There is no replacement for a simple glass of water. The sparkling liquid helps lose weight, avoid infections and gives you glowing skin
Some nutritionists insist that 80 per cent of the country is walking around dehydrated. We drink too much coffee, tea and sodas containing caffeine, which prompts the body to lose water.
More troubling is that fact that when we are dehydrated, we don’t know what to drink. The answer is simple: drink water.
Water is pure liquid refreshment and accounts for a large percentage of what makes each of us “human”. The average 150 lbs (68kg) adult body contains 40 to 50 quarts of water.
Almost two thirds of our body weight is “water weight”: Blood is 83 per cent water, muscles are 75 per cent, brain is 74 per cent, bones are 22 per cent.
Water is critical for digesting and absorbing vitamins and nutrients. It also detoxifies the liver and kidneys, and carries away waste from the body.
And when it comes to digestion, it’s just can’t happen without water. Fibre alone cannot aid proper digestive function.
In fact, without water as its partner, good fibre goes bad, causing constipation and extreme discomfort.
If you’re dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker and your body has to work much harder to cause it to circulate.
As a result, the brain becomes less active, it becomes hard to concentrate, your body feels fatigued and you just “poop out”.
Water, the miracle worker
Simple water — when it’s pure and free of contaminants — is truly a “wonder drug”. Without chemicals, additives or anything unnatural, a steady dose of eight glasses of water a day will:
- Boost your energy levels
- Increase your mental and physical performance
- Remove toxins and waste products from your body
- Keep skin healthy and glowing
- Help you lose weight
- Reduce headaches and dizziness
- Allow for proper digestion
- Help to keep you more alkaline
Get drinking to lose weight
Water is a natural appetite suppressant, so developing a good water-drinking habit can be a long-term aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Most times, the “hunger” you experience is your body asking for water, not food.
It’s also important to remember that when the body is dehydrated, fat cells get “rubbery” and cannot be easily metabolised — hence it’s harder to lose fat when you don’t drink water.
Who can benefit from a water regimen?
Everyone, including you. Water is especially important for pregnant women and nursing mothers. For athletes and workout fanatics, drinking water reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance.
And since water reduces body temperature, it makes the whole exercise process safer and more effective. Even mild dehydration makes you more susceptible to viruses.
When your body is hydrated, drainage from allergies and colds doesn’t stick and collect in your throat and lungs, and your cough is more “productive”.
Even cold sores that appear on the lips are minimised by drinking water because those eruptions tend to favour dry areas on the body.
Tips for drinking water
I know how hard it can be to remember to drink enough water every day, but I also know how hard it can be to bounce back from the effects of being even mildly dehydrated. So here’s a few easy tips to help you reach your “water mark” every day:
- You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Help your body flush out the toxins it has been processing all night and take advantage of this thirst to get a leg up on your daily water requirements by drinking a glass of water.
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to have a drink — you are already dehydrated if you feel thirsty.
- Set a timer to remind yourself to cultivate a habit of drinking water and keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
- Compensate for diuretics —thieves that steal water from your body. If you drink coffee, tea or sodas with caffeine, you’ll need to drink a few extra glasses of water to make up for the water that these diuretic beverages “leech” from your system.
Here are ten specific reasons to switch to water:
Keeps headaches at bay
Three quarters of your brain is water, so if you need a top-up, this is one of the first places that will feel it.
If your headache is caused by alcohol, then drinking lots of water — particularly before bed — will help get rid of it by flushing out toxins and rehydrating the brain.
Reduces infections
The lymphatic system is your waste disposal system, breaking down toxins such as caffeine before passing them into the blood stream.
Dehydration weakens the flow of lymph in the system and makes the body less resistant to infection. With water, lymph flows properly again, fighting infection and lowering feverish temperatures.
Gives you better skin
Skin needs water for elasticity, so too little water leaves it looking dry, lined and feeling delicate.
Improves concentration
Your body needs water to help flush out poisons from things such as junk food and additives.
If you are dehydrated, toxins hang around in the liver, making you tired and unable to concentrate. Water swills the poisons out and gets the system moving again.
Banishes bags
Sunken eyes and under eye circles are signs that you need water. Eyes sink because there isn’t enough water to keep them suspended in the eye socket.
Under-eye circles are due to thin skin being bruised as fluid drains away.
Stops cramp
Blood transports oxygen to the muscles for activities such as exercise. If there isn’t enough oxygen in the blood, the muscles create lactic acid, which causes painful cramp.
Drinking more water helps to keep blood pumped with oxygen.
Reduces cystitis incidence
A healthy hydrated body removes waste through light yellow, virtually odourless urine.
But if you are not drinking enough, you will produce a darker urine which is highly concentrated and which means waste products linger in the bladder, leaving you prone to cystitis and kidney infections.
Keeps bowels healthy
Without water, the contents of the colon (lower intestine) can dry out and get stuck, eventually causing diverticulitis.
Constipation can also be a problem because water is needed to bulk out faeces.
Prevents fluid retention
When you are feeling puffy as women often do before a period, drinking water isn’t your immediate thought. But it’s the best treatment for reducing fluid retention.
Keeps your breath sweet
Bad breath is a classic sign that you need to boost your water intake. Saliva helps cleanse the teeth of bacteria and keeps the tongue hydrated.
Here are some fabulous water-based drinks that will replenish your systems:
Grapefruit and lime morning energiser
- Juice of one grapefruit
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tsp of honey
- 1 glass chilled water
- Ice
Pour everything into a blender and give it a good whiz. Have a glass first thing in the morning, whether you are a breakfast person or not.
Mint and ginger digestive tonic
- A few sprigs of fresh mint leaves
- Crushed pieces of fresh ginger
- A few drops of lemon juice
- Lots of ice
- Chilled water
Crush the mint leaves using a bowl and the back of a spoon. Wash and crush the ginger using a rolling pin.
Place them in a pitcher or a flask, pour the lemon juice on and add the ice. Shake it all up and then add the chilled water.
Watermelon reviver
- 6 big slices of watermelon
- A few drops of lime juice
- A shake of ground black pepper
- Ice
Place all the ingredients in a blender and give it a good whisk until the ice is crushed.
You don’t really need to add water to this mixture as the watermelon contains a lot of water. Pour into a tall glass, sit back and enjoy.
