Make water the beverage of choice to ward off dehydration.

Follow these tips for better hydration:

1. Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.
2. Hydrate before, during, and after exercise.
3. Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings.

How does dehydration effect our body?

A Just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy. An 11%+ drop in body fluids will cause death. A mere 2% drop can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic mental calculations and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as the computer screen. Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.

An estimated 75% to 80% of people have mild, chronic dehydration: this is a scary statistic for a developed country where water is readily available through the tap or bottle.

Refreshing water! Plays a role in reducing the risk of certain diseases such as colon cancer, bladder cancer, and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer. Adequate water intake will help prevent headaches, constipation, and kidney damage.

Our brain is over 75% water and controls each and every process that happens in the body. This control is maintained by sending and receiving electrical signals throughout the nervous system., which is nothing more than an elaborate system of tiny waterways. So the body, when it is lacking water, will do everything possible to prevent this ‘drought-like’ conditions from occurring. The strategy to conserve water is to pull water from the lungs to supply the brain which makes breathing more difficult.

Can water play in weight loss?

Water suppresses the appetite and helps the body burn up stored fat.

Decrease water intake = increase fat deposits.

Increased water intake = decrease fat deposits.

The decrease in water causes the kidneys not to function properly. The kidneys in turn affects some of the water going to the liver. One of the functions of the liver is to metabolize fat into energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the work of the kidneys then the liver can’t work on fat.

Can dehydration cause back and arthritis pain?

You may not know this but water plays an enormous part in your back and spine. Between the vertebrae lies a shock absorber disk. Each disk has two part: outer flexible tough ring with a gelatinous filling. This filling is mostly water. During the day, water is slowly squeezed out of the disks then at night the disks rehydrate themselves. With the fully hydrated disk, the outer ring bears 25% of the weight load while the inner filling supports 75%. If the inner filling is dehydrated, it can not support the load and the results in pain, swelling, and even ruptures of the outer shell of the disk.

Water is the one simple way to reduce back pain is to increase your daily intake of water. Throughout your day, simply stretch your spine forward and back helping to rehydrate your disks.

Arthritis simply means “joint inflammation” is the term for about 100 forms of arthritis. Waters important task is lubing up the joints for maximum and pain-free movement. The arthritis stuffiness and pain is a result of joints, not being cushioned with increased friction between the cartilage, water can aid by helping to lubricate and provide padding for these areas. When joints move, a suction occurs pulling water from the bone marrow into the joint—if there is water available. If not, joints can glide like they should.