Do want to know the secret of many celebrities for their youthful looks? Many celebrities such as Elle McPherson and Miranda Kerr drink plenty of water to vitalise their skin.
Water is a substance that is vital to life. All living organisms need water to survive. Your body is made up of about 70% water. You have to keep replenishing that water daily to maintain healthy functioning of the body. Adults can survive weeks without food but only a few days without water. When a person becomes 10% dehydrated or more they will fall into a coma and eventually die. Water is essential to life.
The health benefits of water are numerous:
* Aids digestion.
* Is a transport medium for nutrients, such as vitamin B and C, calcium, magnesium and potassium to be absorbed. These nutrients are needed for muscle functioning and energy.
* Prevents constipation.
* Regulates the body temperature through sweating and perspiration.
* Aids the health of mucous membranes by keeping them moist.
* Helps to prevent cystitis.
* Aids in the removal of toxins from the body.
* Helps skin health and vitality through the moisturising effect as well as toxin removal.
* Helps to prevent cellulite appearance.
* Appetite suppressant when drunk throughout the day.
* Lubricates joints and removes lactic acid build up in the muscles.
* Can help to prevent kidney stones.
* Essential in pregnancy to aid the amniotic sac to protect the fetus.
* Essential in breastfeeding to help milk production and supply vital fluid to the baby.
Now you are asking “How much water do I need?” The average adult needs about 2 – 2.5 litres of water per day. This amount can increase with certain conditions. The requirement is based upon how much water is lost in a day. Hot weather and light exercise can increase your requirements by 1L and heavy prolonged exercise can increase your requirements by another 3L per day. Pregnancy, high fibre diets, and high protein diets also increase your water requirements.
The body can tell you when you are becoming dehydrated. Thirst is not a reliable indicator to drink water, because it is not sensitive enough and during exercise it does not generally occur. Once you are thirsty you are already partially dehydrated. Urine is another indicator of hydration. If a person is adequately hydrated then they can urinate several times per day with a clear colour. When dehydration occurs urine becomes dark yellow and can have a strong odour.
Coffee, tea, commercial juices, cordials, soft drinks and alcohol do not constitute water. These drinks can contribute to dehydration.
The water that you drink needs to be pure. Use a filtration device to filter your water. It can be one that you attach to your sink tap or one that sits in your fridge door or on your kitchen bench. Filtered water is free from impurities and proactive in your health and vitality. Do yourself a favour treat yourself to a filter jug and let your body thank you for it in the years to come.
