Water, Health and Weight Loss

Sweating is your bodies cooling mechanism. When you exercise intensely, you can lose two quarts of water in one hour. To determine how much water you need to drink during and after exercise, weigh yourself after exercise. For every pound lost during exercise, you need to replace with two cups of water.
Symptoms of dehydration are dry mouth, cramping, headaches and muscle fatigue. When the body becomes dehydrated our total blood volume is decreased, due to a loss of fluid lost through sweating. Since blood plasma is mostly made up of water, the oxygen carrying capability of our blood is decreased causing our working muscles and organs to be deprived of oxygen. Sometimes when we are feeling fatigued or hungry a glass of water is all that's needed to improve physical performance and curb the appetite. The color of urine can also be an indicator of dehydration. If it is dark or cloudy you need to drink more water.
To prevent dehydration, follow these guidelines
1. Drink a cup of water one half hour before exercise.
2. Drink fluid every 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Don't wait until you're thirsty. At this point, you have already become dehydrated.
4. Drink cool fluids because they absorb into the bloodstream faster than warm or ice-cold fluids.
Water is the beverage of choice for healthy people. Sweetened drinks such as soda and iced tea do not have the same effect as water. Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics. They signal the kidneys to release water into the urine. If you need that morning cup of coffee to get your engine going, drink water as well. Drink water consistently throughout the day. A home water filtration
system can give you all the pure water you need for a fraction of the cost of bottled water.
Drinking water on a daily basis will help you with many important areas. By maintaining the proper level of water each day, you give your body the best chance to fight disease, eliminate stress and maintain focus. In addition, drinking enough water can boost
your concentration and keep you from overeating. It helps to flush out toxins and promotes health.

Eight glasses of water a day is recommended for adequate hydration.
If you fall short of the mark it's okay. You can consume water
through your diet by eating fruits such as watermelon, peaches,
oranges and grapes.
____________________________________________