WATER IS THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL NUTRIENT
Water offers so many health benefits. Drinking water will help mental clarity, blood flow, energy levels, feeling full as well as digestion and elimination. Getting enough H2O doesn’t just help you regulate how much you eat — it helps you digest and metabolize more efficiently too. Water allows your kidneys to function properly. It helps flush out toxins and prevent kidney stones. It also contributes to your metabolism and prevents constipation.
The human brain is composed of 95% water. Your blood is 82% water, the lungs are nearly 90% water. Water is also the single most critical nutrient for health, growth, and development. It is not only the most important nutrient in the body, but also the most abundant. It is critical to the balance of all the body’s systems, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and muscles.
A 2% drop in body hydration can cause a small amount of shrinkage of the brain, which can impair your coordination, decrease concentration, and give you that brain fog. Dehydration can also reduce endurance, decrease strength, cause cramping, and slow muscular response. Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.
The general rule of thumb is to drink 8 – 12 glasses of water per day. There are other theories about how much to drink. There are several factors to consider, your size and weight, your activity level and the weather. It has been recommended to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, that would be 75 to 150 ounces per day. When the temperatures are warmer or we are exercising, we need more.
Strategies to drink more Water …
- Bottles and Glasses and Cups … Oh my! Put them EVERYWHERE : )
- Make a pot of herbal tea and sip all day
- Eat lots of soups
- Drink shakes
- Replace your sodas with flavoured water or teas