Guarana Seed ExtractWater: An Essential Component to Healthy Living
Determining how much water you should drink each day depends upon your health, how active you are and where you live. Water is the body?s principal chemical component. On the average, water comprises 60 percent of your weight. There is no body system that can do without water. Essential body functions of water are:
? Water flushes toxins out of vital organs
? Water carries nutrients to your cells
? Water provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues
Not enough water can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is a condition that occurs when you don?t have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions.
We lose water through:
? Breath
? Perspiration
? Urine and bowel movements
The body cannot function properly without an adequate water supply. We have to continually replenish our water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
How much water do we need? For the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate, review the following approaches that attempt to approximate water needs:
? Replacement approach: Since we lose water through urine output, breathing, sweating and bowel movements, a little more than 8 cups along with a normal diet typically replaces the lost fluids.
? Dietary recommendations: As recommended by the Institute of Medicine, men should consume roughly 13 cups of total beverages a day, and women should consume about 9 cups of total beverages a day.
In general if you drink enough fluid you should rarely feel thirsty and should produce between one and two liters of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.
Factors that influence water requirements:
? Exercise: The more you exercise, the more fluid you will need. Drink an extra 1 or 2 cups of water for short bouts of exercise. For intense exercise, lasting more than one hour, increase your fluid intake. The exact amount of fluid you need depends upon how much you sweat during exercise. In general, an extra 2 to 3 cups an hour is adequate for more intense workout sessions. If the weather is exceptionally warm, increase your fluid intake even more.
? Environment: Hot or humid weather that makes you sweat requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air can also cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. I notice even my dogs want to drink about as much water in the wintertime while in heated indoors as they do in the hot summertime.
? Illnesses or health conditions: Fever, vomiting and diarrhea causes your body to lose additional fluids that must be replaced. Bladder infections or urinary tract stones also require an increase in water intake. Other conditions such as heart failure, some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may require that you limit your fluid intake.
? Pregnancy and/or breast-feeding: Pregnant and/or breast-feeding women need additional fluids. Large amounts of water are lost during nursing. Pregnant women should drink about 10 cups of fluids daily and breast-feeding women should drink about 12 ? cups of fluid per day.
Food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. The remaining 80 percent comes from water and other beverages. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and cucumbers are nearly 100 percent water by weight. Milk and juice contain water. Water still remains your best sources to replenish the body?s supply of water since it is calorie-free, inexpensive and conveniently available.
Even mild dehydration can cause you to lose energy and feel tired. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include the following:
? Mild to excessive thirst
? Fatigue
? Headache
? Dry mouth
? Little or no urination
? Muscle weakness
? Dizziness
? Lightheadedness
Mild dehydration rarely causes complications, however, if the fluid is not replaced quickly, mild dehydration can become more severe and then be life-threatening. This is especially true in the very young and the elderly.
In generally do not reply upon thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. As you age, your body is also less able to sense dehydration and may not send signals to the brain of thirst. If you experience excessive thirst and increased urination, report this to your doctor, as these signs could be in relation to something serious.
Tips to ward off dehydration and be sure your boy has the fluids it needs:
? Make water your beverage of choice
? Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal
? Hydrate before, during and after exercise
? Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings
It is possible to drink too much water, although uncommon. A condition called hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood) is seen more in endurance athletes such as a marathon runner.
If you feel concerned about your fluid intake, or don?t know exactly how much you should be drinking each day, it is probably best to check with your doctor or a registered dietitian to help you determine the amount of water that is best for you.
Source: Mayo clinic (2006)
Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. This article was written (2-2007).
Author: Connie Limon. Please visit us at http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for our weekly health and nutrition tip. Articles are FREE to publish to your newsletters, website or blog. | |
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