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The following article is being offered as informational and should not be considered as medical advice.
Consult your doctor about how much water you should drink and for any other matters concerning you health.
Water is the single most significant nutrient that our body needs. Out of all of the nutrients it is the one that is probably most responsible of overall proper body function.
Notice that we can live considerable periods of time without food, but only a few days without water. According to highvibrations.org, water actually helps the body to minimize fat deposits which, of course, controls weight.
Excess weight and obesity are considered by the medical community to be a major contributor to the onset of diabetes, stroke, heart and other cardiovascular diseases. This is particularly an issue with Black Americans as we disproportionately have higher incidents of these maladies than virtually every represented ethnic group in the country.
Weight gain is a significant issue in modern American culture and appears to be a primary culprit in many serious health matters. There are some things that you may not be aware of that may give you real reason to pay more attention to your water intake and why you might want to increase it.
The following is an excerpt from the "High Vibrations" website:
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body. Metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduces fat deposits.
Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat while more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.
Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cell). This shows up as swollen feet, legs, and hands.
Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a treat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns.
The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released.
If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it.
But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy -- just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium.
The overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight person needs more water.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows some weigh loss -- shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of -- all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste.
Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? - Constipation. But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns.
So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:
* The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
* Retained water shows up as excess weight.
* To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
* Drinking water is essential to weight loss.
When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are near perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the "breakthrough point." What does this mean?
* Endocrine-gland function improves.
* Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
* More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
* Natural thirst returns.
* There is a loss of hunger almost over night.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid
retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough." Water, as you can see, has a lot of benefits.
Take advantage of it!
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