Our bodies comprise of many different components, of all of the
chemicals and elements that our body is comprised of though, one stands
out above the rest H2O. We are of course talking about water, our bodies
are approximately 60% water, this alone should stress the importance of
staying hydrated, if we are 60% water it would stand to reason water is
very important to the healthy function of our body.
Even though
it is staring us in the face, many people around the world do not get
enough water. Now we are not talking about the individuals that do not
have access to clean water (they want to drink water it is just not
available). We are talking about the people around the world for whom
water is readily available, and yet they choose to drink unhealthy
alternatives such as soft drinks.
Even drinks like Gatorade and
PowerAde do not yield that many health benefits for the average person
as water does. Sports drinks are packed full of electrolytes and
performance enhancing nutrients that is true. They are also packed with
preservatives and chemicals that our bodies don't need, so unless you
are an athlete (or have an illness) there is absolutely no reason to
drink them. Everything that they provide is readily available from more
natural sources and in quantities that make more sense for the average
person. Leaving out all of the negative aspects.
We have put
together a list of the various benefits of drinking water. Hopefully
some of these will strike home and help you to realize you need more H2O
in your life.
Fluid Balance - As stated we as humans are 60%
water and we need to consume between 9-16 glasses of water a day to
maintain a healthy fluid balance. This helps our body transport
nutrients better as well as keeping us feeling better.
Calorie
Control - Forget the latest diet fad, drinking a glass of water before
every meal will help you feel full. This means you will likely consume
less calories.
Muscle Fuel - When we exert physical force using
our muscles they use the water that they normally store. Drinking enough
water will help prevent cramping during a workout, and it will also
limit the amount of muscle fatigue you feel later on.
Kidney
Function - Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood every single day.
They filter out all the toxins that we take in. However, in order to
remove those toxins from out body the kidneys need to be able to make
use of water to transport the toxins to the bladder where we expel them.
Fatigue
Relief - Set the coffee down, our bodies don't "need" caffeine, it is a
drug that tricks our body into feeling more awake and energetic. You
don't need it though, drinking enough water every day will give you the
same feeling of alertness and energy.
Boosting the Immune System -
This ties back into the first point we made. Our bodies are mostly
water, so it would stand to reason the white blood cells that make up
our bodies defense against illness need water to function at their best.
Drinking enough water can be crucial to maintaining your health.
These
are but a few of the reasons we should all make sure that we drink
enough water every single day. Don't wait go grab a glass!
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