Amid all the hype about fad diets, exercise, and supplements, not much is being said about the most important element of all, water. It is always said that you should drink eight glasses a day, have you ever wondered why that is? We have not been told the importance of this stat either! Let me get this straight, first, the human body is made up of 55-75% water, which needs to be replaced on a regular basis. Muscular people have more in their body systems since muscle contains more than fat. When all is said and done, the average person loses around 9 to 12 glasses a day through breathing, sweating, and regular trips to the bathroom; this figure is even higher for cold days and when one exercises.
A drop in the body of about 2% of body weight is enough to affect overall sports performance and cause fatigue. Therefore, an adequate amount is required to decrease the possibility of kidney failure, lubricate the joints, prevent constipation, regulate body temperature, eliminate toxins, maintain a healthy immune system, moisturize the skin and internal organs, prevent a variety of food, including decreasing the severity of colds and flu. This gives you a daily goal of consuming around 8 glasses a day. However, if you find you don’t like it very much, try diluted juices, fat-free or skim milk, or diet soda; however, take note of the sugar levels in these beverages, as it slows the rate at which it is absorbed into the body. The best alternative is to add a little lemon or lime to make it taste a little better.
Check the color of your urine regularly, good yellow, deep yellow, then more glasses of water are needed. For those who can’t take much, many foods are also good sources. Juicy fruits like oranges, grapefruit, grapes, watermelon, and apples can help keep you healthy and hydrated. Carrots, tomatoes, tuna, yogurt, cottage cheese, soups, rice and pasta also contain a lot. The added benefit is that they also contain many beneficial nutrients for the body.
More importantly for your weight loss needs, you need the body to be able to perform its functions efficiently. This is because all chemical reactions in the body require energy that is produced by burning fats and carbohydrates. Drinking in abundance, therefore, increases the rate of metabolism. On average, it causes your metabolism to burn about 3% more calories faster.
Research has shown that the body needs water to burn fat. This is because, together with carbon dioxide, it forms the end products of fat breakdown, so when there is a shortage in the body; the body tends to conserve the available resources in the body and stops burning fats and thus frustrates your weight loss goals. For the average person, experts suggest drinking at least eight glasses of 8 a day. If you are on a weight loss diet it is more important to consume more and continue to drink throughout the day, unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from eating much.
A good guideline for daily intake is to drink 1 glass for every 2 pounds of body weight. A 200-pound person should drink about 10 glasses to reap the benefits of increased energy. More should be included for an exercise regimen aimed at weight loss to compensate for water loss from sweating. Drinking water before, during, and after exercise will keep energy levels high and help with post-workout recovery.