Water is a necessary macronutrient that is sometimes disregarded. It's easy to forget to hydrate, but now that the weather is hopefully becoming warmer and we'll be sweating more, it's critical that we do so on a regular basis. Next, we will explain why water is so important for our health and what we can do to stay adequately hydrated.
What are the benefits of being hydrated?
Water makes up 95 percent of the human brain and 82 percent of the blood. Water makes up nearly 90% of our lungs.
Water is also the most important nutrient for human health, growth, and development, as well as for many of our daily physiological activities. Our bodies are unable to function efficiently when we are hypohydrated (sometimes referred to as dehydrated).
Mild dehydration is also a typical cause of fatigue during the day. This is unsurprising given that 75 percent of British inhabitants suffer from mild to chronic dehydration.
Water is necessary for survival, but drinking just enough to get by isn't good for your body. Water is needed to cushion and lubricate your joints, protect your brain and other internal tissues, control your body temperature, transport nutrients throughout your body, and remove waste from your body via urination, bowel motions, and perspiration.
Dehydration occurs when you don't drink enough water. Dehydration causes dry mouth, low blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and dry skin, as well as impairing coordination, lowering focus, and increasing weariness. This process can also weaken endurance, strength, produce cramping, and slow muscular reaction, among other things.
On the other hand, the process of fat oxidation (fat breakdown) is called "hydrolysis," and it necessitates the use of water. Being properly hydrated is vital for fat loss and should be considered if that is your objective.
How do you know if you are drinking enough water?
The most straightforward way to know is to examine the colour of your urine.
The colour you want to go for is a light-to-medium yellow. If the yellow is more amber in colour, you're probably not getting enough.
How much do you need?
At rest with a normal sweat rate, your daily water intake should be around 2.5L, with an additional 500ml each hour of exercise. This equates to four to eight sips of water every hour.
If you are exercising or performing any rigorous labour, being hydrated before you begin might help you feel good both before and after your workout. The same is true whether you've consumed a lot of coffee, caffeinated tea, or alcoholic beverages. These work as diuretics, causing you to urinate more frequently and lose more water as a result. In addition, if you live in a hotter climate (and if we do get the summer we've been promised! ), you'll sweat more and need more water than if you live in a cooler area.
Five tips for drinking more water
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Make it a habit - a glass when you wake up, a glass when you arrive at work, a glass with each meal - it will soon mount up.
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Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, so choosing them at mealtime can help you avoid dehydration. Cucumber, tomato, and celery are all rich in water content.
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Set an alarm on your phone at 4 p.m. for your daily hydration check-in (if you haven't met your 2.5L goal by then, it should give you ample time to meet it without having to get up several times during the night!)
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Use a decent water bottle so you want to actually use it.
Saturated fats - Add some fresh lemon, lime, cucumber or mint to your water to make it more interesting.
