Water is key to survival. The human body needs to consume significant amount of water to perform many essential functions and maintain a good health daily.
The cartilage in the joints and discs of the body is made up of 80% of water and it needs frequent water to lubricate.
Water delivers oxygen throughout the body as more than 90% of the human blood is made up of water.
The body temperature needs water to be moderated, the brain cells need frequent water supply to focus on tasks and finish them effectively.
Frequent drinking water habits slows the ageing process.
Water also aids digestion and body detoxification.
The body is made up of water
Around 60% of the adult human is made up of water. 78% of a baby’s body is made up of water.
The human blood is 90% water. The brain and heart is composed of 73% water, the skin contains 84% water, 79% for muscles and kidneys, and the bones are 31% water.
Water Weight
As a result of the body’s composition of water, the body can sometimes hold more water (water elements) than it should.
Water weight is usually caused by pregnancy, malnutrition, inactive lifestyle, contraceptive pills, heart and kidney conditions, food choices and menstrual cycle.
This extra water in the body leads to bloating and additional weight. Hence, making water loss, the first phase of weight loss.
Cutting off water weight in the body can be achieved by reducing carbohydrate intake, reducing salt intake, exercising and taking water pills.
Effects of Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body loses or uses more fluids than it takes in.
Our body is constantly losing water. We lose water when we breathe, we lose water when we perspire and we lose water from body wastes.
Under extreme conditions, an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour.
When an individual becomes dehydrated, his body does not perform optimally and the more the dehydration extends, the dire the consequences. Dehydration can lead to heat injury, urinary and kidney problems, seizures, life-threatening low blood volume shock and eventually death.
For many people, the right time to drink water is when they are thirsty. But thirst is not always a reliable sign that you need water, you may long need water before thirst begins.
How do I drink more water?
A lot of people already understand the importance of drinking sufficient water daily (about 91 ounces of water per day is recommended for women while men should get 125 ounces per day), but the big challenge is how to push themselves to drink more water even when they don’t get thirsty.
- You can drink more water by getting a reusable water bottle that you take around and constantly replace water.
- You can also set reminders at certain intervals to drink water. For example, you take a few sips every 30 minutes or every one hour at work.
- Replace soda and fruit juices with water.
- Make it a habit to drink one glass of water before every meal.
- Another reason why many people do not drink enough water is that the tasteless and bland nature of water makes water drinking boring. The solution to this is to flavour your water. Add slices of fruits, cucumber, lemon and strawberry to your water.
- Eat more food rich in water like cucumber, pineapple, zucchini, cabbage, watermelon and many more.
- Drink a glass of water before bed and after you wake.
How do you know when you are dehydrated? Share in the comments.
