About 71% of the Earth is covered in water
Water is of major importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight comes from water. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water.
According to The Journal of Biological Chemistry , the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.
- Water acts as a medium in which various metabolic and biochemical reactions take place.
- Water helps in absorption of various nutrients present in the food in the digestive system.
- Water helps in maintaining body temperature
- Water helps in removal of waste materials from the body
- Among other important functions
- Metabolic Functions- If we want to speed up our metabolism, we need to increase thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is a metabolic process during which your body burns calories to produce heat. A study in PubMed In 14 healthy, normal-weight subjects (seven men and seven women), they assessed the effect of drinking 500 ml or 16 ounces of water on energy expenditure. To estimate the effect of water drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%. The increase occurred within 10 min and reached a maximum after 30-40 min. So they conclude that the thermogenic effect of water should be considered when estimating energy expenditure, particularly during weight loss programs.
- Absorption of Nutrients- An article in Mayo Clinic states “Water helps break down food so that your body can absorb the nutrients. Water also softens stool, which helps prevent constipation”
- Body Temperature and Removal of Waste- According to Harvard School of Public Health “ Water helps to restore fluids lost through metabolism, breathing, sweating, and the removal of waste. It helps to keep you from overheating, lubricates the joints and tissues, maintains healthy skin, and is necessary for proper digestion. It’s the perfect zero-calorie beverage for quenching thirst and re-hydrating your body.”
Why do you feel quenched when you drink sodas or high sugary drinks:
First, listen to episode 5 to understand the sugars or fake sugars in sodas and how they damage our metabolism and lead to weight gain, yes, even the 0 calorie diet soda.
Second- You may feel a temporary relief because the bubbles in a cold can of Coke may actually trick your brain into thinking its thirst has been satisfied. In actuality, the phosphoric acid in soda binds to calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your body, you’ll soon be flushing those vital nutrients down the toilet. 60 Minutes later, a sugar crash hits you hard. You’re left feeling cranky, sluggish, thirsty, and guess what! ready for another soda.
Third- Do not wait until you are thirsty! Another article in Mayo Clinic indicates “when you’re thirsty, you could already be dehydrated, having lost as much as 1 to 2 percent of your body’s water content. And with that kind of water loss, you may start to experience cognitive impairments — like stress, agitation and forgetfulness, to name a few.”
Now that we know all this, what’s next?
For starters, we need to make sure we are hydrated. But, how much water do we need to drink? In my earlier show I recommend the pee test. You can tell that you are hydrated based on the color of your pee. I put a link to the hydration pee test in the show notes.
Then, find clean sources of water. Spring or Mountain Water if possible. Not all bottled water is made equal. Research conducted by EWG found 38 pollutants in 10 major brands.
In addition, make sure the bottle your water comes in is BPA free.
According to a paper published by The World Health Organization indicates that several research studies in rodents of variable quality have suggested that BPA treatment during development can cause alterations in brain development and behavior.
Another study published in PubMed indicates that BPA has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of several endocrine disorders including female and male infertility, precocious puberty, hormone dependent tumours such as breast and prostate cancer and several metabolic disorders.
A three year study published by Scientific America found more than 200 unregulated chemicals in the tap water of 45 states.
Zero Water is my favorite filter. I don’t have a discount or promotion code for them, but I use them because they use a 5 stage filtration system that removes over 99% of contaminants.
Lastly, upgrade your water. I use Liquid IV in every bottle of water I drink. They provide an optimal ratio of ingredients designed to enhance rapid absorption of water and other nutrients into your bloodstream.
An article published in PubMed indicates that exercise leads to a progressive water and electrolyte loss from the body as sweat is secreted to promote heat loss. It goes on to say the addition of sodium, and perhaps also of potassium, may be important for rehydration after exercise.
An article published by The American College of Sports Medicine recommends addition of proper amounts of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes to a fluid replacement solution is recommended for exercise events of duration greater than 1 hour.
This may actually enhance performance.
Now, there are a variety of beverages formulated to provide fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes during and following exercise. Namely, sports drinks. Which commonly contain 4 to 8% carbohydrate and small amounts of electrolytes. The efficacy of consuming such beverages has been questioned primarily because of concern that beverage high carbohydrate content may inhibit gastric emptying rate and fluid absorption during exercise, thereby jeopardizing physiological homeostasis
But, Liquid IV uses a mix of 5 essential vitamins and about 3x more electrolytes than sports drinks. They call this- Cellular Transport Technology. A combination of sodium- potassium and glucose to aid the delivery of water to your cells for more efficient use.
I mix a packet in every 32 ounce of water I drink, especially during exercise instead of high sugar sports drinks!
Go to liquid-iv.com or click on the link in the description of the show or show notes and use code ZECOHEALTH to get 25 % off your orders.
Never forget the importance of hydration!