Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.
Interesting Fact #1: When you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated…
The average adult loses about 2.5 litres of water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney’s workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.
Interesting Fact #2: You can replace a glass of water with a cup of Rooibos tea to make up your daily water or fluid intake…
So, how much water is enough for you? Each person has to drink enough water determined by their weight, how active you are and other measurements. The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day. This amount of water is roughly in line with the popular “8 glasses a day”. Eight glasses of water is more or less 1.9 litres of water and is an easy number to remember. However, if you want to determine exactly how much water you should be consuming, you should find a “water intake calculator” online, where you can enter your specifics to calculate exactly how much water is adequate for you.
The functions and benefits of water:
- Moistens tissues such as those in the eyes, mouth and nose.
- Protects body organs and tissues
- Helps prevent constipation
- Helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients to make them accessible in the body.
- Regulates body temperature
- Lubricates joints
- Lessens the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
- Carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells
Drink water throughout the day, so that you do not need to take it all in at once- this actually puts strain on your kidneys. You will surely reap the benefits of drinking enough water as part of your lifestyle!
Annique Day Spa
195 Constance Avenue
Clubview, Centurion
012 654 0602/7
info@anniquedayspa.co.za
