Water - are you drinking enough?

One of the easiest and most beneficial things we can do for our health is drink more water. Water is the most vital nutrient necessary to maintain good health. Our bodies are estimated to be about 60 to 70% water and it is an essential nutrient that is involved in every function of the body. Blood is mostly water, and our muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Water is needed to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs. Water also transports oxygen to our cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs. Water is not only vital to maintaining life but also affects physical and mental performance.

So, as water is so good for us, you would think that we’d all be swallowing it down by the litre. It’s calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained. Yet few people follow the old fashioned advice to drink a minimum of eight large glasses of pure water a day. Your body has several different ways of telling you when it needs more water. Most people drink when they are thirsty but the beverage of choice tends to be some drink other than water: coffee, tea, fizzy soft drinks, or alcohol, none of which re-hydrate the body and often contain sugar, caffeine, tannin, and chemicals such as aspartame. In fact they have the opposite effect of dehydrating us and only increase our requirement for water.

Thirst, however, is a late signal. The body probably needed more water before you became thirsty. Already at this point the body is mildly dehydrated, which can cause symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, difficulty concentrating, a feeling of hunger therefore eating more, and a general feeling of grogginess. Left unchecked, more serious consequences of dehydration include constipation, difficulty in regulating body temperature causing overheating, malfunctioning of the kidneys causing toxins and waste to back-up in the body, itchy and dry skin, and loss of muscle tone.

The body must continuously be in a proper state of hydration. Because 2.5 litres of water are lost each day through normal bodily functions – urine, skin, lungs, and bowels - this must be replaced. About half of our water loss can be replaced from the water content in our food in particular from fruit and vegetables. In addition to a healthy diet a person should be consuming at least 1½ to 2 litres of pure, preferably non-carbonated, water per day depending on size and activity levels.

Obviously, drinking water during exercise is particularly important as it reduces cardiovascular stress, improves performance and reduces body temperature, making the whole exercise process safer. But it’s not just exercise that robs the body of water. Drinking alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee and coke, eating salty and processed foods, central heating and air conditioning systems, working with computers, driving, flying, and hot weather, all increase the need for water and we should take care to up our water intake when necessary.

It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. It becomes a question of habit. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, travelling, at home or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavour. Just think of the benefit it is having on your health and well being and it wont become a chore.

I am a qualified nutritional therapist with my own practice in Biot. I am passionate about all aspects of natural health and will work with you to fnd the best régime to suit your lifestyle. I hope these pages will be of some help to you and you can always contact me for a personal consultation. If you are a registered member you can also see my Workshop entry here on The Riviera Woman. To make an appointment please call +33 (0)6 08 77 81 58 or go to www.nutritionaltherapy.biz