That Special Stuff

We take showers in it, our bodies are made up of sixty percent of it, and we don’t drink enough of it. Adequate water intake is vital to our lives. Generally speaking, we all know that we need to drink water. Water is another one of these things that a vital to leading a healthy lifestyle. Yet, most people complain about the taste of water. So we tend to use these flavor enhancers such as Mio. Though it does make water taste better, all you are actually doing is adding sugar and sodium to your water.

In my personal opinion, there is nothing healthier for you than drinking plain, cold water. I choose cold water because your body actually has to heat up (burn calories) in order to heat the water to make it usable to for our bodies. Also, as soon as you wake up, you should drink two full cups water, which is equivalent to a full bottle of water. This is actually very difficult, believe me I’ve been doing this. You almost have to train yourself to be able to take in the whole amount. The reasoning behind this is the fact that you have been sleeping, and not consuming any source of water. Similar to breakfast, drinking a fair amount of water in the morning is breaking the fast of eight hours that you went through while you were sleeping.

There are two main reasons for adequate water intake, to replenish lost fluids, and to keep bodily functions working at their peak. We lose water in a variety of ways, through urination, sweat, and even breathing! We are constantly losing water, so those fluids need to be replenished. There is an extremely simple way to tell when you need to up your water intake. Whenever you get that “thirsty” feeling, it means that you are low on fluids. Have a water bottle around to quench that thirst.

Water can also be effective in curbing appetite. For those trying to lose weight or simply cutting down on calories, drinking a cup or two of water before eating will make you eat less. Also, eating foods with high water content will make you feel satisfied much faster. Some examples of these foods are: fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, soups, and beans.

Drinking water is also the number one method in cleansing our bodies. The main toxin in our bodies is blood urea nitrogen. Our kidneys are extremely good at removing harmful toxins through our urine. Our urine color is also a huge indicator as to tell if we are getting enough fluids or not. Urine that is generally dark in color and has odor means that you aren’t getting enough water intake.

Adequate water intake is just a part of being healthy. There is no set amount as to how much water we should be drinking every day. The amount depends on our individual needs. So increase your water intake, and you will be able to feel the difference.