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Got Water? Continued
Your Body NEEDS Water
Water is the most abundant and essential component in the human
body. It comprises, on average, about 60% of total body weight
for young adults and about 50% for the elderly. Various body
components contain different amounts of water i.e. water
constitutes 70% of muscle weight and 50% of body fat weight. The
amount of body water is generally lower in females, the elderly,
and the obese because of the smaller portion of muscle mass in
these populations. Water plays a role in nearly every body
function, including:
-
Aids
circulation and kidney function
-
Helps
control the body's temperature and blood pressure
-
Lubricates
and cushions joints
-
Is
essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination
-
Keeps the
skin healthy
-
Helps
remove wastes and toxins from your body
-
Helps to
elevate mood
The body releases about 4% of the total body weight in water
each day to maintain normal body functions, which include
excretion of body waste and evaporation from the lungs and skin.
Dehydration occurs when water intake is less than water output.
This is especially pertinent to older adults when total
available water in the body has decreased because of loss in
muscle mass, changes in the cells as people age, less efficient
kidney function, and reduced thirst sensation. Thirst is the
body’s mechanism used to increase water consumption. When the
volume of water decreases, the body’s “thirst” signals the brain
and triggers the person to consume fluids. Older adults,
compared with other segments of the population, have impaired
responses to reduced body water; thus, they are most vulnerable
to dehydration. Too many of us do not get the daily water intake
that our bodies require and instead of drinking water when we
thirst, we drink caffeinated, carbonated beverages such as
coffee and soda. These drinks can actually cause the body to
lose water, making proper hydration even more difficult to
attain. Not getting enough water can cause fatigue, dry skin,
headaches, nausea and constipation.
Your Spine’s Health
When you sit in chairs for hours each day, your
spine doesn't get enough movement and spinal disc fluid is
leached out. This minimizes incoming nourishment because the
discs have no direct blood supply and are fed by a process of
absorption facilitated by pressure changes in the case of the
spine.
Since the primary component of a disc is water,
it only makes sense to keep properly hydrated to prevent your
discs from dehydrating. Proper water intake can decrease pain in
degenerative spines.
Sitting also inhibits movement or exercise that
keeps the muscles and ligaments of the spine healthy. As our
spinal discs dehydrate they narrow. This causes the ligaments of
the spine to become progressively more lax. This condition is a
very common cause of spinal instability that typically leads to
more serious conditions such as pinched nerve roots, disc
herniation or arthritic changes that crowd the spinal cord and
nerve roots.
Drink Enough Water
To ensure proper hydration, you should daily
drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces. For
example, if your current weight is 200 lbs you should drink 100
ounces a day. This may seem like a lot, especially if are
only drinking 1-2 glasses a day. But most of us are awake at
least 12 hours a day so spread out over the course of a day,
it’s about one glass (8 ozs) every hour for 12 hours. If you
normally don't drink enough water, you'll have to build up your
water intake gradually to prevent running to the bathroom every
few minutes. Your bladder will adjust to this level after a
short period of time, and you can keep increasing your water
intake until you reach optimal levels. Start off with 1/3 of
the optimal, then add 16 oz a week until you’ve reached your
goal.
Pace It
It's important to sip water all day long. Depending on your
size, your body can only process a bit more than a glass of
water per hour. If you drink much more than this at one sitting,
the extra water will not be used, but merely flushed down the
toilet bowl.
Drinking plenty of water is also a great way to prevent
over-eating throughout the day. Often when people reach for a
snack it is due to dehydration and not hunger. When you have
that urge to snack try having a glass of water and waiting 10
minutes to see if that satisfies your craving. |
