Perhaps the most important advice concerning diet and your health, we have to give you, has to do with water. Water is the most essential nutrient and your body can not live without it. Second only to oxygen, in importance to your health, just a few days without water can be fatal. Water makes up about 75% of the body. Every cell is regulated, monitored and dependent on an efficient amount of water. Water serves as a pathway for every nutrient, transporting essential minerals, vitamins, proteins, salts, and sugars throughout the body, for your good health.
On the most basic level, water serves two important functions: hydration and cleansing. But, water is also an essential component for many of your body's chemical reactions. When your body gets enough water it works at its peak! Water maintains your body’s equilibrium and temperature, lubricates tissues, flushes wastes and toxins, moisturizes skin, and acts as a shock absorber for joints, bones and muscles. Next time your joints or muscles are feeling sore try drinking more water. The results may surprise you. When you get enough water, fluid retention decreases, gland and hormone functions improve, the liver breaks down and releases more fat, and hunger is curtailed.
Water serves as your primary cleaning agent for flushing toxins out of the body, that we take in, from the foods we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. So to stay healthy, “Longevity” suggests drinking half your body weight in ounces of quality filtered, chlorine-free water daily. If you follow this advice, you will most likely find that your skin will start to look and feel better, you will have more energy and be more alert, your immune system improves, and metabolism speeds up.
Common signs that you might not be getting enough water include:
- unexplained headaches, usually with some dizziness and fatigue
- unexplained irritability, impatience, restlessness and difficulty sleeping
- unusually dry skin and loss of appetite along with constipation
- dull back pain that is not relieved by rest
- unexplained weight gain and swollen hands and or feet (from water retention)
- mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may by associated to dehydration
- allergy and asthma reactions, which can be minimized by increasing water intake
Increasing your water intake can have you well on your way to achieving your health and fitness goals, but you may have found this difficult in the past, or you may not like the way water tastes. If so, try adding fresh lemon, lime, or a sprig of mint to your water. On hot days or when you are exercising, your needs for water are greater, so at those times, it is important to have water with you. Keeping a water bottle at your desk or when traveling helps, as well. Remember lifestyle changes take time, and increasing your water intake needs to be done in a progressive manner so your body can comfortably adapt.
When you are consuming a sufficient amount of water, you will find that drinking water is the most essential component of achieving good health, wellbeing, and longevity.
References
Chek, P. (2007). The Last four Doctors You'll Ever Need How to Get Healthy Now! Retrieved January 5, 2008, from PPS Success Web site: http://thelastfourdoctors.com
Page, Ph.D., L. (2006). Linda Page's 12th Edition Healthy Healing, a Guide to self Healing for Everyone. : Healthy Healing, Inc.
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