the body to do every little function, and water is needed for collagen production. Collagen leads to firm, full, youthful skin. So for me anyway…large water consumption for my skin will always be a priority!
A few more health facts about water:
- Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.
- Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.
- For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.
- Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.
- Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.
- Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.