150620 Water, the essence of life

150620 Water, the essence of life
Keeping your body well hydrated throughout the day is the key to staying healthy. Water predominates and regulates basic cellular functions in all of our organs. Some scientists estimate that it makes up 70% of the body. Are you getting enough water to keep yourself strong and healthy?

This critical ingredient to life helps to remove the left over waste products that result from living as it washes and flushes them away. Not only does it transport the waste away it brings in nutrients that make the cells grow.

Drinking enough water each day will increase your ability to digest the food you eat and perhaps even lower blood pressure. It helps to regulate your body’s temperature control mechanism regardless of whether the environment is hot or cold. Some believe that being well hydrated decreases stress and lessens the effects of depression for some people.

For those who are trying to lose weight, filling their stomachs with an adequate supply of water quenches their appetite while at the same time metabolizing the fat in the body.

Many people have also found they are less constipated and irritable if they’ve had the right amount of water during the day. If your urine looks like pale lemonade or nearly clear then you are getting enough for that particular time.

However if you are about to participate in a sporting activity then you need to add more fluids to your pre-meet contest in order to stay hydrated. Not only before but during the contest your body will require water or a sports drink to keep the electrolytes in the proper balance for optimum performance.

You’ll know if you’re not getting enough water because your urine will be the color of apple juice. When it’s this color it’s time to get more healthy fluids into the system or your mental and physical capabilities will deteriorate.

Water helps lower blood viscosity making it flow easier within the circulatory system by not being so thick and gooey. It can also help reduce those low grade headaches many people get during the day. Chances are pretty fair this is caused by a lack of enough water and simply getting a drink or two will decrease the headache.

Too much water on the other hand can be life threatening due to the effects it has on the sodium balance at the cellular levels. Although not a common occurrence hyponatremia must be a consideration if someone has engaged in a lengthy endurance event or has taken in a high quantity of water. Symptoms of hyponatremia include headache, muscle cramps, alterations in their mental state and a dullness of thinking abilities. Coma followed by death is a distinct possibility for an athlete or person suffering from hyponatremia without medical intervention.

Medical care is essential if they are to survive the incident. The symptoms in some cases resemble those of dehydration. However what the hyponatremia victim needs is not more water but a concentration of essential salts and electrolytes in order to survive.

Summary

Drink enough to keep your urine clear or a pale yellow. Once you notice you’re thirsty you are already behind the hydration curve because thirst is a slow indicator of the correct amount of fluids in your body.