Water Water Everywhere. Are You Drinking Enough?

“Most of us are probably not drinking enough”, seems to be the general opinion of most researchers into the subject.  We know we need to stay “hydrated”, but what do we really mean by this?

What does water do?

Water is responsible for a whole list of things in your body.  Here’s just some of them:

• Maintenance of your DNA
• Facilitating reaction in your mitochondria (where fat is burned!)
• Maintaining the integrity of your blood (which is over 90% water and it’s used to transfer many nutrients, oxygen and immune cells throughout your body, and assists in waste removal)
• Creating lymph fluid to support the immune system and waste removal
• Building fluids for your digestive tract and digestive secretions
• Regulating body temperature
• Creating the cerebrospinal fluid of your central nervous system
• Making the synovial fluid of your joints and discs
• Creates the pathways to transmit hormones and neurotransmitters through the entire body
• Helps to create your brain, which is the master regulator of your hormones and regulates hunger, thyroid function plus a whole lot more.

Indeed, none of the processes of metabolism can take place without the presence of water!  Water makes everything work better!

For example, if I told you that drinking 2, 8-oz glasses of water (about 400 ml) can increase your metabolic rate by 30% within 10 minutes, would that spur you on to drink more?  This is called water-induced thermogenesis and burns around 25 calories!  Not only that, but drinking adequate amounts of water can literally trigger the release of stored body fat!  Lead me to the well!

Should we drink gallons then?

If some is good, isn’t more much better? Unfortunately, drinking too much water gives diminishing returns and can be problematic for your metabolism.

So, how much should we be drinking?  There is a technical formula that can be used as a baseline:  

    HALF of BODY WEIGHT (lbs)  = Daily target in ounces.   [8oz=200ml]

So, if you are 150lbs, drink (150/2) 75 ozs  per day (that’s 75/8*200 = 1875ml).

That’s 1.8 litres – but should be adjusted depending on your activity level and environmental exposures.

Keep it Simple!

That said, to keep it simple, here are the two best ways to ensure that you’re drinking enough: 

1. Take an “inner bath” to start your day – drink 400 – 750ml within 10 minutes of waking. 
   This will: 
   1. Eliminate metabolic waste (from all the processes that the body undertake while we sleep).
   2. Replenish hydration levels after the amount of time you’ve gone without water.
   3. Give your metabolic rate a boost (water-induced thermogenesis)
   4. Puts your metabolic systems in the “ON’ position to start the day.
2. Keep it on hand at all times.  You can’t drink it if you don’t have it.
   1. Get a bottle that you like.
   2. Stainless steel is great or BPA-free plastic. (Try to avoid plastic for storing water all day, especially in excessive light or heat, to skip the BPA (bisphenol-A) effect).

Leonardo da Vinici said, “Water is the driving force of all nature”.  Remember its power and use it to have the health, energy and body composition you want to have! Go, glug!