Water is essential for health
Staying hydrated is very important for healthy body functions. Water can:
- Lubricate joints
- Prevent headaches
- Cushion the brain and spinal cord
- Regulate body temperature
- Deliver oxygen through the body
- Aid in digestion
- Help prevent kidney stones
Drinking water is the best method to replenish lost stores; however, we can obtain water through the food that we eat as well. Many fruits and vegetables are great sources of water. Some of the foods with the highest water content are:
- cucumbers
- lettuce
- celery
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- apples
- watermelon
- peaches
Combining several of the foods listed above into a salad is an excellent way to increase water consumption.
So, how much water should we drink in a day? According to the Institute of Medicine, men should consume 13 cups of water per day and women should intake 9 cups of water. A rule of thumb I like to use for the amount of water to drink is half your weight in ounces. These totals include both food and drink. It is difficult to know how much water we take in through food. Fitness apps such as Cronometer can estimate your total water intake based on your food entries. The most important part is not to obsess over the amount but to just make sure you are drinking water.
A few tips to help encourage your water intake are to fill a large bottle or cup and keep it near you all day, add fresh lemon or lime, add fresh mint leaves or cucumber. All of these can help improve hydration and make drinking water more palatable without the addition of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Drinking lemon in your water has some additional benefits. Any of the citrus fruits will give you a boost of vitamin C. Lemon water helps to prevent kidney stone formation and possibly break up small stones. Lemons can be added to both warm and cold water. Steeping lemons and ginger in warm water aids in digestion and helps decrease bloating. For this reason, it can be an excellent option for an evening drink to help with digestion.
Have you ever felt dizzy, really thirsty, and fatigued when out in the sun on a summer day? These are all signs of dehydration. Lack of proper water intake can lead to dehydration. When you are in the heat, working hard, exercising or sweating a lot you need to increase your water intake. Electrolyte drinks are important in these situations as well. Dehydration can lead to many health problems that can be life threatening.
Our bodies are 60% water and our blood is 90% water. These numbers show the importance of drinking water to maintain our health. Nearly all of the functions and processes in our body use water. So try one of tips that I mentioned to help with your water consumption and lets get on the track to a healthy life.