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Water - The Most Powerful of all liquids |
The role that the consumption of water has on weight loss is much debated but the case for it is very strong.
Water is a vital component of our being alive. Like the oxygen we breathe in order to survive, water and it's effect on our bodies is essential for life. It helps with many tasks including temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, waste product removal and metabolism. Our bodies are made up of between 55% and 60% water in total with our blood being 94% water, our brain 85% water and most soft tissue around 75%.
We constantly rid ourselves of water through our kidneys during our visits to the bathroom, through perspiration and even through breathing. Just breathe on a mirror to see the moisture there to know that is true. So this water we lose needs constantly to be replaced for the body to remain hydrated. The most effective way to replace water that's been lost is simply to drink pure clear water. But we also replace lost water through the consumption of other liquids and through the foods we eat. Vegetable and fruit in particular have very high water content.
In order to understand the benefits of drinking water on weight loss, we need to know what happens when we don't replace the water that we've lost with an equal amount. Our bodies then suffer from dehydration and as well as being unpleasant, being dehydrated makes our bodies function less well. The body will find water wherever it can and it will draw water from the impure waste that's sitting in our intestines, waiting to be eliminated. It will retain water to dilute these toxins and bloating and weight gain will occur. If the toxins aren't diluted sufficiently this can lead to feelings of tiredness and lethargy, the body will be more prone to infection and will operate well below par. Being in this state is not conducive to maintaining a healthy diet or exercise regime.
Without sufficient water for the kidneys to function properly, the liver gets called upon to do some of the work the kidneys should be doing alone. The liver can then not work as efficiently as it should to carry out one of its own functions of metabolising fat and so this results in more fat being stored in the body and thus increased weight.
Symptoms of our bodies needing water are similar to the body's need for food and the two sensations can be confused. We feel the sensation of hunger and automatically feel the need to feed but satisfaction of that hunger sensation can also come from drinking water or consuming high water based foods, such as soups.
Combine that with the facts that water has zero calories, zero fat, is low-carb, helps with digestion and assists the body in metabolising fat and it starts to look like the wonder weight loss factor of all time. Some tests have shown that drinking water at least half an hour before eating has an even greater impact on weight loss.
Instictively we know we should be drinking more water and many of us need to be drinking a lot more on a regular basis than we currently are. Drinking water has to become a part of our daily routine and it's good to get into the habit of drinking a couple of glasses first thing in the morning as a reminder that we need to continue this during the day.
It's not too difficult to replace caffeinated or sugary drinks with a glass or two of water on our breaks, yet the benefits of doing so are enormous. We should keep a water bottle on our desks and in our cars, to make drinking water that much more convenient.
It's not possible to put an exact figure on how much water we should take in on a daily basis, as we all lose water at different rates depending on our build, the environment we live in and the activities we do, but nature has genorously provided us with a simple measuring device and that is the colour of our urine. If our urine is dark and strong then we are certainly dehydrated and need to take on much more water but if it's just slightly coloured that means we are well hydrated.
Water when taken in its proper proportion, makes the body function well, makes us feel and look healthier and has a beneficial impact on our weight.Article source http://w4rum.com/2610.t
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| [By murali] [05/May/07] |
