To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals. -- Benjamin Franklin
I have NOT been particularly good about drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day. But, I think that is going to change now.
Doing my usual reading, I ran across a few tidbits of information that were news to me.
I knew, of course, water is a good and necessary requirement for our bodies, but I didn't know (that is, until today) that when we are dehydrated, the kidneys turn to the liver for help. And THAT means the liver isn't paying as much attention to its fat-burning job.
I guess that is just another reason to keep up with my daily water requirements!
Pardon me, while I take a sip ...
I also read that any drop in the body's water content (or put another way, any slight increase in dehydration) results in all sorts of bodily/system adjustments. A drop in water content decreases the blood volume and saliva production. This, in turn, apparently sets off a change in chemical and hormonal processes that creates that sense of thirst humans experience.
And, I didn't know (until reading it today) that the reason our urine sometimes looks darker when we are dehydrated is because the kidneys conserve water when they sense dehydration. They conserve water by returning more of it to the bloodstream, and that results in more concentrated urine. Now I know.
Taking another sip ...
Fascinating thing, the human body.
Another water fact that was news to me ... thirst naturally lessens with age! So, as I get older, I need to make a point to drink water periodically, even if I don't feel thirsty. As the body ages, it naturally dries out a little bit. As an example, I read a newborn is 75%-80% water, but people over 70 are generally closer to 50%.
Who knew?
Refilling my glass ...
Then there were these little facts I ran across, just for fun:
The typical (or was it "average"?) adult body contains 45 liters of water, 30 of which circulate within the cells, 3 circulate in blood plasma (working to carry nutrients, etc.) and the remaining 12 make up interstitial fluid. (That surrounds cells, comprises various bodily secretions, etc.) Water, as it turns out, is vital to virtually every bodily system.
Taking a long, refreshing, drink ...
Most people require 6-8 glasses of water a day, to remain properly hydrated, but needs will vary (depending up exercise, heat, etc. and so forth). THIS I knew.
Taking another sip ...
And what water gives, caffiene can take away (think diet colas, coffee, etc.) so I guess I need to use that sparingly. (I admit to TWO glasses of diet cola last night with my dinner. Umpf.)
Savoring a nice long drink ...
And a sip ...
And another sip ...
So, if not already obvious, today (after reading all this stuff about water), I decided to ramp up my water intake - aiming for 8 glasses today.
I'm starting a water log.
Day 58 and rehydrating ...
So happy when the light bulb goes on !!!
ReplyDeleteOops, guess you stole my thunder. I've put a post together about water too. Guess I'll save it. I realized too how much we all need sufficient amounts of water. Great minds think alike :)
ReplyDelete~Sheilah
I fill up a 32 oz bottle twice a day. It stays on my kitchen counter and I drink every time I pass by. Or if I'm on the road, it's with me. It has made a huge difference in the way I feel. And it helps to wash the salt and msg from restaurant food. Yuk!
ReplyDeleteOh yea... water is good. I try to drink 100 oz. or more a day. It helps get the toxins out of our blood and actually helps in weight loss!! Yay! If they isn't motivation for me!! :)
ReplyDelete~Margene
Allan, I typically would hit the water when I was thirsty, or with meals, etc. and so forth. Turns out, by the time thirst is registered, we're down by almost 2% !! I knew in the back of my mind I needed to pay more attention to water intake (and it wasn't bad), but I'm finally adding it to the priority list where it belongs. I don't think the bulb was off, I think mine was burned out. LOL
ReplyDeleteMensa - POST your water thoughts!! I didn't list half of the stuff I read today, and I know there is so much more to it. Also, it is helpful for the water-lazy folks like me to read the thoughts and/or insights of others on the subject. Besides, there are plenty of people who would not necessarily visit my blog, but who would yours. Great minds often DO think alike (wink) ... so post that piece! Water, water, everywhere! Maybe this will be the waterlog day!
xxox
Jo, THAT is a fantastic idea! I'm going to try that, putting 32 oz of water on my kitchen counter. Thanks for the tip!!
ReplyDeleteMargene, how long did it take you to bring your water intake up to 100 oz (or more!!!) a day? Ridding the blood/body of toxins is one of the benefits I read about this morning in passing. I want to learn more about that aspect.
going to get a glass right now!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of these tidbits. I walked out of my office and filled my bottle up. This is a constant challenge of mine, but the difference is wonderful when you are hydrated.
ReplyDeleteLOL That was funny, Katie! But HEALTHY :) I should say congratulations on that NSV of WANTING healthy food over the less healthy stuff.
ReplyDeleteErin, you're welcome! Water intake has been a constant challenge for me too, but I admit to not really putting any effort into it (before today). Are the differences noticable to you?
One of the bits I read about today, said the body has a heirarchy in the way it utilizes water. Internal organs will get the first priority, as assigned by our bodies, and then the list goes out from there. The very last part of the body to get assigned an allotment of hydration (assuming there is enough water still left to assign), is the SKIN, of all things!
SO, I guess the lesson is that if we remain dehydrated, the skin suffers most/longest. Like I said before, fascinating thing the human body!
I was having so much trouble getting my water in. So I filled up 2 20 oz bottles and made sure I drank them during the day. That way I got at least 40 oz. As long as I kept them filled, I would always have a cold water waiting for me when one was gone.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm better about drinking it, we have a pitcher of filtered ice water in the fridge at all times :)
(getting the filter is really what helped me drink water, now I actually like it)
I had a Britta pitcher, but it finally cracked. I guess, Tina, I should reinvest in a new one. I did much better with the water intake today! I'm not so sure how easy it will be, while I'm sitting next to a hospital bed this week, keeping the patient company. Maybe I need to invest in a few bottled waters ... hmmmmmm.
ReplyDelete