Water is the origin of life, so it is no surprise that sufficient daily water intake is crucial for overall health. Water assists with bodily functions such as digestion, enzyme activity, cell hydration, skin hydration, and many more bodily processes. Moreover, water composes a significant portion of our body’s material. Water makes up around 75% of our body’s material when we are young, and tends to diminish as we age, composing closer to 55% of our total body material later in life.
So to achieve optimal health, it is crucial we replenish the water we use and eliminate. Common knowledge generally suggests 8 glasses (64 ounces) of water per day, however every body is different, so another suggestion is for you to divide your body weight (in pounds) in half in order to find the ideal number of daily ounces of water that is best for your individual body. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would want to drink about 75 ounces of water each day.
These are both great starting points for daily water intake, and in Symmetry’s nutritional weight loss plan, we encourage patients to drink at least this much water. We do this because, not only is water critical for basic body function and composition as mentioned above, but increasing water intake has special benefits during weight loss. First off, drinking water can quench the feeling confused for hunger that results from dehydration. And second, water assists the body in flushing out both fat and toxins during as the body experiences fat loss. Since one function of fat is to encapsulate bodily toxins, losing fat during weight loss can release toxins into the body, which then need to be eliminated. Drinking lots of water does the job, as it helps to carry fat out of the body while flushing out any toxins previously contained within.
Since we suggest a high quantity of daily water intake, finding high quality sources is imperative. If drinking tap water, make sure to use a filter that removes heavy metals, harmful bacteria, and chemical toxins. A filter that can also remove chlorine and fluoride is a welcomed plus, like Berkey Filters www.berkeyfilters.com. Water can also be consumed in the form of herbal tea, but be weary of using caffeinated tea and caffeinated beverages as water replacements. Caffeinated beverages are diuretics, so make sure to match every caffeinated beverage with a glass of water. Finally, don’t forget your vegetables; please keep in mind that fresh produce contains water so is hydrating as well!