The importance of drinking water

[MaryJane]

Drink water, lose weight

Water is a natural appetite suppressant as it makes you feel full quicker. Drink a glass before you eat your meal and you will eat less.

Water can help banish snack attacks. US research found that in almost all dieters studied, a glass of water eliminated midnight hunger pangs.

Staying properly hydrated enables the body to break down fat and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Water causes the body to swell and stimulates production of high-density lipoprotein - 'good cholesterol' - which picks up low-density lipoprotein - 'bad cholesterol' - and takes it to the gut to be flushed out of the body.

Water also lubricates your muscles and joints - and exercise is, of course, a vital part of any weight-loss regime. To stay fit and healthy and burn off the maximum amount of calories, it's vital that you remain hydrated throughout your workout. The secret is to drink little and often - before you feel thirsty. When you exercise, your thirst sensors are inhibited, so you may not notice how dehydrated you're becoming. A loss of 3% of your body's water content causes a 10% drop in strength and 8% drop in speed, according to Patrick Holford, author of The Optimum Nutrition Bible.

Another good weight-loss tip is to carry a small bottle of mineral water around with you. Whenever you get a hunger pang, don't reach for a snack but take a swig of water. It'll help to fill you up and make your body more efficient at burning up fat.

How much water do you really need?

Your MINIMUM daily requirement is 2 litres. Alice Kavounas, author of Water: Pure Therapy says: 'Water is excreted through your skin and kidneys, and with every exhalation of breath.' Even on a cool day, your body uses and loses 2 litres of water, which is why you should drink 2 litres at the very least. During hot weather or when you're exercising you should drink more, to replace the fluids lost through sweating.

You also need more when you're on a plane because the amount of fluid evaporation from the body rises at higher altitudes and in dry environments.

Does tea and coffee count towards the daily total?

No, the water you drink in tea and coffee doesn't count. The caffeine acts as a diuretic which means your hot drink takes more than its volume of water with it when it leaves your body. Herbal teas are the only exception. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink, you should have an additional cup of water. For every alcoholic drink you have, drink an extra 2 cups of water.

Can you get enough water from the food you eat?

All foods contain water, which can help top up your daily intake - but this should never take the place of your 2 litres of drinking water. Baked potatoes are 70% water; mushrooms are 90%; tofu is 85%; and even bagels contain 35%.

Does it matter what kind you drink?

All water is better than not enough water, but some will give you more nutrients than others.

Bottled mineral water. This is better for you than tap water because it contains more essential trace elements, vital for wellbeing. And it's better to drink the still rather than sparking variety as the carbon in fizzy water binds to minerals which should ideally be going to your teeth and bones

Tap water. Major investment and tough guidelines have resulted in huge improvements in the safety of UK tap water. Out of 2.7 million samples taken in 2000, 99.83 per cent met stringent quality standards. But it is still a good idea to invest in a water filter, as tap water contains chemicals and cleansing agents such as chlorine to make it safe to drink. Point-of-entry ceramic and reverse osmosis filters are best as they rid the water of bacteria and viruses, as well as any impurities.

Five more reasons to drink water

1.It gives you perfect skin. Water is needed to stop skin from drying out, plump out fine lines and wrinkles and prevent spots. Healthy skin is 70% water - but it's always the last organ to benefit from the body's supply. Remember, a moisturiser can only lock in the moisture that's already there.

2.It reduces road rage. Driving a car in the city typically results in the loss of as much as half a litre of water an hour, according to the National Mineral Water Information Service: this can trigger emotional changes that lead to road rage.

3.It gives you a great smile. Flouride added to tap water supplies provides extra strength and density to teeth and bones.

4.It makes you brainier. An experiment at a school in Scotland found that pupils' test results improved when they drank water throughout the day.

5.It replenishes your body's stores of minerals. The average natural spring water contains over 100mg calcium, needed for healthy teeth and bones - without the calorie content of dairy products! Popular bottled waters containing the highest mineral content include Evian, Perrier, Highland Spring and Ballygowan.

icircle.com

[SVZ]

2 litres seems a bit high...but I suppose you get a lot from the foods you eat

[MaryJane]

Originally Posted by SVZ

2 litres seems a bit high...but I suppose you get a lot from the foods you eat

2 liters is actually the average amount advised, sometimes even 3.
Personally I try to drink about 3 liters every day.

Also count the fact that I live in a hot place - 40°C (104F) in the summer - so my body needs more water.

[PlasticGirl]

I have no thirst sensors, from YEARS of not drinking fluids at all for long periods. I dont do tea/coffee/fizzy drinks (hate them) but only enjoy water or fruit juice (in small quantities at a time) but for the life of me i dont know why i only drink when THIRSTY. This is bad. Perhaps one small cup a day, some days none at all. That is my fluid intake. My sisters have this bad habit as well! Ive 'trained' my body not to complain i suppose?
My worst habit is to not offer guests anything to drink cuz im not thirsty! I get surprised when i see people gulping down drinks, i just dont get it. My husband is a liquid-aholic. LOVES to drink liquids.

[tofucheesecake]

I read somewhere that the general water consumption guide is 1/2 your body weight (pounds) in ounces of water, plus 1 oz per every min. you exercise and sweat, plus two times the amount of caffeine you drink in oz. Ex: Bob weighs 200 lbs. The minimum amt. of water he must drink/day = 100 oz. If he exercises for 30 min, that is an extra 30 oz. If he drinks a 6 oz. cup of coffee (caffeinated), he must drink an extra 12 oz. Does that make sense?

[darksithbunny]

Now I just read that TOO much water can screw u up! go figure.

[kimereso]

I rarely drink water at all. I try but I just hate the way it tastes. I know that I should drink more but it's hard to make yourself swallow something that tastes gross.

[j-adore]

I'm scared... I never really drink much water!!!! That should be one of my new years resolution!!!!

[MaryJane]

Originally Posted by darksithbunny

Now I just read that TOO much water can screw u up! go figure.

Did you read it online? Can you post the article?

[A*O]

I've always understood that 2 litres (4+ pints) is what you should aim for. If you really don't like the taste, make up a jug of cordial. I like lemon barley or lime but there's loads of other flavours. It has sugar in it of course and colourings that make you glow in the dark, but so long as you don't make it too strong it's better than nothing. I also drink sparkling mineral water - whatever's on special offer at the supermarket - which is more interesting than the boring still stuff.

Water is an excellent jetlag preventative too. Last time I went to the UK (23 hour flight) I drank GALLONS of water on the plane and it was interesting to note that despite that I really didn't need to pee any more often so flying really does dehydrate you. I had little or no jetlag at all, despite the 11 hour time difference. I am sure the reason you feel so shitty with jetlag (and hangovers for that matter) is because of the dehydration.

[Barbara]

Mineral water vs tap water: I heard that what matters is not what water brings to your body, but what it allows your body to eliminate, which rather makes sense to me.