10 Reasons Water is My Number One Drink

Water The Number One Drink

When it comes to hydration and health water is my number one drink – find out why in this blog.

As a holistic dentist I’m always being asked what I think about fluoride in the water, what type of water should I drink, can I have bottled water and so on. In my opinion, the best water to drink would be non-fluoridated water that contains minerals like a good quality mineral water from Europe (Australian mineral water has the minerals removed so don’t be mislead by the names on the labels!).

But what really surprises me is, nobody seems to know how much water they should drink or why it is so important.

Make Water Your Number One Drink

Water doesn’t just make you wet, it is crucial for vitality, energy and health, being as little as 3% dehydrated can reduce your performance and concentrations levels dramatically.

Water is important for every cellular function in your body including digestion, detoxification and much more. So if you are not a fan of drinking water here are 10 really good reasons why you should.

10 Reasons To Drink Water

1. Water is the substance of life. Life can not exist without water. We need to be continually adding fresh water to our body to keep it properly hydrated. We can go for weeks without food, but only 3 days without water!

2. The body is 80% water. Water makes up  85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and 70% of your lean muscle.

3. Water is the best source of water, it is hard for the body to get it from anywhere else. Soft drinks and alcohol steal water from the body as do other beverages such as coffee and tea which are diuretics causing water to be lost from your system.

4. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. Lack of water is the number cause of daytime fatigue. A 2% drop in body water can cause poor short-term memory, trouble with problem-solving, and difficulty focusing when reading.

5. Water is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption, chemical reactions and detoxification. Our food is metabolised and transported by water in the bloodstream. Water also to transports waste material out of our bodies as part of detoxification processes.

6. Water is essential for proper circulation in the body. When the body is well hydrated there is more oxygen in the bloodstream. Oxygen is required to burn fat for energy, without the presence of oxygen the body cannot utilise stored fat for energy efficiently. When well hydrated you burn more fat and because there is more oxygen you will also have more energy.

7. Water helps remove toxins from the body, especially from the digestive tract. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps metabolise stored fat. Studies have shown that insufficient water intake causes fat deposits to increase.

8. Water regulates the body’s cooling system. Sports drinks are useful when consumed after or during vigorous and prolonged exercise in high heat. But did you know if you drink 1litre of plain water, your body will absorb 750ml of it within 15 minutes?

If you drink 1litre of a 10% sugar solution which is a typical soft drink, less than 100ml will be absorbed in the same period.

9.  Avoid Cellular Dehydration. This chronic condition where the body’s cells are never quite hydrated enough leaves them in a weakened state, vulnerable to attack from disease due to a weakened overall immune system and chemical, nutritional and pH imbalances.

10. Dehydration can occur at any time of the year, not only during the summer months when it is hot. The dryness that occurs during winter can dehydrate the body even quicker than the heat.

How much water is enough?

Everybody is different and the rule we often hear about drinking approx 2 litres of water per day can be misleading.

So here is a simple calculation to ensure you are getting enough of the wet stuff.

You should drink 0.033 of a litre of water per day for every kilogram of body weight.

If you weigh 65kg, that is 65 x 0.033 = 2.145 litres of water.

And remember for every glass of coffee or tea you consume, you need to have an extra glass of water, as caffeine will dehydrate you. The amount of water you drink should also be increased if you exercise, or if the weather is hot and dry.

Fancy a mineral water anyone?

Please be rest assured that Kenmore Dentist Evolve Dental Healing – only uses filtered, non-fluoridated water during treatments, rinsing and in our lovely rehydrating beverages.