Water is absolutely essential for survival. A person may survive for a month without food, but only about a week without water. People can't survive on any water either, we need to have clean water to drink. Clean water contributes to good health; contaminated water can cause disease and even death. In order to be clean enough for human consumption, water usually has to be "treated" in some way.
The body is made up of 75% water - the most important nutrient (and salt - the 2nd most important nutrient). The brain is 85% water and salt, and the blood is 94% water and salt. It is vitally important that these levels remain intact because each of the millions of cells in the body need important nutrients that water delivers, and if it weren't for salt they would stay in a toxic state - salt removes the toxins.Not drinking enough water causes the cells to not receive the nutrients they need to function properly. They turn acidic and start to malfunction - this is what causes disease.
Thirst is one of the last signals that your body gives you to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, dehydration is already being felt somewhere in the body. This is why people need to drink water on a forced, regular schedule. But people don't always recognize their thirst - they mistake it for hunger. So when they eat when they should be drinking water, the body may lash out on the hunger response to make them eat more so it can get the water it needs from the food. This results in fatness.
Every day a person needs to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water. This will reduce the malfunctioning of body parts.
Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss!
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give the body what it needs.PLENTY OF WATER. Only then will the stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of un-needed salt is easy - just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium. The overweight person needs more water than the thin one! Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person gets enough water, normal bowel functions returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss
The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced
