Water, the elixir of life, plays a pivotal role in sustaining our existence. Comprising up to two-thirds of the human body, this transparent liquid is indispensable for our physiological functions and metabolic processes. While we can endure weeks without food, the absence of water for a few days can be fatal. In this blog post, we delve into the significance of water, the factors influencing our hydration needs, and the subtle signs that indicate our body's plea for more.
The Importance of Hydration:
Our bodies constantly lose water through various channels such as breathing, sweating, urine, and feces. Physical activities, especially exercise, accelerate this process. Hence, replenishing our fluid balance becomes imperative for maintaining overall health. Surprisingly, our thirst mechanisms may not signal dehydration until it reaches an advanced stage, making it crucial to be proactive in our water consumption.
❔Determining Your Water Intake:
There are several factors that can affect how much we need to drink, including body size, climate, and exercise. We lose water through breathing, sweating, urine, and feces. Exercising also speeds up the rate of water loss. Replenishing the body’s fluid balance is important for overall health.
A general recommendation is that adults should drink around 64 oz per day (2 liters).
Another way to calculate how much to drink is to take your body weight in lbs and multiply by 0.474 (this is how many ounces of water you’ll need to consume each day), plus one extra glass of water for every hour of exercise.
For example, if you’re 135lbs and did 90 minutes of exercise in a day you would need 64oz + 1½ glasses of water. To get some extra trace minerals, add a small pinch of unrefined sea salt to every liter of water – this will help maintain your hydration levels.
13 Signs you are dehydrated
Thirst ~ Fatigue/dizziness ~ Mood Swings
Chills ~ Foggy thinking /lack of focus and concentration
Muscle cramps ~ Joint or back pain
Constipation ~ Headache ~ Bad Breath
Sugar Cravings ~ Hunger
Dark urination or infrequent urination ~ Dull dry skin
❤️ Benefits of Water
PROMOTES WEIGHT LOSS
Drinking water while fasting will reduce hunger and help you improve your fast
Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help control your appetite and help you from overeating. Water also helps remove by-products of fat and revs up your metabolism; all very important aspects of overall health and fat loss.
ENERGY AND FATIGUE
Increasing your water intake will help your brain to function at a higher level. This will increase alertness and concentration, relieve fatigue, and even improve your energy levels.
FLUSHES OUT TOXINS
Getting rid of waste through sweat and urination can improve your overall gut health. Not only that, but it can limit your risk of urinary tract infections as well as kidney stones.
IMPROVES COMPLEXION
Water is one of the best ways to keep your skin looking young, soft, and smooth. It can even help get rid of those pesky wrinkles! Water is one of the best anti-aging treatments around!
AIDS DIGESTION
We all know how important digestion and regularity are for a healthy body. Water promotes a healthy digestive tract, which can reduce the risk of many different gut disorders.
BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM
A person who drinks more water is less likely to become ill because of their improved immune system. Instead of reacting to flu or cold infections with medicine, help prevent them in the first place by increasing your water intake.
HEADACHE REMEDY
Some headaches are caused by dehydration. Can you guess the remedy for those? Water can also help relieve and prevent back pain!
GOOD MOOD
If none of these other benefits resonated with you, increased water consumption has been shown to help your body function at its very best. This, in turn, will make you feel great and increase your happiness.
Who doesn’t want to always be in a good mood? ~ Coach❤️Theah