Achieving and Staying Hydrated

By Alicia Kovach, DC

Kovach Chiropractic & Wellness Center

. http://kovachchiropractic.com/

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Achieving and Staying Hydrated

As the weather warms up and you are outside more it is very important to make sure that you are consuming adequate amounts of fluid. Taking in the proper amount of fluid can positively impact your health, weight loss, and even athletic performance.

So you may be asking yourself how much water is enough water? Most people should try to drink a gallon of water a day. However if you’re a person that lives in a warmer climate or works out a lot you should try to drink more water than a gallon. The best way to start is by substituting water for all of your other drinks. Also by leaving a bottle of water in your car and having one at your desk you will make this goal achievable.

Here are just some selected benefits of proper water hydration:

• Kick starts your metabolism
• Acts as a solvent in which many of the body’s nutrients, such as vitamins B and C, dissolve to become bio-available
• Plays a dual role in metabolism: with the help of enzymes, it breaks down food to generate molecules of nutrients such as starches, triglycerides and protein, for easy digestion
• Breaks down bonds to create smaller molecules of glucose, fatty acids and amino acids
• A recent study found that drinking 50 fluid ounces of cold water can help you burn up to an extra 50 calories per day
• Keeps your energy engine firing. If your body can’t get enough fluid from tissue, your cells draw it from your bloodstream. Blood then thickens, putting a strain on your heart, which may make you feel weak, groggy or light-headed.
• Aids in digestion: When food passes through the intestines, the nutrients get absorbed leaving the waste behind.
• Neutralizes acids in the stomach, keeping them from corroding the stomach lining
• Water makes up 70% of our body weight, representing a huge principal chemical component
• Cools the body, maintains muscle tone, skin tone and provide a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues
• Flushes out waste products by dissolving excess salt and urea in the kidneys to pass out as urine
• Body enzymes get activated in the presence of water

Now that you can see all of the benefits of proper hydration make sure that you try to stay properly hydrated as we begin to enjoy all of the spring and summer activities.