Water: How much to drink in a day?

Water: How much to drink in a day? Did you know that our body is made up of a significant portion of water? Scientists estimate that water makes up about 55-60 percent of an adults body weight… Our body is dependent on water for many physiological functions. This includes cellular metabolism, which increases how we burn calories.

Water also a makes up a significant portion of blood and plasma. It helps reduce viscosity or stickiness and helps it travel the body much more easily. Water assists with how we remove waste and toxins from our bodies as well. If we do not get enough in our system we cannot efficiently reduce the toxic load on our system…

So many biological and chemical functions go on in our bodies that require water to run at optimal levels. If we are not hydrating our bodies like we need to then we are essentially drying ourselves out. Without proper hydration we are prematurely aging ourselves. We are becoming more like an old raisin and less like a plump and young grape! So… how much water do we drink a day?

Are you drying yourself out?

Are you aging more rapidly than nature intended?

Here is what you can do to optimize your hydration and put the brakes on the aging process:

1. Get 8 glasses a day! This is critical for us to simply to look after basic biological and chemical functions that go on in the body. It is also important to note that you want to spread this throughout the day. It is much better to sip on water throughout the day then try to get it in by downing 4 glasses at once.
2. Choose fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables are naturally full of water and they also are rich in vitamins, nutrients and anti-oxidants. Try to always choose organic varieties of fruits and veggies to reduce the amount of toxins that enter our bodies.
3. If you exercise you need to up your water consumption even further. Depending on how much you perspire, the rough estimate is that for every 30 minutes of activity you should consume an extra 8 ounce glass of water.
4. What about Alcohol? Alcohol – such as beer and wine – and caffeinated beverages – such as coffee, tea or soda – often have a drying effect on your system so it recommended that we limit these beverages. If you do drink these beverages it is important to increase our water consumption to limit the drying properties of these beverages.
5. What if I am sick? Illness such as vomiting, fever and diarrhoea are times that often require us to replace fluids as our bodies are using a lot of fluid and it needs to be replaced. Take small sips of water regularly to assist with stabilizing your system. Avoid drinking big volumes as it can cause nausea in some cases.

Water is critical for overall well-being and slows the aging process. Make sure that you are that plump firm grape, rather than that dried out raisin!