Our bodies are made up of over 75% water, and as we are all aware of, we cannot live without water. In fact, we can’t survive longer than 3 days without drinking water. Lately, water has been replaced with other beverages including soft drinks and other sweetened drinks. It is important to keep water as your main beverage choice, as it is always the healthiest option and a necessity for longevity.
Everyone’s personal needs for water intake can vary due to factors such as exercise, weight, and temperature. Research shows that over 2/3rds of adults do not drink enough water, on a daily basis. When you drink water you are keeping your body hydrated and replenishing it, which keeps it functioning as it should.
A majority of us wait until we are thirsty before we decide to take a sip of water, but ‘being thirsty’ isn’t a way to gauge how much water your body needs. By the time you start feeling thirsty, your body has lost two or more cups of your body’s water supply. Drink water all day long, instead of when you feel thirsty.
It is also important that you are not substituting water with beverages with alcohol, or caffeine. These types of drinks act as a diuretic, with cause increased urination, resulting in your body holding on to less water. You may think and feel as if you are getting more water through
these beverages, although the fact is that you are letting it go almost as fast as you consume it.
Anytime you are engaging in physical activity or exercise, you need to increase your water intake. Due to perspiration, your body will lose quite a bit of water. For each pound lost due to exercise, you need to drink at least two cups of water.
Even when you lay down in the end of the night to go to sleep, your body loses water. By drinking a glass or more of water before you go to sleep, you can wake up with your body functioning as it should be.
When you are feeling sick, you’ll need to consume more water than normal. When you have a cold or the flu, your body can become dehydrated very quickly. You can help to prevent
this by drinking more water. The water also helps to flush out toxins from your system.
Always make it a habit to drink water on a daily basis. You should keep a bottle of water with you
at all times and drink it throughout the day. You should also teach yourself to drink water instead
of other beverages that don’t replenish the nutrients your body needs.
