Water......When and How Much?

Good afternoon everyone,

       Last week, we spoke a bit about essential fats and bad fats.  This week we are going to talk briefly about water (which is one of the most essential substances that we can put in our bodies).  Everyone at one time or another has heard that they should drink more water.  Well that's great, but when should we drink this water and how much should we be drinking everyday?  Oh Yeah....and why should we have to drink so much water anyway?

1)  When?--- We should try to drink most of our water in between meals (also try to drink an 8-12 oz glass 1/2 hour before we eat any meal).  We should only drink one glass of water with a meal, because excess water while eating can cause poor absorption of the nutrients ingested. 

2)  How Much?--- We should try to drink 1/2 oz of water for every pound that we weigh.  (example:  100lbs would need 50 oz. of water throughout the day)

3)  Why?--- 1.  Proper hydration makes us less hungry (reason for drinking 1/2 hour before we eat) and therefor can actually help lose or keep our weight down. 
                    2.  The same center in the brain that controls histamine release (this is what causes allergies), also controls thirst function.  So it is possible that some of our allergies may only be caused by histamine release as a result of dehydration.
                   3.  We are about 70% water....so by drinking more water, we are giving every part of our body more of what it is made of. 
                   4.  Water helps digestion and filtration through your kidneys (urine should be a faint yellow or mostly clear)

Two points to close:  First is that the only thing that counts as water is water (not coffee, tea, lemonade, soda or any other substance) (caffeine drinks actually do the opposite and remove water from your body).  Second is that if you wait until you are thirsty to drink, than it is too late and you have some catching up to do (REMEMBER WITH ANY PART OF YOUR BODY:  IF YOU WAIT FOR SYMPTOMS TO OCCUR THEN YOU HAVE ALREADY WAITED MUCH TOO LONG)

If you have any questions about any of the information in my blogs or you would like me to write about a health topic that interests you, then just email me at drjeff@brucechiropracticonline.com to let me know.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff


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