Drink enough WATER ?

Why is drinking water so important?

Human beings can survive without food for a month but perish without water for 3-5 days. As we know 70% of our body is made of water and the trillion of cells are bathed in the fluids. Thus, water becomes the medium for multiple cell function and is essential to the physiologic processes of digestion and absorption of nutrients, excretion of metabolic and indigestible wastes. An efficient process is crucial for our cells to be energised and us to feel more alert.

For this reason, most of us attempt to stick to the ritual of drinking 8 or more glasses of water daily for various health reasons. 

+ Healthy skin is well-hydrated with wastes purged out to prevent a buildup that can cause degeneration of cells. Drying out is visible by tired and unhealthy skin. What happens is that the skin retains what it already had, resulting in puffy bloated skin cells.

+ Well hydration prevents the blood from thickening as the heart finds it easier to pump. Hence, people who drink plenty of water have fewer cardiovascular problems.

+ Water helps to regulate body temperature through perspiration.

+ Our lung tissue must be moist to facilitate oxygen intake and carbon dioxide excretion, thus water is essential for breathing purpose. About one pint of liquid is lost each day through exhaling.

+ Most bottled fruit juices are loaded with fructose or sucrose to improve the taste, even though they may contain many nutrients. A sudden rush of sugar triggers the insulin response and makes one tired and if the extra calories are not burned off can be converted into fats.


+  Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water daily could significantly ease back and joint pain for majority of sufferers.


+  A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short term memory, calculation and concentration.


+  Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risks of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and slashes chance of developing bladder cancer by half.


+  When hunger pangs bite during midnight, a glass of water can settle the urge for almost all dieters.


+  Lack of water is the No 1 trigger of daytime fatigue. 


How much is enough?


As a safe guide as to whether the body's water requirement is met, observe the color and quantity of the urine. Scanty, dark, concentrated urine indicates a shortage of water in the body. What happens is that the large intestine always attempt to conserve as much fluids as possible to be recycled for vital bodily functioning.

When to drink water?

Water taken on an empty stomach passes through quickly and is promptly absorbed. On the other hand, water (include milk and soup) taken with meals mixes with the food, diluting the gastric juice and hindering digestion. Worst still, excess water taken during mealtime results in food within the stomach tends to pass through more rapidly - even before thoroughly digested. Not to encourage is half-glass of cold water gulped down can chill the delicate membranes of the stomach and prevent proper digestion.

More water when....

+ Profuse perspiration when one exercises or works vigorously under the hot sun

+ Loss of water during illness by vomiting, diarrhea or hemorrhage

+ Coffee, tea and most soft drinks contain caffeine and are diuretic, meaning the body can lose water faster than normal. To note, black tea has a pH of 6.37, whilst coffee is 5.35. Green tea's pH of 7-10 is closer to water 7.0

+ Whether it's your feet, your knees or your shoulders that are throbbing, experts at New York's Manhattan College, say you could kick-start your recovery in one week just by drinking 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Why? Experts say water dilutes, and then helps flush out, histamine, a pain-triggering compound produced by injured tissues. "Plus water is a key building block of the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones, your joints' lubricating fluid, and the soft discs in your spine," adds Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., author of the book, The Good Mood Diet. "And when these tissues are well-hydrated, they can move and glide over each other without causing pain."

In conclusion...

Healthy living requires abstinence from foods or drinks detrimental to the body's normal functioning or its stores of energy. Pure water, fruit juice and milk are healthful drinks which not only are needed to provide fluids but to satisfy our thirst and taste. Unhealthy drinks like soft beverages, caffeine drinks and liquors should be an occasional indulgence for pleasure and taste only.