Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Staying properly hydrated is essential to so many functions within our body. Making sure we drink plenty of water has been drilled into our heads since we were kids; yet even the most health savvy person can fall victim to reduced hydration. Knowing and understanding the benefits of drinking pure, clean water can help us better recognize the dangers of severe or chronic dehydration.

Water makes up over 50% of our body’s weight, and is essential for the correct functioning of every cell and organ in our body. It regulates our metabolism and temperature, and keeps our joints properly lubricated. In this article, we’ll take a look at the benefits of maintaining adequate fluids in our body, as well as some helpful tips to ensure that we are taking in enough water on a daily basis.

Your Digestive System

Our body’s digestive system uses fluids for everything; from the production of enzymes, to breaking down the foods we eat, to keeping us regular. Water plays an essential role in our ability to absorb nutrients and keep our stomach’s acid levels in check. Chronic dehydration can wreak havoc on our stomach and our intestinal tract.

Healthy Skin

Our skin depends on water to maintain its elasticity and to remain healthy. Chronic dehydration can lead to eczema, rashes and other conditions that will affect the appearance and texture of our skin. By not drinking enough water, toxins and pollutants are less likely to be diluted enough for our sweat glands to properly remove these impurities. This unhealthy concentration of contaminants in our system can make us tired, sick, and can eventually lead to disease and other health problems.

Metabolism And Weight Loss

Poor hydration also affects our body’s ability to properly regulate normal hormone levels. Not only does this hormonal imbalance affect our ability to efficiently burn calories, it also contributes to unusual fatigue and weakness. It’s not uncommon to misinterpret this fatigue as a side effect of hunger. This causes us to overeat, which in turn simply exacerbates the problem. Chronic dehydration can also lead to a build-up of inflammatory substances that we cannot easily eliminate. These toxins often contribute to weight gain and feelings of false hunger.

Signs And Symptoms That You May Be Dehydrated

• Fatigue, feeling tired all the time.
• Reduced frequency in having to urinate.
• Dark colored urine. Urine should be clear or almost clear.
• Dry, flaky or irritated skin.
• Cannot produce tears when crying.
• Dry mouth.
• Headaches, inability to concentrate.
• Sore or easily injured joints and tendons.
• Unusually hard stools.

Want More Energy?

Isagenix have a fantastic product that helps to replace vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and other nutrients that are lost during exercise. You simply mix with water and you have a refreshing, healthy drink that aids recovery. People using Isagenix Want More Energy also find it helps them to drink more water during the day. The team at TimetoCleanse have been using this product for a while now, along with a couple of personal trainers, and are really impressed by recovery times since using it.

UPDATE: This product has now been reformulated and relaunched as Replenish.

Filtered Water vs. Tap Or Bottled

The toxins and impurities that can be found in tap water make this source an unhealthy first choice for anyone. With the ongoing debate surrounding the fluoridation of public water supplies, as well as the risks from bacteria or disease causing microbial cysts, a quality water filtration system is a must.

Bottled water also contains its own set of risks: from plastic toxins that are absorbed by water to the blind faith required in the bottling facilities quality control measures… it’s a roll of the dice by any measure.

By investing in a good water filter, you can be in control of the purity and quality of what you are drinking. Water filters are designed, in varying degrees (this depends on the type of filter), to remove bacteria and impurities in your tap water. Activated charcoal or carbon filters are widely considered to be among the best at removing the largest amount of pollutants. Either way, drinking filtered water is not only a healthy decision, it saves money as well.

Tips To Help You Know You’re Staying Hydrated

• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Use water filters at home
• Establish an amount of water you drink each day
• Drink water on a schedule
• Drink a glass of water when you first wake up
• Purchase an easy-to-carry water bottle to take around with you
• Switch from table salt to sea salt
• Reduce or eliminate alcoholic beverages
• Reduce or eliminate carbonated drinks and energy drinks
• Use a filtered water container at work

Physicians and nutritionists will tell you that by the time you recognize dehydration, it’s usually too late. By understanding the importance of drinking enough water, and by putting into practice some of the tips in this article, you can avoid or reverse the symptoms and problems that go hand in hand with being dehydrated.