Water is Life

Water is one of the important constituent of our diet. Our diet needs to be balanced in all respects. Our diet should contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals and water in proper proportion. The amount of water needed by our body depends on one’s age, type of work, and the climate.

Water is of major importance to all living things.   In some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight is made of water. The human adult body contains 70% of water. Our body gets a lot of water from many of the food items that we eat. For example, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish give lot of water to our body.

Each day we must consume water to survive. Of course, this varies according to age and gender, and also by where someone lives. We need about 2.5 to 3 litres of water on day today basis for our bodily functions. Some of this water is from the food that we eat. Most of the water needed by our body, comes from drinking water, tea, coffee, milk etc. Some of the water in our body is the result of oxidation of glucose during the digestion of the food.

Water forms about 70% of our body weight and is an important constituent of all body cells. Although water does not provide energy, it is a very important nutrient. Water is vital for life and an essential nutrient. If we deprive our body of water, it will kill us. 

Water is vital for several bodily functions and physiological processes. All our physiological activities depend on water. Water is a vital nutrient to every cell. It acts as a building material. Water assists in flushing out waste materials from our body and prevents constipation. We release lot of energy as we breathe. Our skin which is also an excretory organ sweat out to normalise the body temperature. The essential nutrients after carbohydrate metabolism and fat metabolism are transported by water into the blood stream & supply to cells and tissues. Water acts as a shock absorber for brain, spinal cord, and foetus. Water helps in the formation of saliva. It lubricates joints and keep our skin glowing.

We need to drink 2 to 3 litres of water every day and keep us hydrated. Lack of water will lead to dehydration. When there is dehydration, cells and tissues suffer from depletion of water. Physiological processes cannot take place in the absence of water. So we are drained of energy.

We need more water when we exercise. We sweat when we exercise. So we need to drink more water to replace the loss of fluid. Hot and humid weather will make us sweat and we need to drink more fluids.. Heated indoor air can cause our skin to lose moisture during wintertime. At great altitudes that is above 2,500 meters there will be increased urination and more rapid breathing. Therefore we need to drink more water.

When we have fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, our body loses fluids.  So we should drink more water. In some cases, doctors will also recommend oral rehydration solutions, such as Electral, ORS etc. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated.

We drink water when we are thirsty. We should try to drink water even when we are not thirsty. This will cause cooling of our internal organs.

If we drink water before meals, it aids digestion. Drinking water before meals will help us to lose weight. So it prevents obesity. 

Drinking water as soon as we get up in morning will prevent many diseases such as, heart diseases, kidney problems, and diabetes. Our muscles and joints will remain flexible. Body will become agile.

If we drink a glass of water when we are hungry, it will give the feeling of fullness in the stomach. So eating more food can be prevented. Drink few glasses of water in empty stomach. Water will remove toxic waste from our body.

Drinking water during the meals should be avoided to some extent. However small quantities of water during the meals may be all right. Drinking too much of water during the meals should be avoided. Drinking water with the meals will dilute the gastric juice and will slow down the process of digestion in the stomach and intestines.

Drinking cold water during the meals reduces the potency of stomach acids to digest food. Cold water will make the digestive enzymes become inactive and the process of digestion is hampered and leads to accumulation of toxic waste in the body. Similarly, drinking coke, soda, hot beverages like tea or coffee during mealtime should be avoided.

We can drink plenty of water half to one hour after our meals as most of the digestion process will be over by then. Now this water will help in transporting nutrients to various organs of our body.

Water is a compound of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Oxygen is our life force. By drinking water, we get more oxygen essential for our survival on this planet. Our internal organs will be sufficiently aerated. Drinking water as soon as we wake up will slowly remove illness from our body as our blood is cleansed and body waste is removed.  So drink water frequently as it contains no calories. It will help us to enjoy good health and long life.

Water is Life…. Water is our life force…. Water is Elixir… Water gives us Energy….

So drink more water.....