You Are What You Eat: It doesn't get any simpler than water
Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!
This week's superfood is not technically a food. It's a beverage. But it's the mightiest of all the beverages out there. It's refreshing, calorie-free, inexpensive ... and essential for life. Are we talking about Diet Coke here? No way. This miracle drink is, of course, water -- you know, that clear stuff that comes out of your tap and is sold in plastic bottles on stores.
Just what makes water so wonderful? You don't need to look much further than your own body for the answer. Your body runs on water -- your blood is 83% water and your muscles are 74% water. In fact, every single cell in your body needs water to function,so it goes without saying that you need water to function. But let's forget that fact for a second and focus on reasons why you should want to drink more water. Water can:
But how much should you get? It's a widespread belief that you should drink at least eight 8-oz glasses a day. That adds up to a whooping 64 oz of water, or roughly about 2L. I'm used to drinking this much so it doesn't bother me, but some can't stomach that much water. If you're one of those people, good news: Research shows that while drinking 64oz of water a day won't hurt you, it's not necessary. As long as you eat plenty of fruits and veggies, drink a fair amount of healthy liquids, eat an overall healthy diet and don't feel dehydrated, you're probably getting enough. Still, downing a big glass every time you have a craving for junk food will do you a world of good.
Not a fan of plain old water? Add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to it for a bit of a kick.
This week's superfood is not technically a food. It's a beverage. But it's the mightiest of all the beverages out there. It's refreshing, calorie-free, inexpensive ... and essential for life. Are we talking about Diet Coke here? No way. This miracle drink is, of course, water -- you know, that clear stuff that comes out of your tap and is sold in plastic bottles on stores.
Just what makes water so wonderful? You don't need to look much further than your own body for the answer. Your body runs on water -- your blood is 83% water and your muscles are 74% water. In fact, every single cell in your body needs water to function,so it goes without saying that you need water to function. But let's forget that fact for a second and focus on reasons why you should want to drink more water. Water can:
- Increase your energy
- Help you lose weight by curbing appetite without adding extra calories
- Help flush out your body of toxins
- Keep your skin and hair healthy and moisturized
- Help your kidneys function properly
- Help you feel better overall
But how much should you get? It's a widespread belief that you should drink at least eight 8-oz glasses a day. That adds up to a whooping 64 oz of water, or roughly about 2L. I'm used to drinking this much so it doesn't bother me, but some can't stomach that much water. If you're one of those people, good news: Research shows that while drinking 64oz of water a day won't hurt you, it's not necessary. As long as you eat plenty of fruits and veggies, drink a fair amount of healthy liquids, eat an overall healthy diet and don't feel dehydrated, you're probably getting enough. Still, downing a big glass every time you have a craving for junk food will do you a world of good.
Not a fan of plain old water? Add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to it for a bit of a kick.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-08-2008 @ 11:54AM
Vishaal said...
I drink about a GALLON a day.
Reply
8-05-2008 @ 7:23AM
Vanessa said...
I would like to clarify how much water we should drink each day. Rather than the general comment about drinking 8 x 8oz glasses, it is better to use a calculation accepted by many health practitioners, which is to drink a litre of water for every 25kg of body weight. More if you are exercising, and more if you are drinking a lot of coffee, softdrink/soda and alcohol.
Make sure the water you drink is filtered, remineralised and restructured, so that it can in fact do its role of hydrating the body. Check out www.zazen.com.au for information on a water system that does just that.
If you do indeed drink such a water, the minerals you will find in water are better absorbed by the body than in any other form. It is critical to good health, to drink water as your foundation to a healthy eating regime. Nothing else substitutes for it.
The other issue is that we cant rely on our thirst mechanism anymore - a dry mouth is the last sign of dehydration - at that stage you are chronically dehydrated. And because we eat so often and drink many other types of beverages, we have desensitized our thirst mechanism - for many of us, it is not a reliable indicator of being dehydated. So don't wait to feel thirsty. Pain is often an early indicator of dehydration, which most people dont understand, and instead reach for pain medication, which is dehydrating to the body, compounding the problem.
The easy test is to look at the colour of your urine - after the first pee of the day, your urine should be almost colourless - the darker it is, the more dehydrated you are, as the body takes water out of the kidneys to compensate for someone who isnt drinking enough water during the day, which concentrates your urine.
For more information, go to www.wellnessgeneration.org.
Cheers, Vanessa
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