HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

Water plays a huge part in all our lives. Two-thirds of our planet is covered in it, and our body weight is made up of 60% of it. It’s reputedly where life began, and controversially, many think that life could not get started without it.

Keeping your body's reservoir of water to the right levels is therefore understandably important, because, without sufficient water, your body, and your body systems’ performance will suffer.

Cleansing Your Body Organs

One of the basic functions that water performs is to cleanse your body’s organs. Giving your body a detox from time to time is a sensible thing to do. Most of us eat too many processed foods, and many of us drink alcohol, and the cumulative effects of this can be quite damaging over time.

So, going on a detox regime, whereby you limit your food intake to fresh, natural fare can really help, and when taking part in such a program, it is recommended that you drink a minimum of 2 to 3 litres of fresh, pure, water each day. It has the effect of helping to flush away many of the toxins as they leave your organs.

Some people report headaches and some suffer from a few spots appearing on their skins as the “poisons” slowly leak out, but this is actually a good sign that your detox is working; and afterwards, when the detox is complete, most people report heightened levels of fitness and well being. The point is that water plays an important part!

Avoiding Becoming Dehydrated

Another key indicator of the importance of water is what happens to your body system when you become dehydrated. Dehydration is a natural process. It happens as you breathe, and as you urinate; it happens through your bowel movements, and especially, as you perspire.

You’ll notice that sportsmen and women will replenish water at every opportunity in order to keep their energy levels as high as possible. When your reserves get too low, your energy wanes, and what happens is that you will then feel tired and exhausted. That’s bad enough for us ordinary mortals, but for sporting professionals, in the middle of a match, a race, or a tournament, it’s totally disastrous.

Lack of Water Starves Your Membranes

The human skin is totally amazing. On the outside of our bodies it is the skin that we are all familiar with; white, pink, brown, or somewhere in between; soft, smooth, and supple; it’s what we are used to seeing and feeling. But when that skin moves inside our mouths, noses, or other parts of our bodies that we won’t mention here, it transforms into a moist covering - all the better to produce the function it is designed for. That essential moisture needs a plentiful supply of water in order to retain its moist state. Yet another reason that you must keep drinking the right amount of water.

Is There Any Substitute?

We talk about water as if it’s the be-all and end-all, but is that necessarily so? The short answer is – yes it is; it is the best form of chemical moisture that our bodies need, and make no mistake about it; water is a chemical - H2O - or Adam’ Ale as it is sometimes more affectionately known, is one of many chemicals produced by Mother Nature; but it is also one of, if not the - very purest!

Is Alkaline Water Better Than Normal Water?

Some people are now advocating drinking alkaline water. It is reputed to be very good for your immune system because of its higher pH level. It is said to contribute to a healthier metabolism, help your body to absorb more nutrients, and even help to slow down the signs of ageing! In all honesty, the jury’s still out on this one and will be until we’ve heard more about the research that is currently in process.

Conclusion

At this point in time, we know that good old Adam’s Ale is the best re-hydrating agent known to man (or woman), so don’t deny yourself. On the contrary, popular medical opinion tells you that if you’re a man you should be imbibing up to 3 litres per day; and if you’re a lady – 2.2 litres per day. One thing’s for certain, in what is, after all, a very complicated world – it sure won’t do you any harm!

If you live here in Spain, read another of our articles and find out all about the drinking water in Spain.

Image courtesy of LeeBrimelow on Flickr.