Health Search
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Health Kiosk | BC1 Body Composition Analyzer | CT1 Calorie Tracker | RT3 Tri-axial Research Tracker
 BC1 Body Composition Analyzer Kit |
 |
|
There’s Something About Water One of the body’s most essential nutrients is water. You can’t live without water for more than a week, while you can go without food for approximately six weeks. So, water is vital to your health and life. It’s vital, just like oxygen when we breathe. The average adult is 55-75 percent water. This varies from person to person depending on their age, height, weight, and gender. Lean muscle tissue holds more water than body fat. Males with more muscle have more water than females. Younger individuals have more water than adults. A newborn baby’s weight is usually 75 percent water. Water does so much more than satisfy your thirst. When you feel thirst, your body is already dehydrated. It’s a warning sign that your body needs more water to perform its duties. Nearly every function of your body uses water. It regulates your body temperature. Water is used as transportation for many nutrients and oxygen to your body cells and to carry away waste products. Water is the main part in bodily fluids like saliva, blood, amniotic fluid and urine. It prevents constipation by softening stools, cushions joints, and protects body organs and tissue. In order for your body to perform and function normally, you need an ongoing supply of water. In other words, drink lots of water. How much water does your body need? The average adult loses about 10 cups of water a day through urination, bowel movements, breathing and perspiration. Your body doesn’t store an extra supply of water like other nutrients, so you need to replace the water that you lose throughout the day. Based on a 2000 calorie diet your body needs about 8 cups of water a day. Most people get 8 –12 cups a day through drinking water, other beverages and foods. To see if you are drinking enough water, check your urine. If it is dark in color, you are not drinking enough water. Thirst is another sign of whether or not you are drinking enough water. Proper water consumption is key to weight loss. It has no calories, so you can drink as much as you want, while supplying your body with one of its main nutrients. If you are retaining fluids, this is a sign that you are not drinking enough water. The more water you drink the less water retention you have because the body is being properly fueled. So drink lots of water because it is truly a needed nutrient for life. The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1996. pp. 171-173. |
Material on this web site may not be modified, reused, "framed", reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
without prior written permission of Stayhealthy, Inc.