The importance of water.
The excess of the Christmas and New Year are long behind us, how are you feeling, do you still feel sluggish, have you suffered aches and pains in your joints, headaches, dry skin?
The toxic build up in our bodies when we consume too much sugar, carbs and alcohol can give us those feelings and if we have not upped our water intake it will take longer for the body to sort itself out.
Water makes up about the same percentage of our bodies as it does of our planet 70%. And, since our bodies are continually using water, a conscious effort to maintain hydration by replacing lost water is vitally important.
Because water is needed for virtually every biological process, chemical reaction and mechanical action that takes place in the body, it is crucial to mental and physical performance. As a major component of the blood, water is the delivery system that gets oxygen to each cell of the body. Within the lymphatic system, water carries away waste products as well. It ionizes salts, producing electrolytes necessary for electrical activity across the cell membranes. It enables us to move our joints and digest our food. Water is essential for the proper use of protein in the body and for the development of the nerve network during learning.
Even mild dehydration can lead to constipation, headaches, lethargy and mental confusion, while increasing the risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.
There are many other health problems resulting from chronic low-level dehydration including: Gastric ulcers, asthma and allergies, joint pain, plus many more.
Tea, coffee, sugary drinks and juice can dehydrate the body and disrupt your blood sugar balance and some can rob the body of minerals. If you have a diet high in carbohydrates and highly processed foods they require a lot of water to be digested and can increase dehydration. By the time we feel thirsty our body is already dehydrated.
If you are trying to loose those extra pounds after the xmas and winter season additional water is required for the body to burn off the fat. If you are increasing your exercise as well it is very important to re-hydrate well after each session, if you don’t, it can take up to 24 hours after each work out to return to proper hydration levels. Sport nutritionist have found that 3% loss of body water results in 8% loss in muscle strength.
On a typical day, 2.5 to 3 litres of water are lost by the body. If you exercise for an hour, that could add up to another litre.
With just 1% of body fluids lost body temperature goes up and concentration becomes difficult. The thirst mechanism kicks in when we’ve lost between 1 – 2% of body water. However this thirst mechanism is often mistaken for hunger – if we ignore it or mistake it for hunger dehydration can continue to around 3%, where it seriously affects both mental and physical performance.
THEREFORE OUR MINIMAL INTAKE OF WATER SHOULD BE AT LEAST 1 LITRE IDEALLY 2 LITRES PER DAY.
So make 2020 the year you are fully hydrated improving your brain and body functions, feel brighter, look brighter, move better.
28th January 2020
Linda Hornsby MBRCP, ATA, DOC
Amatsu Therapist & NLP Master Practitioner
Hornsby Clinics at Beehive Healthcare, Chester
