As a society we’ve grown up being told that we’re not drinking enough water, so consequently all of us have become more conscious of hydration, which is good. The human body is 60-75% water, so we definitely need to keep our fluid level high. Plus, adequate water intake has been shown to:
- Help the body flush toxins
- Improve the condition of our skin
- Prevent water retention
- Keeps bowels functioning efficiently
- Assist in weight loss (by helping you stay full and flushing toxins)
- Help all of our internal organs function more efficiently
However, some research also shows that some people are drinking too much water. Called over-hydration, the practice of drinking too much water can cause the salt content in your bloodstream to become diluted. As a result there is less salt available to your body’s tissues, which can affect your brain, heart, and muscle function.
So how much water should you really drink? Most health agencies and organization recommend a formula like this to get an estimate of how much water you should drink a day:
- Calculate 75% of your body weight if you are normally active and 50% if you are not active to find your daily water intake in ounces. For example say you weigh 150 pounds and are normally active, taking 75% of 150 pounds would be 112.5 pounds.
- Covert that figure to ounces (112.5 ounces).
- Add 16 ounces each for a dry climate or strenuous exercise to get your total suggested water intake. In our example that would look like 112.5 oz. + 16 oz. (exercise) + 16 oz (dry climate) = 144.5 ounces a day.
Once you’re drinking enough water you might also want to consider how you can increase your body’s ability to release toxins (which are carried out of the body by water). We suggest adding probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus, two forms of friendly gut bacteria that also act as natural antibiotics. Also, avoid drinking chlorinated water whenever possible. With plenty of water and good nutrition you can look forward to a new healthier you!
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Sources:
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/water.htm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/6-reasons-to-drink-water?page=1
