Are you drinking enough water? If you're not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness even water-retention problems. As you know, up to 75% of your body weight is water. Water plays a role in every process occurring in your body, right down to the cell level. We can go without eating for a month or more and still survive, but death is almost certain within a matter of days without water.
Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.
When a person stops drinking water or doesn't drink enough, they can become dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include dry and sticky mouth, sunken eyes, not producing enough tears, little to no urine output and lethargy, according to the National Institutes of Health. People who don't drink enough water may also develop low blood pressure and a rapid heart rate.
The body cannot survive without water. Water consumption helps the body breathe, because it moistens the lungs. Lung functions can use up to a pint of water every day, decreasing the body's moisture through exhalation. When that liquid isn't replaced, it makes it difficult to breathe. People who don't drink enough fluids can also gain excess body fat, have poor muscle tone and a decreased ability to digest food.
Drinking water is important if you're trying to lose weight, some studies have shown that thirst and hunger sensations are triggered together. If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid. As most food contains some water, if one doesn't drink much they may be subconsciously driven to eat more to gain the necessary water supply however, you also gain the undesired effects of increased calorie consumption. Drinking more water can help to prevent overeating and benefit weight loss.
While water is very important for your health, there are some times when drinking too much water can be a problem:
If you have any kidney or adrenal problems, or your doctor has you taking diuretics, you need to consult with your doctor about how much water to drink each day
Don't drink all of the water you need per day all at once. Divide the amount you need and drink several glasses of water throughout the day. This is especially important if you engage in lots of heavy exercise.
For the average person experts suggest getting at least 64 ounces of water daily or eight 8-ounce glasses. If you are on a diet to lose weight it is more important to consume more and keep drinking water throughout the day, unless you have any medical condition that doesn't allow much water intake. A good guide for daily intake is to drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight. A 200 pound person should be drinking around 100 ounces (12.5 cups) of water in order the gain the benefits of increased energy and metabolism.
Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening. You may wonder if I drink this much, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom? Yes. But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts. And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.
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