"Water is the most abundant, and the most important, nutrient in your body. You need it to carry the other nutrients to organs, and oxygen to your cells. Blood is made mostly of water, as are your lungs, muscles, and brain. You need water to regulate your body’s temperature, remove waste, and cushion your joints and organs (Bilderback, Dehydration)."
Water is often overlooked or taken for granted, but apart from oxygen, water is the most essential element for life. One could live for weeks without food but only a few days without water. The kidneys play a vital role in water balance by conserving or excreting water as necessary.
As people of faith, of course, we know that water is important in our
spiritual lives as well. Water is the element that we associate with the
sacrament that begins our life as Christians. We are reborn through
water and the Spirit into our new life with Christ in Baptism. Water is
woven throughout our faith story, and so, water is woven throughout our
lives.How much water is enough? Experts have never agreed. The rule you hear quoted repeatedly is eight 8 oz. glasses a day. This is a good place to start, but in all likelihood you probably need more water than that. The larger you are, the more water you need. The drier the air where you live, the more water you need. The higher your elevation, the more water you need, and the more active you are, the more water you need. But 8 glasses is a good place to start if you are just starting to increase your fluid intake.
Remember, fluid comes in a variety of forms, including the water in solid foods. Many fruits, vegetables and soups are at least 80% water, so they can count toward your daily intake. It is advised not to include beverages containing caffeine (coffee, colas) or alcohol when tallying your daily fluid intake. These act as diuretics, causing water loss.
Here are a few guidelines to getting your daily fluid quota of eight glasses:
-Thirst is not always a good indicator of the body's need for water. Often people misinterpret their body's request for water as hunger.-It's important to drink regularly, even if you don't feel thirsty. This is especially true in the elderly because the sensation of thirst becomes weaker as people age. Also, intense dehydration may impair the usual strong desire to drink. Try keeping a glass of water by your side all day long, it's quite likely this will increase your fluid intake. (I know that on day's I'm in the office with a glass of water always available, I drink at least twice as much as I do on weekends.)
-Drink one or two glasses of water 30 minutes to 1 hour before exercising. Drink a half of a glass again 10 minutes before your workout. Finally, drink at least 1 glass of water after you finish exercising.
-You don't need sports drinks, unless you do strenuous aerobic exercise for at least 60 minutes. These beverages contain sugar or fruit juice and electrolytes (mainly sodium and potassium). But for most of us, ordinary water is fine.
-Increase your fluid intake if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
Here are two great apps for your phone or tablet to help you track your water intake:
- For your Apple device: Waterlogged
- For your Google devise: Water Your Body
This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be professional medical advice or treatment. Always seek the advice of a health care professional with any questions about personal health care status, and prior to making changes in approaches to diet and exercise.
Originally published August 25, 2011 by Thea Mangels as "The Importance of Water"
Sources: The Episcopal Church Medical Trust, Intelihealth, "Dehydration" by Leslie Bilderback of About.com
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