Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 50% to 70% of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive. Here are 5 reasons to make sure you’re drinking enough water or other fluids every day:
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for reserves.
When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk, coffee — anything but alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration.
2. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer. Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. It is recommended that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
3. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration. Once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids. You can also help “lock” moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in.
4.. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.
When you’re getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in colour and free of odour. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, colour, and odour increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.
5. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration — and the result is constipation. Adequate fluid and fibre is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fibre and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly.
If you have any question’s about Jola’s Mindful Moments or would like to request a 1:1 Wellbeing Session, please contact Jola directly. jola@armedforceshub.org
