Are you Drinking Enough water?

  Do you know that water, the colorless, usually flavorless liquid most of us take for granted, is actually the basic element of good health.  While water does not directly provide energy by itself, it is essential to all cells and processes that do provide energy to our body.

 
 In importance, water is second only to oxygen.  An average person can live for about two to four months with out food but only three to five days  with out water.

For some information: Approximately two thirds of a persons body weight is water-- our blood is 82 percent water and both our brain and muscles are 75 percent water.  This is why drinking enough glasses of water a day helps our body function efficiently.

 Whatever our body loses water, dehydration sets in.  Mild dehydration may result in tiredness, headache, decreased alertness, and loss of the ability to concentrate.
 
 Dehydration easily develops when we drink too little or expend our water reserves too fast.  Although fluid loss occurs during hard physical work, sometimes even simple tasks like gardening, walking or riding a bike can result in a significant loss of fluid within a very short period.  The best way to avoid the unpleasant and dangerous effects of dehydration is to make a habit out of drinking water and sustaining a consistent amount of water in the body.  While needs may vary, the typical daily requirements of an adult is 1.5 liters a day in order to stay healthy.

 We can obtain water from a variety of sources, aside from the clear liquid, food also contains water.  Fruit juices, fruits, and vegetables are rich sources of water, as well as dairy products, such as milk cheese and meat!  The best source of fluid is still clear and clean water.  Bottled and tap are the two main classification of water fluid.  Deciding which to drink can be influenced by a lot of factors.  However if you want to drink a tap water, it is always best to purify or at least boil the water especially when it comes directly from faucet.


Water intoxication is rare but can occur with excessive water ingestion.  For example, five liters of water drunk with in a short period of time can cause swelling of the cells and result in drowsiness and convulsions..

 During summer , the hot and humid climate puts everyone a larger risk of dehydration.  The intense weather will cause our body to sweat a lot to get rid of  the excess heat and keep body temperature cool. At the same time we lose a lot of fluid in the process.  Thus, sweating can also make us dehydrated. Thus is why water should be drunk before you get to the stage of feeling thirsty during the summer months.

 Too much of everything all at once is bad, even water.  However, too little water is unhealthy and may cause problems like dizziness and heat stroke.  Remember that when you drink a glass of water, you are doing yourself a healthy favor and literally drinking for life.