Drink more water

Bypassing the Minefield of Health & Getting back to Basics  

 ‘Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.’ – Mark Twain, author.

The minefield of health can be stressful and get complicated and confused with messages from advertisers. Water is one of those things that has gotten mixed up the media mumbo jumbo.

There are so many myths and fear campaigns that it’s hard to know what to believe. However, when it comes to the crunch, it’s best to forget the whizz-bang products and go back to basics. Most of us need to drink much more water than we do. There are so many reasons to drink more water that counteract anything advertisers might tell you.

 Firstly, let’s be honest, none of us would mind dropping those few extra kilos. Water regulates your metabolism, allowing for effective, long-term weight loss. It’s also the healthiest thing you can drink: it has no calories, no carbohydrates and no sugar. It quenches your thirst, so when you drink more water you’re likely to consume fewer unhealthy drinks. It even acts as an appetite suppressant because your body can often trick you into thinking you’re hungry when you’re actually just thirsty.

Secondly, drinking water is a great way to ensure a healthy heart and healthy organs. All organs need water in order to function properly, especially the heart. If you don’t get enough water, your body is forced to compensate by using water from your bloodstream and constrict your blood vessels to minimise perspiration. This increases your blood pressure, making the heart work harder and thereby increasing your chances of a heart attack.

Of course organ function is related to blood quality. Your blood should be 80 per cent water, and needs an adequate amount of water in order to create healthy blood cells. Drink more water and you could avoid a heart attack, or liver failure, or kidney disease. (Well, so long as you don’t do lots of other bad things . . .)

Drinking more water is also good for your bones and joints. Drink more water and your joints will have more lubrication and cushioning, protecting against damage and decreasing joint pain. Bones are 50 per cent water and require water to make healthy bone cells.

Another reason to drink more water is that it improves the quality of your skin and cleanses your body. Drinking water allows the body to have more water to sweat and urinate, which both carry toxins out of the body. Sweating actually cleanses your skin and makes it appear more youthful.

Water is the most important agent to regulate and balance your body temperature. When the body heats up due to weather or exercise it excretes water, cooling the body down. If you don’t drink enough water, this function breaks down, increasing the likelihood of fainting or sunstroke.

Is it possible to drink too much water? Yes, humans can actually die from drinking too much water, but it is extremely unlikely that you ever would. You would have to drink so much that you’d be more likely to drown in it than die from consuming it.

So, at least when thinking about water consumption, forgo what the minefield of health might tell you, get back to basics and drink up.