Why water is important
Many of us do not think that we should drink a lot of water, the first reason being that we have to visit the restroom more often. There is still one more segment of people that say that they simply do not have the habit of drinking a lot of water. There are still others that contend that they do not like to drink plain water, so they take other liquids like soft drinks, tea, coffee and alcohol. But all this can never take the place of water as far as hydration is concerned.
It is very important that you realize that our body contains a lot of water. It is found that bile contains 86% water, while blood plasma and blood serum contain 90% and 90.6% water. Again our bones are constituted of 13% water, and our brain and cartilage contain 80.5% and 55% water. Gastric juices contain 99.5%, liver 71.5%, muscular tissue 75%, red blood corpuscles 68.7%, saliva 95.5% and spleen 75.5% of water. All these point out to the fact that water is very important in our lives. There is a common notion among people that water can be reduced during a weight loss program. However this is not true.
Why water is important during a weight loss program
As you embark on your weight loss program you would find that the initial loss of weight is mostly the loss of water from the body. It is found that the toxins that are stored in the fat cells are released along with stored energy into the blood stream. In addition when you have to burn calories, you require an adequate amount of water in order to function properly. The absence of hydration only leads to the slowing down of the process of burning fats. It is found that the blood, kidneys and heart do the function of cleansing and removing the toxins from the body. Once these toxins have to be removed, it is water that helps to flush out these toxins from the body.
It is again found that the effective purification can take place only when there is adequate water flowing through the system. In its absence the kidney cannot do its function properly and the liver would have to take over some of its functions. This would make the liver incapable of handling its primary work of converting fats into energy that can be used by the body. This would mean lesser elimination of fats from the body.
It is also to be understood that the lack of adequate water in the body would lead to loss of volume of blood. This loss of volume of blood is sure to make for loss of oxygen that is needed by the muscles to feel strong. You would feel very tired, and this would lead to soreness of muscles, as water is the lifeline that maintains muscles and helps them to contract and expand and lubricates the muscles. Water helps maintain muscle tone by assisting muscles in their ability to contract, and it lubricates your joints.
Exercise has and will continue to be a vital part of any weight loss program, with water being vital as a form of hydration. Exercising either outdoors or indoors is sure to make you thirsty as you perspire and eliminate toxins from the body. You would find you could lose about 2.6% of the water from your body when you exercise hard and in the heat. So it is advisable to drink more than what your thirst warrants. It is suggested that to remain fit, energetic and also to lubricate your muscles and joints it is good that you keep a water bottle handy. Drinking adequate water about 20 minutes before an exercise schedule helps.
Experts suggest that it is best to weigh yourself before and after exercising. It is also suggested that you take breaks to drink water at frequent intervals. It is best to drink about 10 ounces of water for every pound of body weight. It is however best understood that your body cannot be able to metabolize more than 2 liters of water an hour. It is again important to note that drinking water in the pure form helps. Alcohol, drinks containing caffeine, fruit juices and soft drinks would only dehydrate your body and could also lead to bloating in some cases. It is also advisable to go low on sports drinks as they are high in carbohydrates. Also it is water and alkaline minerals that help flush wastes as a result of exercise from the system.
Next it proves essential to know that a healthy weight loss program means a diet rich in fiber that would aid your digestive system. Again it is very essential to realize that fiber cannot work efficiently unless you take adequate liquids in the form of water that helps in the elimination. It is also worth noting that drinking adequate water with a meal that has calories and nutrients helps you eat less and feel satisfied with feeling full.
Conclusion
Having understood the importance of water in weight loss you should drink at least 8 glasses of water each day, you could drink less if you consume water dense fruits and vegetables. The best way to test if you are drinking adequate water would be to test if your urine is clear. Some have a misunderstanding that water makes you bloat, it is the excess of salt that does it. That’s to healthy weight loss realizing the importance of water in such a program.