Functions of Water in The Body

Functions of Water in The Body

The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. A rule of thumb, 2/3 of body is consists of water, and it is the main component of human body. Did you know that your tissues and organs are mainly made up of water? Here is the %:

• Muscle consists of 75% water
• Brain consists of 90% of water
• Bone consists of 22% of water
• Blood consists of 83% water

The functions of water in human body are vital. The water:

• Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells
• Moisturizes the air in lungs
• Helps with metabolism
• Protects our vital organ
• Helps our organs to absorb nutrients better
• Regulates body temperature
• Detoxifies
• Protects and moisturizes our joints

Every cell in your body needs water from head to toe. That is why it is so important to drink enough fluid. Take for example, brain consists of 90% of water, if you do not supply enough water to your body, your brain cannot function well, and you will get headache or migraine. Hence, next time, if you feel fatigue and headache, it may be the sign of dehydration.

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Harmful Effects and Symptoms of Dehydration

The Harmful Effects Result from Dehydration:

• Tiredness
• Migraine
• Constipation
• Muscle cramps
• Irregular blood pressure
• Kidney problems
• Dry skin
• 20% dehydrated – Risk of death

Symptoms of Dehydration

Here are some of the symptoms that you need more water:

• Dark Urine – Dark Yellow or Orange in Color: Urine is generally pale yellow to clear when you have sufficient water intake. Dark color or strong smell indicates that you need to drink more water.
• Dry Skin: Skin is the largest body organ and requires its share of water.
• Thirst: Thirst is the most obvious sign that you're already dehydrated. It is always a good practice to drink more water when your are not thirsty, don’t wait until you're thirsty.
• Hunger: Most people mistake hunger for the indication to eat more, whereas in actual fact, they may be dehydrated. So before you have your meal, grab a glass of water.
• Fatigue: Water is a source of energy and gives you a boost in energy.

How much water should you drink a day to avoid dehydration? A common approach is drinking 8 glasses of water a day, is it sufficient?
 

Top 11 Health Benefits of Drinking Water

You will be amazed of the benefits of drinking water as follow:

1. Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories.
2. Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.
3. Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
4. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.
5. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
6. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
7. Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
8. Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water added with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system.
9. Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
10. Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
11. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Can you see the importance of water to your body after understanding the above benefits of drinking water?

The Importance of Water in Your Diet

 

The Importance of Water and Your Health

"I'm dying of thirst!"

Well, you just might. It sounds so simple. H20 - two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. This substance also known as water, is one of the most essential elements to health and is so important that your body actually has a specific drought management system in place to prevent dehydration and ensure your survival. Water might be everywhere, but one must never take it for granted.

Water makes up more than two thirds of human body weight, and without water, we would die in a few days. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. A mere 2% drop in our body's water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. (Are you having trouble reading this? Drink up!) Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. Pretty scary statistic for a developed country where water is readily available through the tap or bottle water.

Water is important to the mechanics of the human body. The body cannot work without it, just as a car cannot run without gas and oil. In fact, all the cell and organ functions that make up our entire anatomy and physiology depend on water for their functioning.

Water serves as a lubricant
Water serves as a lubricant in digestion and almost all other body processes. The water in our saliva helps facilitate chewing and swallowing, ensuring that food will slide easily down the esophagus. Water also lubricates our joints and cartilages and allows them to (pardon the pun) move more fluidly. When dehydrated, the body rations water away from the joints. Less lubrication equals greater friction and that can cause joint, knee and back pain potentially leading to injuries and arthritis. Even our eyeballs need plenty of lubrication to work well and remain healthy.

Water regulates body temperature
Our bodies can control over-heating through perspiration from sweat glands in the skin and from evaporation which produces a cooling effect. Blood is also routed into areas close to the surface of the skin where it can be cooled and then carried back to the interior of the body. Conversing in a cold environment, the skin maintains proper body temperature by shunting the blood away from the exterior surface thereby conserving heat within the body. The movement of water within our cellular systems also transports vital blood plasma which is 92% made of water. Blood plasma play a critical role in buffering the body’s pH, circulating antibodies from the immune system, and regulating osmotic balance which all helps to maintain proper body temperature.

Water removes harmful toxins from the body
Water helps our bodies remove toxins in many different ways. Water flushes toxins and waste from the body through urination and perspiration. Water helps reduce constipation and aids in bowel movements which ensures that wastes are removed quickly and regularly before they can become poisonous in the body. This waste buildup can occur in the body if dehydration becomes a regular occurrence and this can cause headaches, toxicity and illness. Drinking enough water will also lessen the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products.

Water transports valuable nutrients to the body
Blood is about 92% water and it carries nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Nutrients from the food we eat are broken down in the digestive system where they become water-soluble, which means they are dissolved in water. Water allows these nutrients to pass through the capillaries within the intestinal walls to the blood and circulatory system where the valuable nutrients and oxygen can be distributed throughout the body to all the cells and organs. In addition to the daily maintenance of our bodies, water also plays a key role in the prevention of disease. Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. And those are just a few examples! As you follow other links on our website, you can read more in depth about how water can aid in the prevention and cure of many types of diseases, ailments and disorders that affect the many systems of our bodies.

Drinking to Your Health
Since water is such an important component to our physiology, it would make sense that the quality of the water should be just as important as the quantity. Therefore, your drinking water should always be clean and free of contaminants to ensure proper health and wellness. Remember it is also never too late to improve your health with the help of regular exercise, balanced nutrition and a positive outlook on life. The human body is very resilient and if you treat yourself well, you will be surprised by your body’s own natural ability to heal itself. Here’s drinking to your health and achieving your goals. We know you can do it!

Are you getting enough?

We've all heard that drinking water will help keep us healthy. But how much is really enough?

The experts have always said, on average, that eight eight-ounce glasses per day will suffice. However, that might not be enough. While eight is great, amounts really need to be tailored to meet the needs of every individual. Most adults will lose between two to three quarts of water per day by way of normal body functions, but those who live in or work in warmer environments tend to lose more. Athletes for example, need to drink more water to balance their bodily fluids. For those people, drinking more water will make up for the bigger loss of water they had through perspiration, as well as in the regulation of body temperature.

Our bodies are made up of 55-70% water, but it does not replenish itself, so drinking water helps maintain that healthy balance. But even still, many will walk around dehydrated, most of the time unknowingly. That is because thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. By the time someone gets thirsty, it is too late! Or, if one is thirsty, they may go for a beverage that does not actually replenish the

body. A cold soda may feel nice going down, but beverages with caffeine are not meant to hydrate. Water is the best remedy for dehydration. If mild dehydration sets in, it can decrease one's energy level and mental functioning and increase stress on the body. Severe dehydration can have far more damaging effects. There are three important rules when it comes to drinking water:

1. Drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst.
2. Drink frequently throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
3. Drink at least eight glasses daily, or one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person who does not exercise or work in hot climates needs 7.5 cups.

While some fruit juices and green tea may account for some fluid intake, you can count out beverages such as coffee or alcohol. They have a mild diuretic effect, which promotes urination and therefore water loss, which ultimately defeats the purpose.

QUICK TIP: A trick to ensure people are drinking their daily allowance is to fill a pitcher or jug with the allotment of water and keep it on your desk at work, or handy at home. The goal is then clearly marked. As you drink down the water, you know that you are on the right path to drinking enough water.

And finally, those frequent bathroom trips are not a bad thing. The best indicator that one is drinking enough water is when urine comes out pale yellow to clear. A dark yellow color, however, is a sign your body is dehydrated and is concentrating the urine in an effort to conserve water.

The Men Who Made Us Fat Pt 3

You have to watch the in the series of The Men Who Made Us Fat and look how to change your lifestyle for you and your children

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01kd06l/The_Men_Who_Made_Us_Fat_Episode_3/

5 Signs You Need An Alkaline Diet & 4 Ways To Start One

Alkaline Diet Benefits – Five Signs You Need It

There are many benefits to eating an alkaline diet. Over-acidity in the body can result in chronic health issues, while an alkaline diet can help to prevent these same problems. Some of the symptoms of an over-acid diet include fatigue, gum and teeth problems, a tendency towards getting sick frequently, pain and inflammation, and premature aging. If you are experiencing any of these problems, read on to see how an alkaline diet can help.
Improved Energy Levels
Proper cell functioning is very important to a person’s overall energy level. If the cells are not healthy, they are not as effective at holding and transferring oxygen within the body. This can result in overall fatigue and a lack of energy. The body’s pH level can also affect a cell’s ability to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is important to the body’s energy level. This process normally takes place within a cell’s mitochondria. If the body’s pH level is too acidic, this process does not take place as effectively.
Healthier Teeth and Gums
When the pH level of the body is too acidic, it stands to reason that the mouth will also be quite acidic. Unfortunately, when the level of acid in the mouth is too high, it can cause bacteria to grow at a much faster rate. Bacteria can cause a number of different problems in the mouth, such as gum disease and bad breath. A high level of acid and bacteria in the mouth will also increase a person’s chances for tooth decay. Many people note an improvement in their overall level of oral health after switching to a diet program that promotes an alkaline pH level in the body.
Improved Immune Function
When cells are healthy, they are effectively able to absorb the nutrients they require. Healthy cells are also efficient at eliminating waste products. If cells become weakened in any way, they are not nearly as effective at these kinds of functions. As a result, infectious organisms have a better chance of affecting these cells. When the body’s pH is too acidic, cells cannot function at their optimal level. This is why a person is more likely to become ill, develop infections, or even develop cancer when their diet is acidic as compared to alkaline.
Reduced Pain and Inflammation
Magnesium is one of the minerals the body uses to help control excessive acidity. If you eat a diet that has an acidic effect, the body is forced to use more magnesium to help neutralize it. However, magnesium is also a useful nutrient in the body that helps to support joint and tissue functions. By eating a diet that has an alkaline effect on the body instead of an acidic effect, your body will have more magnesium available to help reduce tissue and joint pain and inflammation.
Slower Aging
When cells are subjected to an acidic environment, they function much less efficiently. This reduction in functionality can impair a cell’s ability to repair itself, thus resulting in premature aging. Premature aging can also occur when cells are not able to get enough oxygen, and when they are not able to rid themselves of toxins. An alkaline diet can help prevent all of these scenarios. Better functioning cells means a younger appearance for you. Plus, as an added benefit, an alkaline diet program will also help you maintain a healthy weight.

 

4 Tips for Starting an Alkaline pH Diet

To follow and live by the alkaline pH diet plan requires that one does their homework. The more you learn about the benefits of changing your eating habits and lifestyle to follow this type of diet can give you the motivation to get started. Learning how everything you’ve been doing up till now has caused an extremely acidic environment within your body can give you the determination to make some much needed changes and stick to them.
1.) First take a look at how you view food itself. The alkaline diet teaches you that what we put in our bodies has a direct link to how well our body functions. The types of foods and how they’re combined affects all systems from the digestive process to the lymphatic system. Once you get a hold of a list or chart that identifies different foods as either alkaline or acidic, you will see that you really don’t have to make drastic changes. If you’ve already been trying to eat healthy food following a pH diet food list can help you build on those good habits.
2.) Drink plenty of pure water. This is vital for a number of reasons. The body needs enough water to function properly and metabolize stored fat in an efficient way. When there is a lack of water the body responds by setting some aside for later, also known as water retention. So if you want to get rid of excess weight caused by retention you need to drink more water so that your body feels secure enough in letting stored water go. Lots of water also helps dilute salt to reduce retention even more.
3.) Basically you don’t need any specialized diet foods. Just look at what you already have in your fridge and pantry and you can fit the alkaline diet into you already existing food supplies. Using an acid/alkaline food chart can help you as you go about your grocery shopping. There are also many recipe plans where the work of proper food combination per meal has already been done for you. There are also creative and healthy ways to add flavor to your meals with throwing off ph balance. Use herbs frequently in your recipes. Drizzle on beneficial oils such as olive oil, grape seed oil, or extra virgin coconut oil. The omega fatty acids in these oils will help alkalize the body and increase vital energy.
4.) Continuing with the great idea of searching for delicious alkaline diet recipes, start slowly incorporating two to three a week. Choose food combinations that your family already enjoys and is used to eating. Each week add a few more recipes until you have about ten to twenty tasty meals that truly satisfy and curb your cravings. Many of these recipes are easy, simple and will get you to feeling energized and renewed in no time.
When you realize that following the alkaline diet can be the answer you’ve been searching for to increase your energy levels and jump start your metabolism you’ll find it’s easy to make any adjustments needed with alkaline pH diet recipes so that you can benefit from it in the best possible way.