Hydration – NutriFoody Wholly Holism

Let me tell you something about water: it’s everywhere! From soil moisture and ice caps to the cells inside our bodies. Just like the surface of the earth, the body is made up of 60 to 70 percent. Our cells need water for our bodies to function at an optimal level. Water is one of the best cleansers our bodies need and also a healing agent for our bodies. When we don’t drink enough of it, it can lead to many signs and symptoms that we may not even realize comes from not drinking enough water.

Let me tell you some more interesting facts about water. Water is not only in the blood, but the heart and the brain is also ¾ quarts water. The lungs are made up of 83 percent water. Water helps us to lubricate the joints, regulate body temperature, and nourishes the brain and spinal cord. That alone goes to show you how many body systems can be affected if you do not drink water so the next time your joints hurt think to yourself are your joints properly lubricated? When our brain realizes that we have not had enough water it then signals the hypothalamus to release diuretic hormones which in return tells our kidneys to enable the blood to absorb and retain more water, leading to darker urine. Why do the kidneys do this? Because the body has to hold onto whatever water is available so that you do not go into full dehydration.

Now, when we drink water we need to make sure that we have the perfect balance not to drink too much and not drinking too little. Below I will list some of the symptoms we can experience when we are either dehydrated or over hydrated.

Dehydration causes:

-Drops in energy
-Mood Swings
-Skin moisture decreases
-Blood pressure
-Brain can temporarily shrink

Over hydration causes:

-The brain slows down
-Sodium electrolytes become diluted causing cells to swell
-Kidneys can’t keep up with hydration and may cause headaches vomiting seizures so drink 8 to 10 glasses a day

Did You Know?

When we don’t drink enough water our body responds to that by not telling us to drink enough water, and when we do drink water our body responds to that by telling us to drink more interesting right?
Each day we lose two to three liters of water from activities the body carries out such as breathing, sweating, urine, and bowel movements
Drinking water can lower the chance of stroke, manage diabetes and reduce the risk of some types of cancers

Reference(s):

National Association for Fitness Certification, Nutrition Coach Foundations© 3rd Ed.

Deeply Holistic. Pip Waller

You hear it pretty much all the time drink 8 glasses of water a day. Even though it seems simple, it’s not always easy to do. Many times I have even struggled to get in 4 glasses a day. Why is that? I’m not sure so people say that it is because they do not like the taste of water, or water is just plain for them. To be honest I love drinking water it’s refreshing but sometimes I do forget and have to remind myself.

When you do not drink water, the body becomes dehydrated and it can happen very quickly. Our bodies need water because our cells need water to carry out its functions in the body. Water is the most essential part of life and we can only survive 3 days without water. Thank goodness we can obtain water from other food sources but there is nothing like drinking water itself.

While I was completing my nutrition coaching course there was a chapter on drinking water and it brought up some interesting things that I didn’t associate with not drinking water. This part of the chapter explained that not drinking water can actually cause some of the most common symptoms we experience just because the body may be dehydrated such as heartburn, backaches, and headaches. I will leave the link below so you can read about this:

Reference:

http://www.watercure.com/wondersofwater.html

Remember this holiday and into the new year to stay hydrated!

Tag: Hydration

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