[as seen in the Oxford Review June 28, 2012] It is a hot one this holiday weekend. While some of you may be partaking of your favourite beverage this weekend, I just wanted to remind everyone why it is so important to stay hydrated with my favourite beverage – water!
I am going to keep this short and sweet. Here goes:
Detoxify If you are not sweating in a workout you are either not working out hard enough or you are not hydrated properly. Sweating not only helps you maintain your internal body temperature during exercise – it is also essential in ridding the body of unwanted toxins. This is one of the reasons why saunas are so important; they make you sweat. So if you aren’t sweating you are not activating this avenue of detoxification.
Reduce your appetite Many times most people mistake thirst for hunger. The next time you are hungry try drinking a nice big glass of fresh cool water – you will be amazed at what it does to your appetite!
Energize When you are water deprived you feel like dirt. Dry dirt. You have to fuel up with water to boost your energy levels. Have you ever noticed how good you feel after you have a cold glass of water on a hot summer day? I find that it perks me right up. Water is essential in getting the energy systems going in the body – actually it won’t work without it.
Keep Your Skin Young It is a well-known fact in the celebrity world that water is a simple way to keep skin healthy. Drinking enough water hydrates the skin and gives it that fresh glowing appearance. Also don’t forget to give your face a gentle wash with clean water and a cleanser (AYU is the absolute best brand. Period.) each night before bed. Then moisturize with a water-based lotion.
Enhance Performance If you are not drinking enough when playing sports your performance will begin to decrease very rapidly. If you don’t drink water you can also get severe cramping (due to electrolytes lost from sweating). If you are out this weekend playing some Frisbee or football at the beach please remember to stay hydrated with water.
Prevent Heartburn Many times the heartburn you feel can be reversed by drinking a glass of water. Some recent research on the over-prescription of heartburn meds noted that water can be a very cheap and quick solution to this problem. Make sure your stomach is hydrated since the acid works better in a hydrated environment.
No Headaches
When you get a headache this can simply be
one of your body’s signals that you are dehydrated. It his book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Dr. Batamanghelidj notes that dehydration is often a cause of aches and pains in the body and headaches are no exception. Drink at least 2 litres a day to prevent headaches.
Stay Regular Have you ever been constipated? One of the things about fibre is that it needs to be in a water rich environment in order to work. Fibre bulks up the waste in the bowel and makes it smooth in order for it to travel with ease in the large intestine. Not enough water means that the peristalsis in the bowel becomes impaired – and that is not a happy feeling. To stay regular make sure you have fibre (30g) and water each and every day.
Lubricate Joints Your joints are fluid filled. You must be drinking enough water in order for them to work properly. This is especially true of the discs between your vertebrae. If you suffer from low back pain drinking water can help. This is also true for your knees. Water is vital to your joints and keeps them moving freely.
Lose Weight Did you know that it is virtually impossible to lose weight when you are chronically dehydrated? One thing you must do when trimming down is drink enough water. That is why one of the recommendations I made last week (check out the weight loss article on green coffee beans on my blog) was to drink a large glass of water with the capsules before each meal. When fat is being broken down water has to be present for it to happen properly. If you want to lose some weight then stay hydrated.
As always – Eat Well. Stay Hydrated. And Smile!
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