Drinking adequate Water is Essential for your health
Hope Cruz Clark, PMP, Health Coach
Certified Health Coach and 2019 Gladiator Bikini-Bodybuilder Winner over 50!
My sister passed away last year and suffered for decades with kidney failure. She was on dialysis 3-days a week due to not drinking adequate water.? Water is so important for our kidneys and our body as a whole. Water actually makes up a majority of your body weight and is involved in many important functions. This includes flushing out waste from your body, regulating your body temperature, and helping your brain function.
You get most of your water from drinking beverages, but food also contributes a small amount to your daily water intake. It’s common to hear that water is essential for your health. But why?
1. It helps create saliva
Water is a main component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. It’s essential for breaking down solid food and keeping your mouth healthy. Your body generally produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease as a result of age or certain medications or therapies. If your mouth is drier than usual and increasing your water intake isn’t helping, see your doctor.
2. It regulates your body temperature
Staying hydrated is crucial to maintaining your body temperature. Your body loses water through sweat during physical activity and in hot environments. Additionally, our bodies lose water while we sleep.?
Your sweat keeps your body cool, but your body temperature will rise if you don’t replenish the water you lose. That’s because your body loses electrolytes and plasma when it’s dehydrated. If you’re sweating more than usual, make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
3. It protects your tissues, spinal cord, and joints
Water consumption helps lubricate and cushion your joints, spinal cord, and tissues. This will help you enjoy physical activity and lessen discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis.
4. It helps excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation
Your body uses water to sweat, urinate, and have bowel movements. Sweat regulates body temperature when you’re exercising or in warm temperatures. You need water to replenish the lost fluid from sweat.
You also need enough water in your system to have healthy stool and avoid constipation.
Your kidneys are also important for filtering out waste through urination. Adequate water intake helps your kidneys work more efficiently and helps to prevent kidney stones.
5. It helps maximize physical performance
Drinking plenty of water during physical activity is essential. Athletes may perspire up to 6 to 10 percent of body weight during physical activity.
Hydration also affects your strength, power, and endurance.
?You may be more susceptible to the effects of dehydration if you’re participating in endurance training or high-intensity sports such as basketball. Negative effects of exercise in the heat without enough water can include serious medical conditions, like decreased blood pressure and hyperthermia. Extreme dehydration can cause seizures and even death. I remember being pregnant with my first child and could hold any food or liquid on my stomach. I had to go into the hospital a total of 9 times to get IV fluids to live!
6. It helps prevent constipation
Eating fiber isn’t the only way to prevent constipation. It’s also important to maintain your water intake so your bowel movements contain enough water. If you don’t consume enough water, magnesium, and fiber, you may be more likely to experience constipation. If you’re already constipated, you may find that drinking sparkling as well as plain water can help ease your symptoms.
7. It aids in digestion
Contrary to what some believe, research has shown that drinking water before and after a meal will help your body break down the food you eat more easily. This will help you digest food more effectively and get the most out of your meals.? Research shows the body adapts to changes in the consistency of food and stomach contents, whether more solid or more liquid. Try not to drink water during meals, especially cold water because it hurts your digestive system. Instead, drink hot or room temperature if you absolutely need to drink water with your meal.
8. It helps with nutrient absorption
In addition to helping with food breakdown, water also helps dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from your food. It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.
9. It helps you lose weight
Studies have linked body fat and weight loss with drinking water in both overweight girls and women. Drinking more water while dieting and exercising may just help you lose extra pounds.
10. It improves blood oxygen circulation
Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to your entire body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health. You should drink atleast half your bodyweight of water in ounces.? Ex: if you are 200 pounds, you need to drink 100 ounces and even more if you exercise.
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11. It helps fight off illness
Drinking enough water can help prevent certain medical conditions.? These include:??
I was in my teens and didn’t drink enough water.? I remember trying to urinate and it felt like my insides were going to drop out. It was one of the most painful feelings in my life. I had a urinary tract infection and since then I drink only water with the exception of a cup of tea or coffee. ? I went cold turkey not drinking sodas and that has been over 35 years.
Water also helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy.
12. It helps boost energy
Drinking water may activate your metabolism. A boost in metabolism has been associated with a positive impact on energy level. One study found that drinking 500 milliliters of water boosted the metabolic rate by 30 percent in both men and women. These effects appeared to last over an hour.
13. It aids in cognitive function
Proper hydration is key to staying in tip-top cognitive shape. Research? indicates that not drinking enough water can negatively impact your focus, alertness, and short-term memory.
14. It helps improve mood
Not getting enough water can also affect your mood. Dehydration may result in fatigue and confusion as well as anxiety.
15. It helps keep skin bright
Adequate water intake will help keep your skin hydrated and may promote collagen production. However, water intake alone isn’t enough to reduce the effects of aging. This process is also connected to your genes and overall sun protection.
16. It prevents overall dehydration
Dehydration is the result of your body not having enough water. And because water is imperative to so many bodily functions, dehydration can be very dangerous.
Severe dehydration can result in a number of severe complications, including:
Make sure you drink enough water to make up for what’s lost through sweat, urination, and bowel movements to avoid dehydration.
I teach the 5 foundations for good Health:
1) Nutrition
2) Water Intake
3) Exercise
4) Stress Management
5) Sleep
Contact me if you need my help. I offer a 30 minutes complimentary call. I have several health and fitness programs going on now and have amazing health products. Let's connect and make sure you follow me on Instagram @Mshopeann
Be well and stay safe, Health Coach Hope