How does water affect your overall health. What are the consequences of dehydration. Why is proper hydration crucial for bodily functions. How can you maintain healthy drinking habits. What are the benefits of staying well-hydrated.

Understanding the Importance of Water in Your Body

Water is essential for life, playing a crucial role in nearly every bodily function. It’s not just about quenching thirst; proper hydration is fundamental to maintaining optimal health and well-being. This article delves into the significance of water in the human body, exploring its various functions and the impact of hydration on overall health.

The Fundamental Functions of Water in the Body

Water serves numerous vital purposes within our bodies. It acts as a transport medium for nutrients and waste products, regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, and helps maintain proper blood volume. Additionally, water is essential for cellular processes, digestion, and the elimination of toxins through urine and sweat.

The Dangers of Overhydration

While staying hydrated is crucial, it’s important to note that drinking excessive amounts of water can be harmful. Consuming large quantities of water in a short period can lead to a condition called hyponatremia, where the sodium content in the blood becomes diluted. This rare but potentially serious condition requires medical attention.

Recognizing and Preventing Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluid than it takes in, hindering its ability to perform normal functions. Understanding the signs of dehydration and knowing how to prevent it is crucial for maintaining good health.

Common Signs of Dehydration

• Thirst
• Dark-colored urine
• Dry mouth and lips
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headache

Strategies to Avoid Dehydration

Preventing dehydration is easier than treating it. Here are some effective strategies to maintain proper hydration:

1. Drink fluids gradually throughout the day
2. Have a beverage with each meal
3. Increase fluid intake during hot weather or physical activity
4. Consume water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables
5. Keep a reusable water bottle handy

The Impact of Hydration on Bodily Functions

Proper hydration affects various systems in your body. Even mild dehydration can have noticeable effects on your physical and mental performance.

Effects on Cognitive Function

Do you know how dehydration affects your brain? Research has shown that even 1% dehydration can negatively impact mood, memory, and motor coordination. Staying well-hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal cognitive function throughout the day.

Kidney Function and Hydration

Your kidneys play a vital role in filtering blood and removing waste products. When you’re dehydrated, your kidneys conserve water, resulting in less frequent urination. This can lead to a buildup of toxins in your body. Adequate hydration allows your kidneys to efficiently perform their crucial filtration tasks.

The Relationship Between Hydration and Cardiovascular Health

Proper hydration is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health. When you’re dehydrated, your blood becomes more concentrated, making it harder for your heart to pump it throughout your body.

How Dehydration Affects Blood Viscosity

Why does dehydration make your heart work harder? When you’re not properly hydrated, your blood becomes thicker and more concentrated. This increased blood viscosity forces your heart to work harder to pump blood through your body, potentially leading to cardiovascular strain.

The Many Benefits of Proper Hydration

Staying well-hydrated offers numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being. Let’s explore some of the key advantages of maintaining proper hydration levels.

Skin Health and Hydration

Can drinking water really improve your skin? Yes, proper hydration can have anti-aging effects on your skin, the largest organ in your body. Well-hydrated skin appears more plump and elastic, potentially reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

Physical Performance and Hydration

How does hydration affect your physical abilities? Proper hydration can improve physical performance by maintaining blood volume, regulating body temperature, and reducing fatigue. This makes it easier to engage in physical activities, from daily tasks to intense workouts.

Digestion and Hydration

What role does water play in digestion? Adequate hydration is crucial for proper digestion. It helps break down food, aids in nutrient absorption, and promotes regular bowel movements, reducing the risk of constipation.

Developing Healthy Drinking Habits

Establishing and maintaining healthy drinking habits is key to ensuring proper hydration. Here are some practical tips to help you stay hydrated throughout the day.

Understanding Your Personal Fluid Needs

How much water should you drink daily? While the common advice is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, individual needs can vary based on factors such as age, sex, activity level, climate, and overall health. Listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty.

Practical Tips for Increasing Water Intake

• Keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day
• Set hourly reminders to drink water
• Consume water-rich foods like watermelon, lettuce, and celery
• Have a glass of water with each meal
• Replace sugary drinks with water
• Use fruit-infuser water bottles for natural flavor

Hydration and Mindful Living

Proper hydration can contribute to a more mindful lifestyle by helping you become more attuned to your body’s needs and signals.

Distinguishing Between Thirst and Hunger

How can you tell if you’re truly hungry or just thirsty? When adequately hydrated, it becomes easier to distinguish between genuine hunger and thirst signals. Often, what we perceive as hunger is actually our body’s way of indicating dehydration.

The Role of Hydration in Body Awareness

Can proper hydration improve your body awareness? Yes, maintaining good hydration helps your body achieve a healthier baseline level of homeostasis. This can make it easier to recognize and respond to various bodily signals, promoting overall well-being and mindfulness.

Hydration Beyond Water: Other Sources of Fluids

While water is the best choice for hydration, it’s not the only source of fluids that can contribute to your daily needs. Understanding the role of different beverages and foods in hydration can help you maintain proper fluid balance.

The Hydration Potential of Different Beverages

Are all drinks equally hydrating? While all beverages containing water contribute to hydration, some are more effective than others. Here’s a brief overview:

• Water: The best choice for hydration, with no added calories or additives
• Herbal teas: Generally hydrating and can offer additional health benefits
• Sports drinks: Useful for intense physical activity but often high in sugar
• Caffeinated beverages: Can provide some hydration but may have diuretic effects
• Alcoholic beverages: Can lead to dehydration and should not be relied upon for hydration

Water-Rich Foods and Their Contribution to Hydration

Which foods can help you stay hydrated? Many fruits and vegetables have high water content and can contribute to your daily fluid intake. Some examples include:

• Watermelon (92% water)
• Cucumber (95% water)
• Lettuce (95% water)
• Zucchini (94% water)
• Tomatoes (94% water)

Incorporating these water-rich foods into your diet can help supplement your fluid intake from beverages.

The Science of Hydration: How Water Affects Your Body Systems

Understanding the scientific aspects of hydration can provide deeper insights into why proper fluid balance is crucial for optimal health and bodily functions.

Cellular Hydration and Its Importance

Why is cellular hydration so important? Water is essential for various cellular processes, including nutrient transport, waste removal, and enzymatic reactions. Proper hydration ensures that cells can function optimally, maintaining overall health at the most fundamental level.

The Role of Water in Temperature Regulation

How does water help regulate body temperature? Water plays a crucial role in thermoregulation through the process of sweating. As sweat evaporates from your skin, it helps cool your body, preventing overheating during physical activity or in hot environments.

Hydration and Electrolyte Balance

What is the relationship between hydration and electrolytes? Proper hydration is closely linked to maintaining the correct balance of electrolytes in your body. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, are essential for various bodily functions, including nerve signaling and muscle contraction.

Hydration Strategies for Different Lifestyles and Activities

Different lifestyles and activities may require varied approaches to hydration. Understanding how to adapt your fluid intake based on your specific needs can help you maintain optimal hydration levels.

Hydration for Athletes and Active Individuals

How should athletes approach hydration? Active individuals and athletes may need to pay extra attention to their hydration needs due to increased fluid loss through sweat. Strategies may include:

• Drinking water before, during, and after exercise
• Monitoring urine color as an indicator of hydration status
• Considering electrolyte replacement for prolonged or intense activities
• Weighing before and after exercise to gauge fluid loss

Hydration in Different Climates

How does climate affect hydration needs? Your environment can significantly impact your hydration requirements. In hot or humid climates, you may need to increase your fluid intake to compensate for increased sweating. In cold climates, it’s easy to overlook hydration, but indoor heating and wearing heavy clothing can still lead to fluid loss.

Hydration for Older Adults

Why is hydration particularly important for older adults? As we age, our body’s ability to conserve water decreases, and the sensation of thirst may become less acute. Older adults should be particularly mindful of their fluid intake and may benefit from setting regular reminders to drink water throughout the day.

The Future of Hydration: Emerging Research and Trends

As our understanding of hydration and its effects on health continues to evolve, new research and trends are emerging in the field of hydration science.

Personalized Hydration Strategies

Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to hydration? Recent research suggests that personalized hydration strategies based on individual factors such as body composition, activity level, and environmental conditions may be more effective than general guidelines. Future developments may include more sophisticated methods for assessing individual hydration needs.

Hydration and Chronic Disease Prevention

Can proper hydration help prevent chronic diseases? Emerging research is exploring the potential role of adequate hydration in preventing or managing chronic conditions such as kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and even some forms of cancer. While more studies are needed, maintaining proper hydration appears to be a promising factor in overall health and disease prevention.

Smart Hydration Technologies

How is technology changing the way we approach hydration? The development of smart water bottles, wearable hydration monitors, and mobile apps designed to track fluid intake is making it easier for individuals to monitor and maintain proper hydration levels. These technologies may play an increasing role in personalized hydration strategies in the future.

In conclusion, the importance of proper hydration cannot be overstated. From supporting basic bodily functions to potentially preventing chronic diseases, maintaining adequate fluid intake is crucial for overall health and well-being. By understanding the science behind hydration, recognizing the signs of dehydration, and implementing effective strategies to stay hydrated, you can take a significant step towards optimizing your health and enhancing your quality of life.

Importance of water and how it affects your body

However, drinking as much water as you can, especially at one time, is not the answer.  When you drink too much water, like 10 gallons, your kidneys may not have the ability to get rid of the excess. This leads to the sodium content of your blood becoming diluted and possibly could result in hyponatremia which is a rare condition requiring medical attention. High risk cases of this condition are rare and very unlikely, but low risk cases can be common and are easily treated.

Avoiding dehydration:

Not just water contributes to your hydration, beverages of all kinds that contain water contribute to your daily needs. There are many reasons water is still the best choice, other drinks containing sugar, like Gatorade, are good for hydration but should not be considered a substitute. Other substances, like caffeine, can negatively affect your health but can also provide hydration. These are good to have every once in a while but should not be seen as an alternative.  

Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in and your body doesn’t have enough water or other fluids to carry out its normal functions. In the heat, your body will sweat in order to keep your body cool which means staying hydrated is more difficult and even more important. An easy way to avoid dehydration is to drink fluids gradually throughout the day by having a drink at each meal or every time you go outside.

Quick tips to establish or maintain healthy drinking habits:

• Understand your personal fluid needs
• Keep a reusable water bottle accessible throughout the day
• Set reminders (each hour) to encourage gradual water intake throughout the day
• Eat foods with high water (Watermelon, lettuce, celery, cantaloupe)
• Have water with each meal throughout the day
• Replace other drinks with water
• Flavor your water with inexpensive fruit-infuser water bottles

Benefits of Drinking Water – The Fearless Kind

I harp on this often because it is EXTREMELY important. Most humans live in a constant state of dehydration. We go into full camel mode, for real. Researchers have found that as little as 1% dehydration negatively impacts your mood, memory, and motor coordination.  When you lose water in your body and you do not replace it with more water, bad things happens inside your body. Your kidneys start to cling onto water, which means that you are urinating less frequently. You want to know what your kidneys do? They filter your blood every single minute (literally, a half cup of blood per minute) and remove waste and extra water that makes you urinate. You need your kidneys to take out your body’s trash (e.g., toxins). When your kidneys cannot function because you are dehydrated your body has no way of taking out the trash. Get out of your kidney’s way and let them do their job! 

Because our bodies operate as a system, all our organs depend on each other. If your kidneys are too busy hoarding water to take out the trash, your blood becomes thicker and more concentrated. The thicker the blood, the harder it is for your cardiovascular system (aka, your heart) to do its job. The kidneys slow down the heart’s process! There is a LOT of bad things that happen when your heart has to work harder to pump your blood. So, if you enjoy doing things like living, exercising, walking, or anything else that requires an elevated heart rate, I would strongly suggest drinking water. 

If you aren’t convinced yet, here are some other benefits to drinking water: 

• Anti-aging effects on the skin (your skin is the largest organ in your body. You want your skin to feel like it’s in Hawaii, not Death Valley). *This also includes wrinkle reduction! Not that wrinkles can’t be beautiful, but when you are dehydrated you can see it in your face and skin.
• Improved physical performance (it’s easier to walk, exercise, etc.)
• Weight management 
• Increased energy levels
• Improved digestion
• Helps your body take out the toxin trash (your kidneys will thank you for it). This happens through urination and perspiration, both are important.
• Lubricates your joints (helps your bones out)
• Regulates your temperature
• Helps your brain
• Jump starts your organs (especially when you are drinking more water in the morning)

How does drinking water contribute to living a more mindful life? Well, I am glad you asked. When you are dehydrated (like most humans are) we rarely understand signs of thirst, hunger, or any other subtle discomforts our bodies try to communicate with us. Most of the time, if you feel hungry or like you haven’t had enough food, it is your body’s way of telling you that you are really just dehydrated. When you are adequately hydrated, your body can begin to balance out and adjust to a healthier baseline level of homeostasis (aka, a new normal). Your organs stop overcompensating and it gives you the insight you need to listen to the needs of your body when it comes to food. 

Having water with meals also improves your digestion AND it allows you to slow down your eating process. Slowing down the eating process is important when you are learning about how to eat mindfully. When you eat, be sure to have water on hand! 

How much water should I drink?

I am glad you asked this very important question. My initial response to this is, more. If you are in doubt about whether you are drinking enough water each day, you are probably right. Statistically speaking, if the vast majority of the human population lives in a state of dehydration, then you are probably not in the minority here. SO, you should start by doubling the amount of water you are currently consuming.

More specifically, although the science varies from person to person and is dependent on various factors, here is about how much water you should be drinking each day. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest:

• About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids for women
• About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men

Tips for Staying Hydrated:

• Drink a cup of water right when you wake up
• Drink a cup about 30-minutes before a meal
• Drink a cup right before bed
• Before, after, and during exercise
• Always have water on hand! Get yourself a fancy water bottle and carry it around with you wherever you go. This will quickly turn into a habit and lugging around a big bottle will remind you to drink more water. **It may seem inconvenient, but believe me, it’s way more convenient than all the health problems dehydration can create.
• Try making your own spa water by adding mint, cucumbers, berries, lemons or limes to your water!
• Drink a glass after meals
• Order water in addition to your morning coffee at your local coffee shop.
• Track your water intake!

Stay hydrated, my friends. You will get used to having to run to the bathroom more often than you are used to, but your body will thank you for it!

At The Fearless Kind we encourage all our patients to drink a lot of water, as it helps flush out the toxins from the body. It also improves mood, offsets caffeine consumption, and provides our patients with more energy to work on their recovery while in treatment.

Drink Up! Most of Us Could Benefit From More Water

“Water needs can vary from person to person — and no one person will need the same amount of fluid from one day to the next,” the Virginia scientists wrote in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal.

The typical American consumes about one liter — a little over four cups — of drinking water a day. But people like me who engage in quasi-vigorous physical activity daily need more, and those who exercise strenuously for more than an hour a day need even more than that, perhaps supplemented by a sports drink containing the electrolytes sodium and potassium (but avoid those with more than a pinch of sugar). Keep in mind that skimping on your liquid intake or relying on sugary drinks can take a toll on your physical performance.

If you’re planning to engage in strenuous exercise or do physical work outdoors on a hot day, it’s best to start hydrating the day before. Check the color of your urine; the paler it is, the better. Also continue to drink water or other fluids throughout your activity and for hours afterward.

A critical factor in remaining well hydrated is not to rely on thirst to remind you to drink but rather to be proactive by consuming enough liquid before, during and after meals and physical activity. The longstanding advice to drink eight glasses of water a day was something I (among many others) was never able to achieve. I’m happy to say that experts have since modified that rule. Current thinking calls for getting about 70 percent of daily water needs from liquids (including coffee and tea, by the way, though not alcohol) and the rest from solid foods.

The authors of “Quench” suggest two dozen fruits and vegetables that are especially hydrating, ranging from cucumbers with 96.7 percent water to grapes with 81.5 percent water. Surely you can find many you would enjoy in a list that includes lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, carrots, peppers, watermelon, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, apples and pears.

Even chia seeds, an ancient so-called superfood said to sustain the ultrarunning prowess of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, can be a force against dehydration; they absorb 30 times their weight in water and can provide the body with slow-release hydration, especially during long bouts of physical activity in high heat and humidity.

Naturally packaged plant water hydrates more efficiently than plain drinking water, the “Quench” authors maintain, because it’s already purified, is packed with soluble nutrients and gradually supplies the body with water.

Facts on Fluids – How to Stay Hydrated

Nothing satisfies thirst better than a tall glass of cold water. During the summer you may be more aware of drinking enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Staying well hydrated when it’s hot is definitely a must; however, hydration is important to your health year round. Read on to learn about how much fluid you need to stay healthy and which fluids you should choose most often.

Why fluids matter

Fluid is essential! It has many important roles. Fluids help to:

• move nutrients and waste through your body
• keep your blood pressure normal
• protect and cushion your joints and organs
• control your body temperature and
• lower your risk of dehydration and heat stroke

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is when you lose more fluid than you take in. Below are some of the signs of dehydration:

• Thirst
• Dry lips and dry mouth
• Flushed skin
• Headache
• Dizziness and fainting
• Dark yellow, strong smelling urine
• Low blood pressure and increased heart rate

You may be dehydrated even if you don’t have any of the signs so it is important to drink fluids often even before you feel thirsty.

Getting enough fluid

The amount of fluids you need depends on your age, gender and level of physical activity. Remember that you will need even more fluids to stay hydrated in hot weather and when you are physically active.

Use the chart below as a guide to how much fluid you should aim to have each day. Keep in mind that your total fluid intake can include water as well as milk, coffee, tea and juice. Coffee and tea are not dehydrating. 

Life stage	Aim for (cups)*
Infants
0-6 months	3 (from breastmilk or formula)
7-12 months	2. 5 (from breastmilk, formula, water or fluid milk)
Young Children
1-3 years old	3.5
4-8 years old	5
Older children
9-13 year old girls	6.5
9-13 year old boys	7
Women
14-18 year old	7
19 years and older	9
Pregnant	9
Breastfeeding	12.5
Men
14-18 years old	10.5
19 years and older	12

*1 cup = 250 mL

Do I need to drink eight glasses of water every day to stay healthy?

No. Research shows that drinking less than eight glasses of water per day does not lead to negative health effects. The amount of water that a person needs to drink every day is different for everyone. What is most important is that you drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Your fluid intake can include water as well as a variety of other fluids.

How to know if you are drinking enough

Check your thirst – If you are thirsty or have a dry mouth, it is likely that you are not drinking enough. Aim to drink fluids often throughout the day. Remember that once you are thirsty, you are already somewhat dehydrated.

Check your urine – If your urine is a dark yellow colour and has a strong smell, you may not be getting enough fluids. Urine that is light yellow or clear in colour usually means that you are drinking enough fluids. The amount of urine you make can also be a sign of your hydration status. If you do not make much urine throughout the day and it is dark in colour, you likely need more fluids.

Check your mood – If you feel light headed and tired, are not able to focus or have many headaches, these could be signs that you are dehydrated.

Tips to meet your fluid needs

• Be aware of your thirst and drink fluids often throughout the day.
• Choose water to drink when you are thirsty. Avoid soft drinks.
• Keep water nearby when you are at work, at school, at play or out and about.
• Enjoy other fluids such as skim, 1% and 2% milk, fortified soy beverages, 100% vegetable or fruit juices and soups to help you meet your fluid needs.
• Choose decaffeinated drinks more often to keep you well hydrated. Drinks with caffeine should be limited to 3 cups per day. 
• Take sips of water while eating meals and snacks.
• Keep a jug full of ice water, with lemon, lime, orange or cucumber slices in your fridge at home or at work.
• Remember to drink more in hot weather and when you are very active.

Hydration as you get older

Drinking liquids throughout the day is especially important for older adults. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, fainting and low blood pressure which may put older adults at risk for falls. Dehydration may also make constipation worse.

Bottom line

To meet your fluid needs throughout the day, choose water most often. Remember that other fluids like milk, coffee, tea and juice also count towards your daily fluid intake. Try to avoid soft drinks and limit drinks with caffeine to 3 cups per day. Remember to drink even more fluids when you are active and during hot weather.

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Video: Healthy beverages – Choose water

Sports nutrition: Facts on hydration

Last Update – October 25, 2021

3 Tips to Stay Hydrated

Maintaining hydration as a runner is important for health and performance. Water regulates our body temperature, removes waste, helps brings energy to our cells, and cushions our joints. Adequate hydration can improve recovery, minimize injury and cramping, and maximize performance.

When we run, we generate 20 times more heat than when we are at rest. Our bodies cool down by sweating. However, sweating also leads to loss of water and electrolytes, including sodium and potassium. In fact, losing more than two to three percent of our body weight through fluid (3 to 5 pounds for a 150-pound person) can lead to dehydration. When we are dehydrated, we may be tired, get headaches, cramp, and have an increased heart rate. Performance can suffer.

Here are some tips to stay hydrated:

1. Measure your sweat rate

Take your weight before and after a run lasting an hour or more. Replace each pound of body weight lost with 20 to 24 ounces of water. Do this along with eating foods containing carbohydrates and electrolytes, like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The carbohydrates will be used to refuel your muscles and the electrolytes for your body’s daily functions.

Many factors regulate your sweat rate. These include air temperature, run intensity, body size, gender, duration of the run, and fitness level. For instance, well-trained runners sweat more than less fit runners, because their bodies are more efficient at cooling themselves.

2. Drink regularly

Drinking water throughout the day is the best way to replenish fluid losses, as opposed to drinking all at one time.

• Sip from a water bottle during the day.
• Eat fruit. Fruit is a great source of water, as well as electrolytes and fiber!
• Thirst is not the best indicator for hydration status. Instead, make sure your urine is clear to light yellow. If it is dark, drink up.
• Rehydrate before drinking alcohol. Alcohol can be dehydrating and lead to inadequate storage of carbohydrates in your muscles, leading to poor performance and increased risk for injury.

3. Drink water before, during, and after a run

Drinking before, during, and after training is just as important as drinking during the rest of the day.

• Aim for 16 ounces (2 cups) of water at about two hours before you run. Pair this with a snack or meal.
• About 15 minutes before a run, drink six to eight ounces of water.
• During a run longer than 1 hour, drink water at regular intervals. This varies according to your sweat rate. Those who sweat more profusely may need 16 ounces every 15 minutes. You’ll also want to consume some carbohydrates and electrolytes along with drinking water. Examples include sports gels and dried fruit.
• After a run, aim for at least 16 ounces of water with food. Or, if you know your sweat rate, replenish with 20 to 24 ounces per pound lost.

The Bottom Line

Hydration during running is important for performance and health. Drink water regularly during the day and practice hydrating while on long runs. And don’t forget your need for carbohydrates and electrolytes to optimize your hydration and nutrition. All runners are different, so meeting with a registered dietitian can be beneficial to understanding your individual needs.

Drinking water throughout the day is the best way to replenish fluid losses. Drinking before, during, and after training is just as important as drinking during the rest of the day.

How Important is Drinking Water?

How important is drinking water? Think of it this way, how important is putting oil in your car? Pretty important right?  Well the same can be said for getting enough water.

Whether you realize it or not you are constantly losing water. This doesn’t just occur while doing time on a spin bike at the gym.  In your everyday life you are losing water to evaporation from your skin, from breathing, in urine and stool.  If your output is greater than your input dehydration is the result and the human body will not operate efficiently.  Hmmmmm……..kind of sounds like what would happen to your car if it is low on oil doesn’t it?

There are a whole host of body functions that will work much more efficiently if your motor, i.e., body is topped off with fluids such as circulation and maintaining body temp. Let’s look at one of these crucial functions and how it affects a daily task that is near and dear to all our hearts, eating! 

An easy sign of running low on water would be good old ‘cotton mouth’. Quite simply you are not creating saliva as you should. Saliva mixed into your food as you chew actually starts the process of breaking down your food both mechanically and chemically by adding the enzyme amylase. Proper hydration levels will also help with digestion as well. However, I am not talking about flooding your system with water as you eat. 

Yes drinking water with meals is fine and good but not guzzling with meals.  It is possible to drink enough water to dilute the naturally occurring acids in your stomach to the point that they do not continue to break down your stomach contents as they should nor at the rate they should. We are talking about already being hydrated before you sit down to a meal.  Being hydrated will also allow you to transport and absorb nutrients more efficiently as well.  When you are not well hydrated your colon and large intestines will absorb the water it needs from stool as it passes. This commonly results in constipation.

When working with clients that want to lose weight the first thing I change as far as dietary habits go is to adjust their water intake.  I never make wholesale sweeping dietary changes all at once. I find that most folks will not last very long if you do that. Don’t believe me?  Be honest and tell me how long that ‘Get in Shape’ or ‘Lose Weight’ New Year’s Resolution thing went for you last year or the year before? 

So I find if I make small gradual changes to someone’s nutrition plan it will eventually become an easy to stick to lifestyle change and NOT a diet. Yes drinking water can help you feel a little fuller and help you eat a little less, however in my opinion if you substitute water for other calorie rich beverages you will be much more ahead of the game. 

Heard of ‘Volumetrics Weight Control’?  Let me sum up.   On average we will get roughly 20% of our needed hydration via the food we eat.  Foods with a higher water content tend to be absorbed slower by the body thus helping you feel fuller longer.  Fruits and vegetables fit the bill here.  Beware if you are one who prefers juice to a raw piece of fruit or vegetable the lack of fiber in juice makes it absorb faster.  That is pretty much the theory behind Volumetrics.
So how much water do I need to drink you ask?  Here are a couple of formulas for figuring that out.  Beware these are NOT exact!  Activity levels and ambient temp/ environment also factor into how much water you will need. 

Body Weight x 2/3 or 67% = oz of water Example:  185 lbs x 0.67 = 124 oz daily

8 x 8 Rule:
Drink 8, 8 oz glasses of water a day

If you do the math I am pretty sure you will be surprised at how short you are coming at hitting the mark on your daily hydration. You are not alone, this is common! Right about now you are probably sitting there thinking, “How am I going to be able to drink that much water in a day?” Let me assist you with a few tricks.

• Place a 12oz glass of water next to the sink in your bathroom.  If you take meds regularly every morning wash them down with that full 12oz glass of water and just like that right out of bed you are already 10% done meeting your daily goal!
• Keep a water bottle at your desk at work as well as in your car.
• Drink water before every meal.
• Drink a glass of water as you brush your teeth at night before bed.
• If you do not like water try adding flavor via, lemon, lime, cucumber slice or a ‘Liquid Water Enhancer.’

See, it’s not so hard to fuel your machine well for peak performance!

Tim Clark
Fitness Center Manager
Community Regional Medical Center

Why Water Is Good for Your Teeth

It doesn’t matter if your glass is half-empty or half-full: Drinking water is always good for your health. Our bodies are made of 60% water, and staying hydrated helps your system distribute healthy nutrients, gets rid of waste, gives your skin a healthy glow and keeps your muscles moving. Sipping water is also one of the best things you can do for your teeth – especially if it’s fluoridated. Read on to find out why water is always a winner for your dental health.

It Strengthens Your Teeth

Drinking water with fluoride (called “nature’s cavity fighter”) is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to help prevent cavities.

A modern-day tale of two cities shows what a difference fluoride makes, especially in community water systems. In 2011, the Canadian city of Calgary stopped adding fluoride to its water. Curious about the impact, researchers compared Calgary second graders with kids in the same age group in Edmonton, a Canadian city that has had fluoridated water since 1967. Their research, published in the February 2016 journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, found children in non-fluoridated Calgary had more tooth decay than children in the city with uninterrupted fluoridation.

It Keeps Your Mouth Clean

Drinking juice, soda or sports drinks may help you wash down your dinner, but they can leave unwanted sugar behind on your teeth. The cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth love to eat sugar and produce acid that wears away enamel, which is the outer shell of your teeth. Many of these drinks also have added acids (phosphoric, citrus or malic acid) to make them taste less sweet, but those acids also cause trouble by eroding away enamel.

Water, however, cleans your mouth with every sip. It washes away leftover food and residue that cavity-causing bacteria are looking for. It also dilutes the acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth. You’ll still need to brush twice a day for two minutes and clean between your teeth, but drinking water through the day will go a long way toward keeping your smile cavity-free.

It Fights Dry Mouth

Saliva is your mouth’s first defense against tooth decay. It washes away leftover food, helps you swallow with ease and keeps your teeth strong by washing them with calcium, phosphate and fluoride.

When your saliva supply runs low, dry mouth may put you at risk for tooth decay. Drinking water can help cut your risk as you and your dentist work to find the best long-term solution for you.

It’s Calorie-Free

Sweetened drinks that are high in sugar and calories, create a perfect storm that puts you at risk for cavities and other unhealthy consequences like weight gain. In fact, studies have shown that drinking water can actually help you lose weight. So the next time you need a drink, go guilt-free with water to take care of your body and your smile.

More from MouthHealthy

90,000 Thirst – when the body asks for water | Lifestyle

Biologically, thirst is a physiological sensation that signals that the body needs water. Thirst is an integral part of the body’s defense system, which helps maintain water balance in the human body. The need for fluid can arise for many reasons: due to the physiological needs of the body, due to the habit of drinking something at a certain time, due to cultural characteristics, traditions, and it can also be a reaction of the body to the loss of fluid, an increase in the level of hormones in the blood , or any other changes in the human body that you may not even feel until you feel thirsty.

Volume of fluid in the human body

A liquid that includes water and other components containing water in its composition – the most important condition for maintaining human life. The (adult) human body contains about 60-65% water, but the human body is not able to produce water on its own. Our body constantly loses water when breathing, sweating and urinating. To maintain water balance, it is necessary to constantly stabilize the fluid level in the body.An adult, depending on gender and age, needs to consume 2 to 3 liters of fluid. The amount of water children need depends on their age.

In order to understand how important water is for a person, one should recall the “rule of three”: a person can only live:

• 3 minutes without air,

• 3 days without water and

• 3 weeks without food.

To understand how vital water is, you need to understand how our body uses it.

Water is present both inside and outside the cells of our body. Distinguish between intracellular fluid (in the cells of the body) and extracellular tissue fluid (fills tissue gaps).

The brain controls the water balance, both at the intracellular level and at the extracellular level of our body. To support vital organs and systems such as the heart, lungs, brain, digestive system, cutaneous system, etc. a sufficient amount of water must be contained both at the intracellular level and at the extracellular level of our body.Maintaining the water balance at the proper level is not such an easy task as it might seem at first glance, since every day the human body consumes fluid during sweating, tearing, urinating, and also consumes water to provide other numerous functions of the body.

90,000 Why is it important to actively drink water in autumn and winter

November 27, 2020

When the batteries in the apartment are working at full capacity, and warm sweaters are laid out on the shelf closer, it means that the cold has come.They come in the fall, last all winter and cover a large period of spring. At this time, people, and especially the fair sex, notice that their hair begins to fade, their skin dries up, and their legs break. Someone blames the problems on hypovitaminosis or the lack of suitable care products, while others – on hats and gloves, which supposedly adversely affect the quality of the hair and skin of the hands. In fact, the problem in most cases is the lack of water.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with several statements that apply to the majority of the inhabitants of our country.

1. Russians drink little water. Almost no one consumes the required minimum of 1.5-2 liters.

2. People drink coffee for breakfast, compote for lunch and tea for dinner, believing that this is water. Alas, any drinks, especially those with sugar, are food. They are not able to make up for the lack of clean fresh water. Coffee is a serious diuretic that not only does not add moisture to the tissues, but also removes it from the body.

3.Nobody knows that in cold weather you need to drink more clean water.

Why Drink Enough Water?

· For radiance and hydration of the skin.

Dermatologists associate early skin aging with a lack of moisture. The dermis dries up and loses turgor, peeling appears. Thus, the drinking regimen is an important part of caring for your own appearance. In winter, we are often in rooms with dry air, and a cold snap leads to a decrease in the feeling of thirst.Therefore, in the autumn-winter period, you need to carefully monitor the drinking regime, consuming more water.

· To improve the condition of nails and hair.

Flaking legs, split ends of hair – often the problem is again a lack of fluid. If you drink more, your hair and nails will be stronger and more elastic.

· For detoxification.

Drinking enough fluids helps the natural elimination of toxins.Viruses, bacteria, hazardous waste products leave the body faster.

· For harmony.

Water improves digestion and aids in weight loss. Interesting fact: people often confuse the desire to drink with hunger. This leads to the consumption of more food and a lack of water.

What kind of water to drink?

Untreated tap water is rarely drinkable. The point is not only in the presence of possible microbes, but also in the fact that, in terms of its mineral composition, this liquid is practically empty.Still mineral drinking water is a good choice. It will quench your thirst and replenish the body with useful elements. You don’t have to choose expensive bottled drinks. A good option would be “Senezhskaya” from a domestic manufacturer. Water is inexpensive, and its high quality and benefits are confirmed by well-known TV shows and popular associations, such as “Conspiracy Theory” and “Roskontrol”.

90,000 Influence of water and substances dissolved in it on the body

The role of water in the human body
Man consists of 70-80% water; the human brain – by 85%; embryo – by 95%; the least amount of water in the bones – 30%.Water is the main solvent in the human body, all substances are transported in it – salts, oxygen, enzymes, hormones. Therefore, all substances produced by our body are water-soluble.
When dissolving substances, the chemical composition of water is very important, because the more impurities in water, the worse it dissolves substances. (For example, 1/5 of the tap water is already occupied by foreign impurities and only 4/5 of the volume drunk remains for a person).

Organic compounds in water and their effects on the human body
All organic compounds in water can be conditionally divided into small (molecule size – less than 100 kilodaltons) and large (molecule size – from 100 kilodaltons).The most dangerous for humans are large organic compounds, which are 90% carcinogens or mutagens. The most dangerous are organochlorine compounds formed during boiling of chlorinated water, because they are potent carcinogens, mutagens and toxins. The remaining 10% of large organic matter is at best neutral in relation to the organism. There are only 2-3 large organic compounds useful for humans, dissolved in water (these are enzymes necessary in very small doses).
Exposure to organics begins immediately after drinking.Depending on the dose, this can be 18-20 days or, if the dose is large, 8-12 months.

Heavy metal ions in water and their effect on the human body
Heavy metals, getting into our body, remain there forever, they can be removed only with the help of milk proteins and porcini mushrooms. Reaching a certain concentration in the body, they begin their destructive effect – they cause poisoning, mutations. In addition to the fact that they themselves poison the human body, they also clog it purely mechanically – heavy metal ions settle on the walls of the finest systems of the body and clog the renal canals, liver canals, thus reducing the filtration capacity of these organs.Accordingly, this leads to the accumulation of toxins and waste products of the cells of our body, i.e. self-poisoning of the body, because it is the liver that is responsible for the processing of toxic substances that enter our body and the waste products of the body, and the kidneys are responsible for their excretion.
Heavy metals include Pb (lead), Al (aluminum), Mn (manganese), Si (silicon), Fe (iron), Se (selenium), Zn (zinc), Hg (mercury), Cd (cadmium).

Manganese clogs the tubules of nerve cells.The conductivity of the nerve impulse decreases, as a result, fatigue, drowsiness increases, the speed of reaction, efficiency decreases, dizziness, depressive, depressed states appear. Manganese poisoning in children and embryos (when a woman is pregnant) is especially dangerous – it leads to idiocy. Of 100 children whose mothers were exposed to manganese poisoning during pregnancy, 96-98 are born idiots. There is also a theory that toxicosis in early and late pregnancy is caused by manganese.There is an excess of manganese in tap water. Besides water, manganese is also found in the air due to industrial emissions. In nature, manganese then accumulates in fungi and plants, thus getting into food. Manganese is almost impossible to eliminate from the body; It is very difficult to diagnose manganese poisoning because the symptoms are very general and are inherent in many diseases, but most often the person simply does not pay attention to them.

Aluminum also has a general toxic and contaminating effect on the human body.Its excess in tap water is due to the fact that excess iron at the water intake is removed with aluminum sulfate. Reacting with iron ions, aluminum sulfate gives an insoluble precipitate, into which, in principle, both iron and aluminum precipitate, but in reality both iron and aluminum remain in the water.

Selenium is not contained in the natural water of Novosibirsk. Selenium is necessary for humans in very small doses; at the slightest excess of the dose, it turns into a carcinogen, mutagen and toxin. A person can safely make up for the lack of selenium with the help of special mineral complexes; selenium is also found in seaweed.

Iron occurs in nature in three states – molecular iron F0 (when it is a lump), Fe2 + – is necessary in the human body as an oxygen carrier (there are 4 F2 + ions in the hemoglobin molecule) and F3 + – harmful to humans – it is rust. Iron is necessary for the human body, but only in a certain proportion and in the form of the F2 + ion. There is a large excess of iron in tap water, because there is a lot of it in the natural water of Novosibirsk, plus rusty pipes through which water flows to consumers.

Calcium is necessary in the human body for the structure of bone tissue (teeth, bones), muscle tissue (muscles, heart muscle), maintaining the conductive function of nervous tissue. With an excess of calcium, it is neutral in relation to the human body, however, this reduces the quality of the water – calcium salts form scale and water turbidity.

Magnesium is essential for the normal functioning of nerve cells. However, its quantity in water should be limited, because in excess, it acts like manganese – it clogs the tubules of nerve cells, only it is less active and easier to remove from the body.

Potassium is also necessary for the normal functioning of the body, because is a component of the sodium-potassium pump. The potassium-sodium pump is a structure on the membrane of each cell, thanks to which substances from the intercellular fluid penetrate into the cell, and the products of its vital activity are removed from the cell. In addition, potassium is especially important for cardiovascular activity. it normalizes blood pressure and heart function.

Partly the presence of certain metals in water is due to its acidity.Pocket devices TDS Meter – TDS Meter EZ
will help you to make a qualitative determination of acidity and measure the total amount of dissolved substances in water.

If you have already purchased a drinking water purification system, then we offer you electronic devices for online quality control – water mineralization Clean Tap Monitor, Dual Monitor 1 and Dual Monitor 2.

Source: Pure Water Company

How much water should you drink in the heat? Doctor’s advice

In the coming days, forecasters promise an abnormal heat: the air in the capital region will warm up today to +29, and tomorrow to +31 degrees.Doctors and other experts told the MIR 24 correspondent how much water should be drunk in the heat.

“In hot weather, the body especially needs liquid from the outside, as high temperature and, as a result, increased sweating contribute to dehydration,” says Oleg Serebryansky, chief physician of the expert medicine clinic. – The main symptoms of dehydration: rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, dry skin and mucous membranes, lethargy, intense thirst. For children, dehydration is especially dangerous, so a strict drinking regime must be observed in hot weather. “

According to the doctor, the amount of liquid that must be consumed in the heat depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. There is no gold standard here, and there cannot be. On average, it is calculated based on weight and ambient temperature. So, for example, for a person weighing from 50 to 55 kg, 1.5 liters per day is considered optimal at temperatures up to 23 degrees, at temperatures from 25 to 29 degrees – 2 liters. If the heat is more than 30 degrees – 2.5-3 liters.

“But I will repeat it once more.There is no obligatory norm here, each organism is individual. Therefore, if you are thirsty, drink. And you shouldn’t be scrupulous about counting the amount of liquid you drink. Of course, if there are no specific diseases that limit its use, ”says the expert.

In the heat, just like at any other time, it is better to drink ordinary non-carbonated water. It is not worth giving preference to juices and soda, because, firstly, they do not quench thirst poorly, and secondly, they contain a large amount of sugar.As for alcohol, it is highly discouraged to consume it in the heat, because it stimulates heat transfer, increases the load on the cardiovascular system, and the alcohol contained in it provokes dehydration.

Formulas for calculating the required amount of water are offered by nutritionist, naturopath, nutritionist, healthy nutrition specialist Olga Dekker . “In hot weather, we need to understand how much a person will be in the sun and how much water he will lose,” says the specialist.- On average, I recommend adding another liter of water to your norm if you will be in the sun for a long time. For example, a beach holiday, if you lie on a sun lounger and lose water. If you are on the beach playing active games (volleyball), be sure to keep a bottle with you. Since dehydration is terrible for our body, the blood thickens. The formed elements remain in the same volume, and the blood plasma decreases. A person may feel headache, dizziness, lethargy, weakness.Simply because the adhered red blood cells cannot carry oxygen in the proper volume to the cells. This condition is called hypoxia. To avoid this, it is necessary to always keep water with you when resting, while exercising, and drink as soon as you feel thirsty. But, some people confuse it with hunger. Therefore, it is important to drink water before you eat anything. ”

According to the expert, water has many functions, including regulation of pressure and temperature, movement of substances dissolved in it through the body and elimination of decay products from the body.Choose clean, cool, or room temperature water.

The National Academy of Medicine recommends the following for total daily fluids (including water, soft drinks and food fluids):

• 2.7 liters for women
• 3.7 liters for men

Recommended ratio – 20% liquid from food and 80% from water and other soft drinks. Tea, coffee, fruit drinks, juices, compotes, etc. are taken into account.

In order to calculate the rate of pure water, take the formula: 30 ml x 1 kg of ideal body weight (BMI)

BMI can be calculated using the following formula:

• men: BMI = 50 + 2.3 * (0.394 * (height – 60)
• women: BMI = 45.5 + 2.3 * (0.394 * height in centimeters – 60)

In hot weather, as well as during training, with illness and during breastfeeding the norm should be increased by 1000 ml.

“It is important that a person understands that tea and coffee contain caffeine, which has a slight diuretic effect. That is, if we want to drink, we should drink pure water, and not suppress the feeling of thirst the amount of tea, “the expert says.” After all, if we get water from tea and coffee, then we will still provoke the body to give up this water, that is, we will lose more than we drank.This is a very important point! ”

According to Olga Dekker, Caffeine, which is found in tea, coffee, soda and energy drinks, can have a short-term diuretic effect. Theophylline, a compound found in tea, also has diuretic properties. Also, alcoholic beverages are known for their diuretic properties. If these drinks are present in your diet, you need to adjust the rate. Add 1 glass of water to 1 serving of diuretic drink.

“Children often ask for a drink and we offer them juices, fruit drinks, compotes.It’s better not to do that. Offer water first, the expert says. “Children’s metabolism is faster than that of adults, so they need water in order to remove waste products. Pay attention to the child’s appearance if he is playing on the playground, but you can already see that the nasolabial triangle has turned white – this indicates that the child is overheating. He doesn’t have enough water, he urgently needs to go to the shade and drink, so that there is no sunstroke. ”

If a person drinks little water, then the detoxifying function of the kidneys (ensuring the removal of salts) will be impaired.It is important that the kidneys remove waste products and the body does not take fluid from the blood plasma. Otherwise, the blood will thicken, there will be less oxygen transfer, which will lead to headaches, hypoxia and the formation of blood clots.

According to specialist in functional nutrition Irina Karaulan, it is advisable to drink filtered or bottled water in glass containers. If the water is not mineralized, a mineral mixture can be added to it to enrich the water. For example, the pharmacy drug Rehydron is suitable, which contains, among other things, electrolytes necessary to regulate the electrolyte balance.It must be added not in the proportions indicated on the package, but little by little, so that it does not affect the taste of the water too much.

Some people with fever begin to worry about swelling. It is the body’s response to insufficient water entering the body. To get rid of them, you need to adhere to the correct drinking regimen. Lymphatic drainage exercises will also help. Irina Karaulan shares exercises and self-massage techniques in order to drive away swelling.

• Jumping on waking: 100 jumps on soft knees will act as a lymphatic exercise.
• Frame: raise your arms above your head in the form of a frame, press the neck, hold for 30 seconds, then stretch the lateral muscles of the neck on both sides with the edge of the palm.
• Ear massage: massage the ears for a minute, going over the entire surface of the auricle.
• Scalp massage: with strong fingers we go over the entire head, after which we grab the hair close to the roots and pull ourselves by the hair.

These exercises will help you to quickly disperse the lymph and get rid of the swelling.

90,000 Drinking water and human health

Published on: 03/21/2020 03:14 PM

Water is vital. The body needs it more than anything else, with the exception of oxygen. A well-fed person can live without food for 3-4 weeks, and without water – only a few days. A living cell requires water both to maintain its structure and to function normally; it is about 2/3 of body weight.Water helps regulate body temperature and serves as a lubricant to facilitate joint movement. It plays an important role in the building and repair of body tissues. With a sharp reduction in water consumption, a person becomes ill or his body begins to function worse. How important water is is evidenced by the fact that its content in various organs is 70 – 90%. With age, the amount of water in the body changes. A three-month-old fetus contains 90% water, a newborn 80%, an adult 70%.

Dehydration of the body by 10% leads to physical and mental disability. Loss of 20% of water leads to death. During the day from 3 to 6% of the water contained in the body is exchanged. Half of the body’s water is exchanged within 10 days. The amount of water required to maintain water balance depends on age, physical activity, ambient temperature and humidity. The daily requirement of an adult is 1.5 – 2.0 liters.Another important point: tea, coffee, and even more so all kinds of juices, soft drinks and carbonated drinks are not included in the general water classification.

Clean drinking water also increases the body’s defenses against stress. It thins the blood, fights fatigue, helps the cardiovascular system, fights stress. A healthy lifestyle is based on proper nutrition, activity and consumption of clean water. With such a large value of water for a person, the water must be of the appropriate quality, but if the water contains any harmful substances, then they will inevitably be distributed throughout the body.Infectious jaundice, tularemia, water fever, brucellosis, poliomyelitis can be transmitted through water. Water sometimes becomes a source of human infection with animal parasites – worms. With water contaminated with faeces, the eggs of some parasitic worms can enter the human body. In the intestines, they turn into parasites (such are roundworms, pinworms). Finally, waterborne infestation sometimes occurs with lamblia, which affects the small intestine and liver.

In addition to the banal thirst, there is enough reason to regularly drink plain water:

• Water is essential for proper metabolism.It is not for nothing that everyone who wants to lose weight is first of all recommended to pay attention to whether they drink enough water;
• Regular consumption of a sufficient amount of clean drinking water will not slow down the most positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair;
• water helps the body to get rid of accumulated toxins and other harmful substances;
• Water plays an important role in the digestion process.

Some researchers also claim that clean water can relieve headaches, joint pain, normalize excessive blood pressure and even help fight stress.

But even ordinary water, if handled incorrectly, can cause problems or aggravate existing problems in the body. There are two main groups of people for whom excessive fluid intake is contraindicated:

• anyone with kidney or heart problems;

90 150 women during pregnancy (a large amount of water can lead to edema, and this, in turn, is fraught with unpleasant and even dangerous complications).

If in doubt that the body is ready for additional water load, it is better to consult a doctor.

A person must be thirsty. If a person drinks very little water, and he does not even have such a need, it means that his body is overflowing with toxins and toxins and is working incorrectly, a failure has occurred and it is not far from diseases.

A person who drinks a sufficient amount of water excretes almost colorless urine (excluding the coloring matter of medicines or food), and odorless. If there is a lack of water in the body, the urine becomes bright yellow with a characteristic odor, with severe dehydration, the color of the secreted fluid turns orange.The exception to this rule is those taking diuretics. In this case, the urine is colorless.

An insufficient amount of water in the body leads to an additional load on the kidneys, they have to excrete a large amount of toxic substances in a limited volume of water. As a result of water scarcity, the body is not cleansed as needed to maintain health. Poisoning of the body occurs, which leads to constant fatigue, diseases begin.

By using water instead of other drinks, you can not only improve health, but also reduce weight.First of all, when refusing sugary drinks, the calorie content of food decreases, when drinking tea, coffee, there is a desire to eat something tasty and sweet, and water does not provoke this desire. Toxins and toxins are also removed, metabolism improves, for which water is simply needed, as a result, body weight decreases.

Lack of water can lead to heart attack, studies have shown that people who drink 2 glasses of water a day are much more likely to have a heart attack than those who drink at least 6 glasses a day.

Satisfaction of the body’s daily need for water is the prevention of many diseases and disorders in the body, helps to reduce the risk of oncological diseases, such as colon, breast, bladder cancer, by up to 50%.

How to drink water correctly: before, after or during meals? In fact, there has been no serious scientific research on this topic, so scientists do not express an unambiguous opinion. But nutritionists advise drinking a glass of clean water about half an hour – an hour before meals: in theory, this will help you eat less at the table.Drinking water after meals is not recommended: you need to wait at least an hour and a half. You also need to drink a glass of water half an hour before bedtime. During sleep, a person loses water during breathing, water is released through the skin with sweat. For people with kidney problems, it is better to drink all the necessary amount of water before 17-18 hours. It is also recommended to drink water before physical activity. Water is required for sweat and metabolism, and during sports the metabolism is accelerated.

It is advisable to drink only boiled water, during which the water will definitely get rid of all microbes and bacteria, moreover, it will not become so hard.However, it is important to remember that boiled water is good for the body only for a couple of hours after the kettle is turned off. Better yet, drink it while still warm. Boiled water, cooled down and standing in a teapot for several hours, becomes “dead” and does not bring the same benefits to the body. And even more so, experts do not recommend boiling the same water several times.

Nowadays, there are other methods of water purification. For example, installing special filters at home. Filtered water retains all useful microelements, while undergoing the necessary purification and can be considered safe.Unless, of course, the owner of the house does not forget to change the filters on time.

There is another option that enterprising marketers are actively suggesting to us – to drink water exclusively from bottles. However, its advantages over other types of water are highly questionable. Most likely, the same tap water is poured into bottles, of course, thoroughly purified. As a sos-remedy, in the absence of another alternative, it will work, but it is always undesirable to drink it.

Many people prefer to drink mineral water, considering it more useful.This is true if the label states that the purchased water is “table” water. The salt content in such water is insignificant, and you can drink it at least every day. But medical-table and even more so, medicinal mineral water on an ongoing basis should not be consumed without a compelling need.

It is no exaggeration to say that high quality water that meets sanitary, hygienic and epidemiological requirements is one of the essential conditions for maintaining human health.But in order for it to be useful, it must be cleansed of all harmful impurities and delivered to a pure person.

GBUZ “Center for Medical Prevention” of the Ministry of Health of the Krasnodar Territory

90,000 What, how and how much to drink in the heat?

In normal weather, a person loses a liter of moisture per day with sweat. In hot weather, these losses increase dramatically, and if they are not compensated for, dehydration can begin.

At the same time, people with different skin types need different volumes of fluid.For example, the skin of Europeans is less adapted to heat and more actively evaporates moisture. The skin of old people and children also evaporates more water, so they need it more.

How to determine that the body urgently needs water, because thirst does not always manifest itself immediately?

The brain is the first to react to dehydration. Here are the 6 signals it gives:

1. Feeling tired for no apparent reason. The body is forced to spend more energy trying to maintain the optimal “temperature regime”.

2. Congestion of blood to the face. When the brain cannot get enough water from the circulatory system for its needs, it gives the command to proportionally expand the blood vessels feeding it.

3. Feelings of anxiety, despondency, unreasonable irritability and irascibility. Just 1 glass of water, and the person calms down.

4. Depression. This condition also indicates a serious phase of dehydration, when the body, in the absence of water, is forced to spend amino acids, without which a person drives into melancholy.

5. Lethargy, heaviness, pain in the head, restless sleep are sure signs that the brain needs to increase blood circulation, and the body does not have enough water.

6. Inattention. The higher the degree of dehydration, the less the brain is able to store new information in its memory banks. Thus, dehydration causes attention deficit in children who prefer carbonated drinks.

These symptoms disappear easily with 1-2 glasses of water.

In the heat, it is important not only to drink a lot.It is necessary to choose the right drinks and then use them correctly. Here’s what doctors advise.

On a hot day, it is better to use plain (still) water. Soda only makes you thirsty.

Those who are outdoors all day should drink more than those who work indoors – about a glass of water per hour.

Water can be slightly salted. This will help compensate for the salt we lose in sweat. But also medicinal mineral water, which contains more than 10 grams of salt per liter, is not suitable.

To quench your thirst, the following are suitable: ordinary water, water with lemon, weakly brewed tea, natural kvass, kefir and other fermented milk drinks.

Do not drink too cold drinks. They excite the sweat glands, from which the dehydration of the body only intensifies. It’s good if the liquid is at room temperature. But a cup of hot tea will not hurt (and even help). It will induce active sweating, which immediately lowers the body temperature.

Alcohol and caffeine increase moisture loss, so avoid coffee, cola and strong black tea for hot periods.In addition, these drinks increase the stress on the heart.

When trying to drink the 3 liters recommended by doctors, do not overdo it. An excessive amount of fluid is no less harmful than a lack of it. During pregnancy, hypertension, heart failure, impaired renal function, you should even limit yourself to drinking. If your thirst won’t quench, simply rinse your mouth out with salted water.

In the morning, you can drink a little more liquid. This will help build up some headroom.And then during the day it is better to drink water in small portions and evenly.

How water affects the body during training

Exercising helps to relieve stress and keep your figure in good shape, improves blood circulation and detoxifies. Can I drink water while doing sports? Of course, even necessary! To exercise as efficiently as possible and still feel good, it is important to follow your drinking regimen.

It is especially important to drink enough water during intense exercise when the body is losing a lot of fluid.For example, when running or power loads, blood circulation is noticeably activated, the body temperature rises slightly, and moisture is removed through the sweat glands. Therefore, the main task during intense exercise is to drink enough water to make up for its loss.

In this article, we will answer the most popular questions: how, when and how much water to drink when playing sports.

How much water to drink before sports

If you’re heading to the gym or for a run, it’s best to have a 0.5 water 1-1.5 hours before class. You can drink another 200 ml of water just before your workout.

Can you drink while exercising

It is imperative to drink, but according to the number of universal recommendations, there are no universal recommendations, since the intensity of the classes is different and everyone has their own body. For example, when running on a treadmill for an hour, you can drink 1 liter of water, but in small portions. With power loads (lifting weights), you need to drink 2 sips every 10 minutes, otherwise you will feel fatigue and the training efficiency will decrease.

How much water should you drink after exercise?

Some coaches advise not to drink water immediately after class, others – on the contrary, say that after sports you can drink water in the amount required by the body.

To understand whether to drink water immediately after class, consider its functions:

• maintenance of body temperature;
• slag removal;
• transport of oxygen and nutrients;
• converting food into energy;
• improving the absorption of nutrients;
• joint softening.

Another truly unique property of water is the ability to accumulate glycogen in muscle tissues – this is a complex carbohydrate that is the main source of energy and is 75% water.

Let’s summarize. After playing sports, you can drink a little water, listening to your feelings. Usually, a large glass of water after a workout can help quench your thirst and relax your body.

What water to drink during active training

If you stick to a healthy lifestyle, it is better to choose water from wells or mineral springs.When buying, pay attention to the label on the bottle and information on the origin and composition of the water.