Hydration & Health: The Best Ways To Hydrate The Body
What Our Body Is Made Of?
Did you know that our body is vastly made of water? Newborn babies have around 75% water in their body while adults have around 60% water. Zooming into each vital organ of the body, the heart and brain are composed of around 70% water, the lungs have around 80%, the kidneys and muscles are at around 75%, the skin at around 60%, and the bones at around 30%. You should know all the best ways to hydrate to stay healthy.
This automatically means that water is a life-giving resource and an essential nutrient. It is said that humans cannot survive without water for around three to four days, but it still depends on the body type and diet.
This level of importance makes water invaluable and indispensable. This is also the main reason why staying hydrated with water, fluids, and other foods that contain water is very important in human life.
Why Hydration Is Crucial To Health
Hydration is very important in staying healthy and alive because it is what keeps our body functioning at optimal levels. On a daily basis, humans must drink around two to three liters of water in order to maintain a healthy body.
Water does a lot of significant things for the body. These include forming saliva for digestion, keeping mucosal membranes moist, allowing cells to grow, reproduce, and survive, and flushing out wastes.
Water also plays a major role in helping the brain in manufacturing neurotransmitters and hormones, in regulating body temperature, in acting as a shock absorber for spinal cord and brain, in converting food, and in helping deliver oxygen to the entire body.
This is the reason why when you have your regular check-ups with your doctor, he/she would always advise you to drink the right amount of water each day since it is truly essential in living a healthy life. Moreover, a lot of information campaigns that you see on TV or on the web promote the habit of drinking water frequently every day.
Signs Of Dehydration
So, what happens when you are not able to drink the right amount of water that your body needs? Here are some symptoms of dehydration that you have to watch out for:
- Dry mouth
- Increased thirst
- Headache
- Dry skin
- Dizziness
- Brain fog
- Lack of activity or performance
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Darker colored urine
- Bad breath
- Fast heartbeat
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
Best Ways To Hydrate And Stay Hydrated
You definitely do not want to become dehydrated because it can lead to health problems and issues. In order to hydrate your body and to stay hydrated all the time, here are some of the best ways to stay hydrated:
1) Drink Water And Other Fluids Regularly
Water is the best and the healthiest source of hydration. However, if you get bored drinking water, you can always incorporate other fluids into your diet as a means for hydration.
You can opt to drink fresh fruit juices, hydration drinks with electrolytes, flavored water, carbonated water, coconut water, coffee, milk, tea, and other beverages that you like.
2) Eat Fresh Fruits And Vegetables
A lot of fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of water in them. This means that when you eat these kinds of fruits and vegetables, you also help your body stay hydrated.
Examples of watery fruits are tomatoes, watermelon, oranges, and other citrus and juicy fruits. Meanwhile, spinach, cucumber, lettuce, and zucchini are some of the vegetables that are high in water content.
3) Consume Oatmeal
Oats absorb the milk or water that you are cooking and preparing it with and once you eat your oatmeal, it also helps provide hydration for your body. Since oatmeal is also a very healthy food, consuming it is regularly is beneficial for good health.
4) Don't Forget Your Soup
Eating soup dishes is also a great way to stay hydrated, especially if they contain sodium as well since sodium helps the body hold onto water more.
5) When It's Too Hot Outside, Stay Inside
When it's summer, people are used to going outside and enjoying vacation at the beach and that's okay as long as they stay hydrated and wear sun protection.
However, if it is way too hot outside, it is best to stay inside the house and turn the air-conditioner on so that your body will not be too dry and dehydrated from the hot weather.
Benefits Of Staying Hydrated
When you do all these things dutifully to stay hydrated, your body and your health will benefit in so many ways:
1) Weight Management and Weight Loss
People who drink water and keep their bodies regularly hydrated tend to be in a more healthy weight. In some people, drinking water even helps them lose weight. Why? It is because water promotes metabolism and digestion.
2) Kidney Stone Prevention and Treatment
Stones are formed in your kidneys when you do not drink enough water and when you consume too much stone-forming foods. But when you drink plenty of water and do everything to stay hydrated, your kidneys will be healthy and free from stones.
3) Skin Hydration
With age and with extreme weather, the skin may get dehydrated and can feel dry and look wrinkly. A way to address this is to drink water and stay hydrated in order to keep the skin plump, elastic, and looking young.
4) Normal Bowel Movement
Do you notice that when you don't drink enough water, you experience constipation? This is because your body does not have enough fluids to make your bowel movement go smoothly. It is best to always drink water and keep hydrated in order to prevent constipation.
5) Optimal Body Functions
Since water is found in every part of the body, it is very crucial in helping the body, organs, tissues, and cells stay healthy and function optimally. When the body is regularly hydrated, several health problems from head to toe can be prevented and treated as well.
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