About 60 percent of an average adult human’s body is composed of water. It aids in several bodily functions like flushing out toxins and carrying nutrients into cells, among others. That is why it is essential to keep our bodies hydrated at all times. This is more so since the body loses fluids through perspiration, urination and defecation.
How Much Water Should We Drink Everyday
We’re all familiar with the advice to drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water daily. But this isn’t really an accurate figure and the amount of water you need actually depends on your body size. The formula is this: for every 40 lbs or 18 kilos in body weight, you are supposed to drink 1 litre or about 33 ounces of water.
The Institute of Medicine found out that the average man needs about 3 liters of water per day while women need an average intake of 2.2 liters of water.
Beauty Benefits of Water
Our skin also needs water to stay moisturized. The best way to do this aside from applying topical creams and serums is to hydrate from within! Drinking the recommended amount of water can help prevent dehydration, which in turn makes your skin dry and prone to wrinkles. In the same way, parched and chapped lips may also be remedied by proper hydration.
Water for Weight Loss
Water by itself is not a miraculous drink that makes you lose pounds. But, it is a great alternative to other beverages or refreshments with high sugar or calorie content. If you drink a can of soda every mealtime and replace this with water, you’re expected to get rid of that stubborn weight just by implementing a simple change. Foods rich in water content, such as fruits and vegetables are also healthier snack alternatives.
Water for More Energy
When cells don’t maintain an optimum level of fluids, this can result into muscle fatigue. Even a 5% drop in body fluids will result into a decrease of 25 to 30 percent of energy in most people. This probably explains the bolt of energy you get after drinking a glass of water!
If you plan on engaging in activities which will cause you to perspire more, you are recommended to drink more water than usual. The American College of Sports Medicine advises a 17 ounce water intake 2 hours before exercise. During exercise, water should be consumed as early and as frequent as possible.
Water Aids Detoxification
The main toxin in the human body is blood urea nitrogen, which passes through the kidney and exits through urination. As long as your water intake is fine, your kidneys do a good job of filtering out these toxins. Adequate hydration is also required in the gastrointestinal tract to aid digestion and prevent constipation.
Hydration is highly essential to the human body. If you’re not drinking enough – try this: keep a water bottle with you at all times, marked with ‘time stamps’ so you’re reminded to drink every hour. If you don’t like the taste of water, infuse it with your favorite fruits and vegetables like lemon and cucumber wedges.
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