The Hydration Equation

H2O is The Go

Without doubt, water is our most important nutrient. In fact, seventy-five percent of you, is it. Water, that is. Your body can do without a lot of things for a long time but it can’t survive without H2O for long. More often than not, hydration is the most misunderstood and mis-managed component of our overall health-management plan. Despite the fact that keeping our body well-hydrated is a relatively easy process, many people fail to do so, thereby putting their health at significant risk.

So, if you need some convincing, here are a few reasons to give your thirsty cells a drink:   

1. Dehydrated people often have stinky breath.
2. Therefore, nobody wants to kiss them!
3. Drinking cold water increases our metabolic rate.
4. Which helps with fat-loss.
5. Being well-hydrated helps curb our appetite and cravings.
6. Which helps us avoid over-eating.
7. Because our blood is mostly water, being dehydrated increases the viscosity (thickness) of our blood.
8. Which means our cardiovascular system has to work much harder.
9. Which means we’re more likely to have a stroke or heart attack.  

10. Because we have less blood volume (when we’re dehydrated), our heart needs to beat faster in order to deliver adequate oxygen around the body.
11. And our blood pressure will be elevated.
12. From a sporting point of view, our dehydrated body will fatigue quicker.
13. Our muscles will be weaker (they’re 75% water too).
14. We will also be less coordinated.
15. Which means decreased sporting performance.
16. Dehydration also leads to constipation.
17. Which, ironically, makes us feel like shit (because our body is storing, not eliminating, all those toxins).
18. It also causes headaches.
19. And lethargy.
20. And muscle cramps. Those middle-of-the-night calf cramps suck.
21. And vagueness and an inability to concentrate (because our brain is 90% water).
22. This mental vagueness can affect a myriad of things: communication, driving skills, work productivity, judgment and mood.
23. Dehydration also leads to dry skin and potentially, a range of skin conditions (our skin is our largest organ and requires plenty of H2O).
24. Dehydrated skin looks old before its time. OMG!
25. Because we’re mostly water, a chronically dehydrated body will be more susceptible to serious disease. Dehydrated organs are unhealthy organs.

Drink anyone?

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