INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NOT DRINKING WATER
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to over half of he world's population).
In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 13%.
One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters investigated in a University of Washington study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Lack of water will adversely affect our skin and trigger, cause or aggravate most common skin problems. Water or lack of it has recently been shown by scientists to be an 'extremely important factor' in Psoriasis (see below).
Hydration starts from within
Many health professionals including dermatologists and GPs will acknowledge that water therapy (hydrotherapy) is important to the health of our skin and, indeed there are numerous water treatments (Sea water, Dead Sea, M-Folia Bath Oil etc in which the body is soaked or bathed) which are recommended. However, until recently, few have focused on the obvious - that hydration starts from the inside and that our skin is equally or more profoundly affected by the amount of water we do - or don't - drink than by the amount we bathe in or put onto our skin.
Scientists at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, examined 70 psoriasis patients and found that without exception, there was very poor hydration. The study demonstrated that lack of hydration of the skin is a extremely important factor in the health of our skin. The report concluded that 'the degree of dryness in psoriatic skin lesions--which we presume to be one of the aggravating factors of psoriasis--seemed to be related to disease severity.'(1)
What water does
Increasing our consumption of water has been shown to help relieve allergies and skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, wrinkles and spots. Keeping the skin hydrated both externally and internally also delays signs of aging and helps maintain healthy skin especially for people already having dry or maturing skin. Bathing the skin in warm water thoroughly cleanses, gently exfoliates, and hydrates. This is why many skin creams are water-based that help to maintain the elasticity of the skin. Sunken eyes and under eye circles are signs that water consumption is low. Eyes sink because there isn't enough water to keep them suspended in the eye socket. Under-eye circles are due to lack of fluids that causes thin skin which is easily bruised.
Water helps the body to flush out toxins and wastes from the body and repair the damage that is caused due to daily wear and tear. Changing the amount of water you consume will affect your blood volume and the hydration in the body cells. This is why the consumption of water must be consistent to allow the body to function optimally.
How much water should I drink?
The amount of water you should drink is determined by your body weight. 70% of our bodies are made up of water. A good rule of thumb is to calculate the amount of water you need to drink by:
(a) finding your weight in lbs
(b) divide in half
(c) convert to fluid ounces
e.g. if your body weight is 200lbs, you would need to drink 100 fl oz of water a day. This may seem a lot to begin with, so gradually increase the amount of water you drink and you'll see a huge difference in your health & your skin.
What water should I drink?
The purer your water is, the better. We would recommend that you use a good water purifier at home to eliminate the impurities (heavy metals, bacteria, hormones etc) and also consider supercharging it - by that we mean, adding ionic minerals and alkalising it - more info
I went straight to the fridge and got a bottle of water. Thanks for the headsup, Mary.
I really need to alternate my tea with water, or a glass of water for each glass of tea.
Sometimes people "eat" when what their body is crying for is water. I try to drink more water...some days are more successful than others!
I read somewhere that drinking a cup of hot water in the morning helps with constipation (not coffee, but water.)
Personally, I'm addicted to Mountain Valley Water. SOO good.
Mary, I agree with the idea of balancing tea with water. I drink most of my water at night -- I wake frequently and always drink some water when I do. In the daytime, though, I drink too much tea.
Water, it does your body good! We're mostly made of it.
Wow! what great information! I really need to increase my water intake.
Scarlet
Very informative, Mary. gonna go a drink of water now.
Very informative, Mary. gonna go a drink of water now.
Mary you describe all my problems in your first paragraph. Thanks for giving the solution. What a fantastic post. Where's my water??
You are so right. Once you get used to having your eight glasses, you realize how thirsty and dried out you were before. Of course, I could do without having to pee all the frickin' time...=)
I absolutely loved this post!! I always knew water was important and I'd heard about the eight glasses a day, but I had no idea even mild hydration can slow the metabolism. Or that it could trigger fuzzy short term memory or trouble with even basic math.
What a useful post.
Thank you sooo much! I intend on telling my friends to visit today so they might benefit as well.
Have a wonderful, hydrated day everyone,
Tamara
Wow! This is a great, helpful blog! I'm one of those people who never drink much water and now I know how foolish it is. I'm turning over a new leaf. Thanks! See you in the ladies room!
Wow, I must be dehydrated. My memory is always fuzzy! Maybe that will change if my elliptical machine works it's magic. ROFL. Very cool info!!!