First post...Water

I am new to blogging so I figured I would start with something we all need...WATER!  Especially with this hot weather we've been having, I thought it was a good place to start!  Most people don't drink near enough water...fluids yep that's usually covered with coffee, sodas, teas, sports drinks.  None of these drinks replace your need for water.  In fact, most of them actually make you need more because they contain caffeine which stimulates you to release fluids from your body. 

Why do we need Water?  Water is one of the most important and most forgotten about nutrients.  Our body is about 75% water and our brain is 85% water, without water you won't survive, every cell of your body needs water.  If you don't drink enough water you become dehydrated.  What does that mean, dehydrated? Technically it means your body doesn't have enough fluids either because you are not taking them in or you are losing too much.  When this happens your bodily fluids become concentrated and water is taken out of your cells and your cells shrink and things don't work as well as they should.  You know what else happens when you are dehydrated?  The body starts to store fat...now I have your attention! It stores fat mainly because our sensations for water and food are felt the same way and most people eat the food and forget about the water. To combat this, try drinking water the next time you think you are hungry!

Water has so many functions, one of the most important functions is to clear toxic wastes from the body.  If you are not drinking enough water, the toxins accumulate and can cause inflammation which in turn can cause a disease state.  Water is a source of energy, it generates electrical energy inside your cells and helps to either heat or cool your body, it helps prevent DNA damage, it helps to break down food because it is a major solvent in the body, it helps reduce fatigue, it even helps to combat cancer by bringing oxygen into your body.  There are so many other beneficial tasks that water does for us, we should be drinking at least 8-10 cups of water that's 64-80 oz.  That is just to replace what you have lost through your daily metabolic activities like breathing and clearing out cellular debris.  If you are outside sweating, you need to be drinking more! In fact, half your body weight is what you are striving for!

So how do we get in enough water?  Drink water first thing in the morning to rehydrate after your nighttime fast adding some lemon to the water will help to alkalinize your body.  Drink plenty of water throughout the day, drink water at least 30 minutes before meals, but don't drink water directly after meals because it will dilute your digestive juices. 

Don't wait for the physical signs of thirst because by then you are already dehydrating....