Health & fitness: This drink of choice will keep your toes tapping
Is it just me or has water gone completely
insane?
Bottled water, designer bottled water, vitamin-
enriched water, fruity water, fitness
water, sparkling water, seltzer water, spring
water, distilled water, mineral water, pods
of water… the list goes on and on. Whew.
What will they sell us next, extra-wet
water? Mind you, all of these convenient
waters range from $0.16 a bottle if you by it on sale and in
a pack of 24 to $1.49 for a single 16 oz. bottle.
Well here are the simple facts as far as I can gather.
Barring any chronic illness, heart failure, kidney problems
or some sort of fluid restriction (remember your doctor
knows you best), water is good for you … actually it’s
great for you. It ranks right up there with the few vital
functions of life … breathing, blood flow, reading (maybe
that’s just me).
Your body can survive for a surprisingly long time without
food, a few weeks or more due to the amount of stored
proteins and fats. (Boy, we all know about those stored
fats don’t we?)
Water is a different story altogether. TWO TO THREE
DAYS WITHOUT WATER CAN BE FATAL.
Of course when going without water, you have to take
into account a few factors such as climate and general
health, but roughly two to three days without water is a
life-threatening situation.
Now, thank the good Lord we don’t live in a society
whose water rations are that scarce – pray for those who
do.
In the weight-loss arena, several studies have shown that
water, at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water (simple – possibly
filtered – tap water) will promote weight loss. (Excuse
me for a second while I visit the ladies room!)
In a complicated kidney/liver relationship, if you are
depriving yourself of water each day, your metabolism
will slow down. It has to do with the way fats are metabolized
and stored and the way your liver and kidneys work
in non-optimal hydration states.
Remember, fat is one of the liver’s priorities, but if it’s
also trying to compensate for those slackers – the kidneys
– when your body isn’t adequately hydrated, fats won’t be
metabolized and excreted properly.
Needless to say, drinking the proper and recommended
amounts of water will increase or normalize our sluggish
metabolism.
While researching I read a good tip: Try to drink two
full glasses of water with each meal and then you only
have to fill in with two more glasses per day. That doesn’t
sound too difficult does it?
I should fill you in on something else I learned: For
every 25 pounds that you are overweight, add another 8-
ounce glass of water. Ok, I know – that’s more difficult,
but actually, it seems that we will be amazed with the
results.
Oh, and don’t forget that for every caffeinated
beverage you drink, you need to replace it
with – yes you guessed it – eight ounces of
water! (Caffeine acts as a diuretic which,
simply put, pulls more fluid from your body.)
Now, I just have to mention the bathroom
thing.
Let’s agree that drinking all this water will in
fact give our metabolism a kick, but perhaps
that’s because we’re CONSTANTLY RUNNING TO
THE BATHROOM!
From what I’ve learned, this is a short-term reaction to
the new, adequate hydration. This hydration process will
release old, stored fluids in the form of, well, you know
what. The experts say to give it time and once your body
has adjusted to its new level of healthy hydration, the frequency
of the bathroom trips will reduce. You’ll still go of
course, but just not so frequently.
Please remember that water is not just good for weight
loss.
Proper water consumption is being researched and
linked to everything from clear, wrinkle-free skin to
decreasing the risks of certain types of cancer and from
improved memory to healthier pain-free joints. Also
remember that if you feel thirsty, you are already somewhat
dehydrated.
There are still many factors to consider – iced versus
room temperature, flavored versus plain (check the calories),
bottled water versus well water versus filtered water
versus plain tap water.
The choice is yours so just choose your poison … er …
well, choose your water any way and drink up!
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