Most people have no idea how much water they should
be drinking, and most Americans live from day to day
in a dehydrated state. They don't drink enough water.
Without water, we would be poisoned to death by our
own waste products and toxins resulting from metabolism.
Water is vital to digestion and metabolism, acting as a
medium for various enzymatic and chemical reactions in
the body. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells
through the blood, regulates body temperature and
lubricates our joints (which is particularly important if
you're arthritic, have chronic muscular-skeletal
problems or are athletically active).
We need water to breathe; we lose approximately one
pint of liquid every day just by exhaling.
If you are not in "fluid balance" you can impair every
aspect of your body's physiological functioning.
Dr. Howard Flaks, Beverly Hills:
"As a result of not drinking enough water, many people
encounter such problems as excess body fat, poor
muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency
and organ function, increased toxicity in the body,
joint and muscle soreness (particularly after exercise)
and water retention."
Proper water intake is the key to weight loss," says Dr.
Donald Robertson, Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who
are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the
body can't metabolize the fat, they retain fluid, which
keeps their weight up, and the whole procedure we're
trying to set up falls apart."
"I'd say the minimum amount of water a healthy person
should drink is 10 eight-ounce glasses a day," he
continues, "and you need to drink more if you are
overweight, exercise a lot, or live in a hot climate.
Overweight people should drink an extra eight ounces
of water for each 25 pounds that exceeds their ideal
weight."
Your water intake should be spread judiciously
throughout the day, including the evening. Dr. Flaks
cautions against drinking more than four glasses in any
given hour. Always check with your physician before
embarking on a water intake increase program.
You may ask, "If I drink this much water, won't I
constantly be running to the bathroom?" Initially, yes,
because of the hypersensitivity of the bladder to
increased fluids. But after a few weeks, your bladder
calms down, and you urinate less frequently, but in
larger amounts.
There is a difference between pure water and other
beverages that contain water.
Water is water. Obviously you can get it by consuming
fruit juice, soft drinks, beer, coffee or tea.
Unfortunately, while such drinks contain water, they
also may contain substances that are not healthy and
actually contradict some of the positive effects of the
added water.
Dr. Jerzy Meduski, Los Angeles, California: "Beer
contains water, but it also contains alcohol, which is a
toxic substance. Beverages that contain caffeine, such
as coffee, stimulate the adrenal glands; fruit juices
contain a lot of sugar and stimulate the pancreas. Such
drinks may tax the body more than cleanse it."
Another problem with these beverages is that you lose
your taste for water.
The way to interpret all of this, therefore, is that the
recommended daily water intake means just that--WATER!
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