The Importance of Water

By Toria Cornett and Karen Sturtevant

Summer is here and the temperature and humidity are rising. A Vermonter understands that the weather can be very unpredictable, but our summers are generally consistent with being hot and humid.

Summer in Vermont is both postcard picturesque and makes even the most composed of us complain about the humidity—how quickly we forget the bitter cold of winter.

Brides, take note: As the mercury rises, it’s time to focus on the importance of water and hydration when it comes to health, exercise, and overall well-being.

Did you know that human bodies are made up of 55-75 percent water? Our brains are 95 percent water; blood, 82 percent; and our lungs, 90 percent water. The most important nutrient to the human body, water serves several functions: maintaining muscle tone, delivering essential nutrients and flushing harmful toxins. Water is the quiet hero regulating body temperature and metabolism, suppressing appetite, and keeping our brains sharp and skin supple.

So what is the buzz about water retention? What is it and how do we get rid of it? The last thing a bride wants is to have swollen fat cells because of water retention. Water retention is subcutaneous fluid that accumulates because of an excess of sodium in the body. So how do you get rid of it? Simple, drink more water! This causes the body to release excess sodium and flush the toxins out of the body.

Most adults lose between two to three quarts of water each day by normal body function

Other home remedies to combat water retention:

• Limit salt intake. The recommended daily allowance is 2,400 milligrams.
• Exercise and sweat. Be sure to hydrate before and after working out.
• For moderate exercise, an extra cup to cup and a half of water are sufficient to re-hydrate.
• Eat fiber (this will help with bloating). Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts are full of flavor and fiber.
• Consume natural diuretics such as cranberry juice and cabbage. These help to flush out toxins and digest fat.

What about caffeine and alcohol and what roles do they play with water retention? Both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics that have a dehydrating effect and are not meant to hydrate. You may feel as though you’re hydrating while making many trips to the bathroom, but actually what’s happening is the body is expelling necessary fluids and nutrients at a high rate. This causes the body to retain water to help make up for the loss fluid through urination and sweat. A good way to tell if you are property hydrated is to notice how you feel during the day. If you rarely feel thirsty and produce approximately six cups of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your H20 intake should be sufficient. Monitor your urine volume and output. Dark urine is a red flag that the body is dehydrated and concentrating the urine to save water.

We’ve all heard the eight glasses a day rule, but what if water isn’t your drink of choice? For self-admitted water-haters, jazz it up with cut lemon, lime, or orange slices, add a few frozen cubes of fruit juice for added zing, and treat yourself to fizzy sparkling flavored water. Bring your water bottle to work, errands, fun excursions, and before long, you’ve developed a healthy habit. The general daily water rule is to drink one cup for every 20 pounds of body weight. The daily water intake recommendation for a person weighing 120 pounds, without exercising and who doesn’t live in a harsh, dry climate is six cups per day.

On average we receive 20 percent of our water from the foods we eat. Tomatoes are 90 percent water and a big wedge of watermelon has 9.6 ounces (more than one cup) of water. The remaining 80 percent must come from the beverage choices we make.
What about eating and drinking? Is it true that if you drink a glass of water before a meal that you will eat less thus consume fewer calories at the meal? The jury is out on that question.

The more common discussion point on drinking water or fluids while eating, even during or after a meal, is that it may actually dilute the acids in the stomach that are responsible for breaking down those foods. Others might say that if you drink water before a meal you will feel fuller and eat less. Some might say instead of hunger you may be dehydrated, so drink water and skip that snack bag of potato chips.

Most adults lose between two to three quarts of water each day by normal body function; athletes and warmer climate dwellers lose more. If you exercise, the literature says to drink every 15-30 minutes of physical activity (depending on the intensity). Americans spend more than 15 billion dollars annually on bottled water—more than on iPods or movie tickets. Save your hard-eared cash (and planet Earth from all those plastic bottles), and use tap water, water fountains, or the water cooler at work. If your at-home tap water doesn’t pass the taste test or if safety (due to toxins) is questionable, invest in a filter—your cells and skin will thank you.

A person is able to survive up to four weeks without food but only three days without water. Most adults don’t drink enough water; by some accounts 75 percent of us consistently have mild chronic dehydration. Do you ever feel that mid-afternoon slump and downward energy spiral? You may be dehydrated. As little as a two percent drop in our water supply can affect our focusing, basic math skills, and short-term memory.

The bottom line is this: Drink water to perform and look your best; drink before you feel thirsty and drink more if you are sweating. The more we replenish, the better our bodies function and look, especially for that wedding walk down the aisle and photo close-ups.
Make H20 a daily habit: drink a glass of water when you wake, fill your fancy water bottle before you leave the house, strive to meet your daily water intake, and make the water routine a healthy, lifetime habit worth keeping.

Vermont Bride Magazine - Vermont's Most Trusted Wedding Resource Since 1990

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