Drink More Water
Water- It Makes Us Tick
Most of us take good old H2O for granted without realising the fundamentally important role it plays in our existence as human beings!
Did you realise that 60% of our body is water and every system in depends on it to function!
Water carries nutrients to our body‘s cells. It clears the waste products from our organs and digestive system, provides a moist environment for our eyes, ears and nose, transports white blood cells to fight infections and lubricates our joints!
Water – It’s Always On The Move!
Our bodies obtain water from the fluids we drink and the foods we eat. So, it will come as no surprise that a lot of water is lost from our bodies via waste products.
But you might not be aware that spending a penny or two only represents just over 50% of the water our bodies lose every day. The other 50% is lost from evaporation and sweat off our skin and from our lungs!
Even if we don’t perspire, we still lose 800 to 1000 millilitres of water per day equivalent to 3 to 4 cups of tea or coffee!
On average, around 5-10% of our body’s water is consumed and lost every day.
And this can vary depending on the amount of water each of our bodies requires to function properly and depends on many factors including :
- An individual’s health and metabolism
- Exercise – which raises the body temperature and make us perspire
- Environment – hot or humid weather, central heating, even living at high altitude which may increased urination
source: Royal College of Nursing
Illnesses or health conditions – fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, make your body loses additional fluids and other conditions can impair water excretion.
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding mothers need more water too
Research has indicated that daily water replenishment for less active males is 3.3 litres and for more active individuals, 4.5 litres.
And for those living in warm environments, intakes need to grow to 6 litres.
To keep our bodies in tip top working order, our lost water must be adequately and regularly replenished so we can remain healthy.
This is called good hydration!
Water – It Keeps Us Healthy
It’s easy to take water for granted because it’s always available.
But without it, the other 5 essential nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals wouldn’t be able to do their job!
Lack of water leads to dehydration, which means you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out its normal functions.
Mild dehydration can result in tiredness and low energy levels.
Most people feel thirsty after their bodies have become dehydrated. So relying on thirst to tell you when to take water on board is not a good indicator. The key to achieving good hydration is to keep topping up during the day.
Water – It’s Important To Get Your Hydration Right
We get about 19% of the water we need from the food we eat. So we need to consume the remaining 81% via fluid intake.
However, because people are different, there can be no universally agreed level of water consumption each day.
Men in active jobs working in high temperatures may require 4.5 litres per day (World Health Organisation).
Other figures range from 1.2 to 3.3 litres depending on whether you are a man or woman.
“Most professionals agree that around 8 decent-sized glasses a day is about right. That’s around 2 litres.” Royal College of Nursing & NHS Patient Safety Agency
If you have concerns about fluid intake relative to health issues you may have, please consult your doctor who will recommend the right amount of water for your diet.
Water – It’s Good For Employee’s Health, Reduces Sick Leave & Improves Productivity
In busy working environments, it’s not always easy to maintain good hydration for the benefit of day to day health.
And good hydration is important for employee health and safety. Mild dehydration can have detrimental effects on physical and mental performance, which can be exacerbated by consumption of caffeinated drinks, a job’s physical demands and hot or dry workplaces. Good hydration offers long term health benefits which make it part of a healthy lifestyle.
Medical evidence for good hydration illustrates that it can help prevent or treat ailments such as:
- low blood pressure
- kidney stones
- skin conditions
- diabetes (management of)
- poor oral health
- dizziness and confusion leading to falls
- pressure ulcers
- heart disease
- cognitive impairment
- urinary infections and incontinence
- constipation
Water – It makes a lot of sense to drink more!
The real benefit of drinking water is what you didn’t drink!
Stay properly hydrated with water which has no calories, caffeine or artificial sweeteners and you’ll look and feel a lot healthier!
And if you make water your liquid refreshment of choice, you could lose a few unwanted pounds too!
