To maintain optimum health, it is imperative to drink an adequate amount of water each day. Water is the best type of liquid to maintain proper hydration. Other sources of liquid may quench your thirst, but water aids the process of digestion, absorption, elimination and dilutes toxins the best to benefit your body.
Certain liquids that contain caffeine or alcohol are actually diuretics and will cause you to excrete more water than you take in. Often, people have mild dehydration during the day at some time and don’t recognize it. The recommended intake of water per day is eight glasses of water that are eight ounce size.
If you are suffering from a cold or respiratory ailment, increase your water consumption to eight ounces per hour. This helps to thin mucous and aids healing from your respiratory ailment. When looking at your intake of liquids, consider water as a separate entity. The type of water that is preferable is distilled, but you can take in tap water or another source.
The temperature of the water effects the speed of rehydration. Colder water will rehydrate your body more quickly than warm water.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water. Your thirst mechanism doesn’t start until you’ve lost at least two cups of water. If you live in a hot, dry climate, the time between thirst and serious dehydration is very brief.
Carry water with you throughout the day. Keep chilled water with you in the car and take it to work with you. Take a tall drink of water before bedtime as you lose water while you sleep. Another good size glass of water when you wake is a good idea. If you have coffee only when you wake, it will cause you to lose more water.
During your exercise routine, take breaks for water. Don’t wait until you’re finished exercising to take in water. By that time, you may have begun to dehydrate. Water is essential to life just as air is. Keep in mind to drink the eight glasses of water per day so you’ll be healthier and well hydrated.
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 7th, 2007 at 11:04 am and is filed under Fitness Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.