Water is the elixir life, for sure. But for something so pure and simple there are a lot of myths and misapprehensions about it. So here’s a handy checklist for healthy hydration.
WATER IS REALLY IMPORTANT
There’s no doubt that water is essential – it’s crucial to every chemical reaction in our bodies, and if we don’t have it, we’ll die. We can live without food for a month or more, but three days without water and we’re in serious trouble. Water makes up 50 to 60 percent of our body mass. A loss of even two percent means we’ll become dehydrated.
DEHYDRATION HARMS YOUR BODY
Being well-hydrated means our bodies can function as they should. If we’re dehydrated our whole system, including our metabolism and circulation, slows down – our cells are not getting enough oxygen. That might mean we experience tiredness and “brain fog”. Having plenty of water means our kidneys can do their job and flush out the impurities that are a by-product of metabolism.
WATER IS JUST WATER
Plain old water just isn’t enough anymore, going by the enhanced options now being marketed – “activated” water, alkaline water, ionized water, even paleo water. While there’s little, if any, evidence to back the claims of these fancy waters, they can certainly command eye-watering prices.
WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTHY DIGESTION
When we eat lots of fiber (which we should be) we need enough water in the bowel to keep everything moving through. If we don’t get enough, constipation can be the uncomfortable result.
WATER CAN HELP REGULATE OUR APPETITE
Drinking water before and between meals has been shown to potentially slightly increase the calories people burn, and may also decrease the calories we take in when we do eat.