The Most Important Nutrient In the Body
It is well known that water plays an essential role in our health, as well as the health of many other living beings.
Water makes up about 55 to 60 percent of our total body mass. It is the most important nutrient in the body and is in every one of our body’s tissues.
Roles of Water
Water has many different important roles in our body. To name several, it:
- Improves oxygen delivery to our cells.
- Transports nutrients.
- Cushions our bones and lubricates joints.
- Helps regulate our body temperature.
- Helps flush toxins and remove wastes.
- Empowers our body’s natural healing process.
How Much Should I Drink?
You’ve heard the “drink 8 glasses of water a day” recommendation? Each person has their own individual needs for water consumption, just as we do with food and physical activity. Here’s a good guideline to calculate your personal water needs:
Do you drink diuretic beverages? Coffee? Soda? Caffeinated tea? There’s one more calculation to add to your daily intake guideline. Diuretics remove water from the body by increasing the amount the amount expelled as urine. Our bodies cannot properly hydrate if we are overconsuming diuretics and not consuming enough good ‘ol H2O.
Tidbits and Tips
As we know, too much of a good thing can be bad a bad thing. Too much water can cause dehydration as well, and most people should not exceed one gallon of water per day.
It is important to sip, NOT chug. When you water a plant and you pour an entire pitcher of water in the pot, what happens? Most of it will empty out in the bottom taking vital nutrients and soil with it. When you slowly sprinkle water in the soil, it will absorb more and thus won’t be pouring out. It’s basically the same thing in our bodies! If you chug your water, you’re probably going to be going to the bathroom to urinate fairly quickly. If you sip throughout the day, your body has time to absorb and re-hydrate itself, and you won’t have to urinate as much.
Here are a few tips to help increase your water intake:
- Keep a glass or bottle of water nearby at all times
- Use an app to track your daily consumption
- Not a fan of plain water? Fancy it up with some fruit, veggies, or herbs!
- Eat water-rich foods
- Mark your water bottle with time-oriented goals