I have always been fascinated by water. It is a substance that has three phases: liquid, gas, and solid. The human body is made up of 55 to 60% of water. It stands to reason that a person needs to make sure they drink enough to maintain this amount, but to maintain a multitude of other functions in the body as well.
The question that I am asking in the title is very important for a couple of reasons. A person needs to drink a certain amount of water each day to maintain health. The other side of things is that if you are trying to lose weight, drinking enough water is essential to this process. Also if you are physically active, you need more water.
For a general guide of how much to drink per day, it is 1/2 ounce to one ounce for every pound that you weigh. For example if you weigh 150 lbs, your water intake could range from 75 to 150 ounces of water per day. If you are physically active, your water intake would be at the higher end of the range.
Let's talk about the why of water and weight loss. Water intake helps to increase your metabolism and that is what you want for weight loss. It also can help you feel less hungry and take the place of calories that you would normally eat if you weren't drinking water.
The how to drink more water and to use it help with weight loss is pretty simple. One trick could be to drink two 8 oz cups of water before you eat your meals. This would give you 48 ounces of water for before three meals each day.
Another way to increase water is to drink 8 oz right when you get up and 8 oz before you go to bed. That is another 16 ounces for the day's intake.
Some people use a container to measure out their water that they carry around with them. This would give you a measure of how much you have had during the day.
Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you may really be thirsty. Drinking water will take care of a variety of issues, dehydration, eating too many calories, and helping with weight loss. If you think you are hungry after a meal, drink a glass of water, wait 10 or 15 minutes before eating more food.
If plain water is not appealing, there are a variety of ways to flavor the water. Crystal lite has water packets available and there are other water flavorings you could use to bring out the zing in water. I like adding lemon juice to mine to change it to another flavor other than just plain water.
Add in more water to hydrate the body and if you are trying to get weight loss, it is another tool you can use to increase metabolism and eat less.
Still looking to fill the Online workshop with a couple more people. http://www.nutritionandhealthworks.com/virtual-weight-loss-program or email me at nutritionandhealthworks@woh.rr.com
Here is to a glass of water for good health.
Juanita