Seeing Red by Kirsten Karchmer

Author:Kirsten Karchmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tiller Press
Published: 2019-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

Hydration

Drinking water seems like a total no-brainer. Yes, we all know that we need to drink water, but most of us probably need to drink more than we do. Here are a few details about just how important water is for your health and your cycle.

Water accounts for about one-half to two-thirds of your weight. If you’re at an appropriate weight, this is a good thing, but if you’re overweight, it’s more critical to pay attention to hydration because fat tissue has a lower percentage of water than lean tissue, making it more susceptible to dehydration and its serious impacts on the body and reproductive system.

Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly. You need adequate hydration so your body can maintain its temperature, make cervical mucus, and protect your tissues, spinal cord, and joints. It also keeps sensitive areas, such as your eyes and your vagina, from feeling dry. You need to keep your body hydrated to retain optimum levels of moisture in those areas, as well as in your blood, bones, and brain.

Another reason water is so important is that it helps our bodies eliminate waste. Our bodies are designed to get rid of both liquid and solid waste, and without adequate hydration, the system stalls, leaving you constipated and loaded up with waste by-products. The kidneys, liver, and intestines all use water to help flush out waste. Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. If you’re dehydrated, the liver can’t function properly to clear waste and remove excess hormones that can contribute to hormonal imbalances.

Then there’s digestion. Most people don’t realize it, but digestion starts with your saliva, which is formed from, um, water. Your saliva contains enzymes that break down food and liquids, dissolve minerals and other nutrients, and then help convert those nutrients into blood, a substance that’s also made up mostly of water. You also need water to break down soluble fiber, which keeps your poops (another mechanism of waste removal) in tip-top shape. There are a variety of suggestions about how much water is the right amount and countless studies supporting the various hypotheses. Keep it easy, and follow the eight-by-eight rule. That means try to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. You’ll get the added benefit of increased metabolism (and who doesn’t want that?) if you drink 17 ounces at one time. According to one study, participants’ metabolic activity temporarily increased between 24 and 30 percent when they did so. The researchers also estimated that drinking 68 ounces (2 liters) in one day increases energy expenditure by about 96 calories.5 That’s an extra cookie.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.