Water: Pure and SimpleThirsty? Before you reach for that soda, beer or sports drink, how about reaching for something that has been around since
beginning of time—water. Water is one of most pure, most essential nutrients on face of earth. We drink it, wash with it, swim in it and spend nine months developing in it. Every living thing consists of water: plants, animals and humans; each one of us is made up of approximately 70% water.
Water is an important and precious commodity. It’s so important that only 1% of earth’s water is drinkable.
This clear, wonderful fluid is so effective that it can fulfill many tasks. It hydrates and replenishes lost nutrients; it carries waste from body, balances body temperature, and keeps skin elastic. Not only does it increase mental and physical alertness, but it can also provide a person with increased energy and help prevent illness by flushing toxins out of system. That cool, clear substance is also critical to our survival; we can go for weeks without food but only days without water.
For weight management, water is essential. Documented in article, Weight Control Begins with Hydration by Linda McDonald, RD, water can decrease a person’s appetite because thirst is usually mistaken for hunger. Those late night stomach rumblings can be easily quelled by indulging in a glass of H2O. Water can help reduce fat deposits and eradicate excess fluids and waste, which, in some cases, people believe opposite. The assumption is that too much ingestion of this pure liquid leads to water retention. This is a fallacy. Linda indicates that when body is deprived of water, it will hold on to it because it perceives body is in danger of dehydration, hence swollen hands, legs, and feet. If water is consumed properly, it is able to do its job effectively.
Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, MD, author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, has studied effects of dehydration and miracles of water consumption for over 20 years. His studies suggest that many degenerative diseases and medical maladies are result of dehydration. He also points out that pain, not a dry mouth, is a strong indicator of being thirsty. He maintains that a well-hydrated body can help cure, prevent and control a number of medical conditions, such as: diabetes, asthma, angina, migraines, arthritis, high blood pressure, heartburn, high cholesterol, kidney stones, and even morning sickness.
